Netflix knows how to deliver an excellent documentary, and there’s a new offering on the streaming platform this week. Here’s all you need to know about The Final: Attack on Wembley.
We’re always keeping our ear to the ground for the best new true crime and documentaries on the small screen. And, it’s usually Netflix that catches our attention.
The streaming service puts out an obscene amount of documentary content each month. Still, football fans will have no doubt been intrigued by this latest story.
But, this is not your classic feel-good sports movie. No, The Final: Attack on Wembley is a true story of chaos, crime, and conflict.
What is The Final: Attack on Wembley about?
The documentary details the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium, where 6,000 ticketless fans forced their way into the ground. It will feature exclusive interviews with England supporters involved in the incident.
Euro 2020 (which actually took place in 2021 due to Covid delays) is a major football tournament involving the best international teams in Europe. Of the 24 teams taking part, England and Italy made it to the final on July 11, 2021.
The game was played in England, so fans traveled to Wembley Stadium hoping to get close to the action. The issue is, that a large number of them did not have tickets, but found alternate means to enter the ground.
The fans, who were actually in Wembley Park, an area where you could watch the game on a big screen, turned violent. No one was substantially harmed during the incident, but a review into the situation claimed “significant injuries or even death” were narrowly avoided.
This new movie is an 81-minute long documentary detailing how the incident arose, aimed at telling “the story behind the carnage.” It will feature “compelling first-hand testimony and visceral user-generated content” to offer a dramatic retelling of events.
The Final: Attack on Wembley lands on Netflix on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.
Why did the Attack on Wembley incident happen?
Put simply, England fans got carried away and spotted an opportunity to enter Wembley Stadium without a ticket. It is thought many of the fans were fueled by alcohol and drugs.
From a logistical point of view, the fans were able to access the stadium due to a fence line being knocked down along the outer perimeter of Club Wembley. Some supporters stormed a disabled pass gate, while another 90 people are said to have rushed an emergency exit.
Police and stewards reportedly battled against the crowds of hooligans, but were unable to prevent the majority from achieving their goal.
Who was involved in the Attack on Wembley?
A large group of roughly 2,000 England football supporters stormed Wembley Stadium and forced entry into the ground to watch the Euro 2020 final.
Those involved punched and kicked their way through police and stewards to enter the stadium. Considering this, it would be fair to describe these people as hooligans.
Footage from the incident shows fans fighting, throwing glass bottles, and causing destruction to property. It is unclear who the actual perpetrators were, but some of them are interviewed quite openly in the documentary.
Is The Final: Attack on Wembley worth watching?
If you follow football at all and want to know more about that chaotic day, we’d say it’s certainly worth watching The Final: Attack on Wembley.
Netflix documentaries are pretty interesting, and more often than not, offer good access to the subjects involved. That appears to be the case this time, too.
However, one concern we do have is that Attack on Wembley is giving these hooligans a platform to show off about what they did. Indeed, from the trailer, you can see that the two men they interview appear to be pretty proud.
How to watch Attack on Wembley
The documentary is playing exclusively on Netflix, and you won’t find it anywhere else.
It’s a Netflix Original documentary, so the streamer holds the exclusive rights to the material.
If you’d rather skip Attack on Wembley, there are plenty of other new movies streaming and new TV shows coming to streaming this month. Welcome to Wrexham Season 3 is underway, for a start, and offers a far more positive story.
