An important piece of history has been restored and unveiled for visitors to enjoy once again at world famous London neighbourhood, Wembley Park. A commemorative plaque from the original opening of Olympic Way in 1948 to mark the Olympic Games has been restored and made available to visitors, by Quintain, who commissioned and funded the restoration.

Wembley Park unveils newly restored 1948 Olympics plaque and new 2021 Olympic Steps plaque on London’s iconic Olympic Way

On April 19th, 2023, a ceremony was held in Wembley Park for the unveiling of the newly restored plaque, led by Cllr Abdi Aden, the Mayor of Brent Council. The event was attended by local dignitaries and members of the local community.

The plaque, which was in a severe state of disrepair, was restored with the support of the British Olympic Association, World Olympians Association, sports journalist and author Mike Collett, and the Wembley History Society.

The restoration project was part of the redevelopment of Olympic Way, the iconic walkway also known to football fans across the world as “Wembley Way.” The land surrounding the plaque has been re-landscaped by Goddard and LDA Design, in a move to celebrate the significance of this newly restored piece of history.

The original plaque was unveiled on 6th July 1948 by Alfred Barnes MP, then Minister of Transport, to mark the opening ceremony of Olympic Way preceding the 1948 Olympic Games, also known as the ‘Austerity Games’ because of the rationing and economic difficulties following World War II. Athletes from a record 59 nations participated in 19 sporting disciplines, with events held at Wembley Stadium and Wembley Park’s Empire Pool – now OVO Arena Wembley. Originally located on Olympic Way, the plaque was later relocated in 1993 to a nearby scrubland area just above the Bobby Moore Bridge by Wembley Park tube station.