Beloved UK football stadium open for 93 years demolished and turned into apartments

 A beloved football stadium open for 93 years was demolished and turned into a huge apartment complex. Highbury, the former home of Arsenal Football Club, officially closed in 2006 after the club moved into the Emirates Stadium just 500 metres away in north London.

The famous ground first opened on September 6, 1913, when Arsenal beat Leicester Fosse 2-1. At the time, Leicester Fosse was the original name of Leicester City. Highbury remained Arsenal's home for exactly 93 years and became one of the most famous football stadiums in England.

The final match at the stadium took place on May 7, 2006, when Arsenal defeated Wigan Athletic 4-2.

It proved to be a memorable farewell as Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick before kneeling down and kissing the Highbury turf after the final whistle.

The stadium is fondly remembered by Arsenal fans as it witnessed some of the biggest moments in the club's history.

One of the most famous came during the 2003/04 season when Arsène Wenger's side completed an entire Premier League campaign unbeaten.

That team became known as "The Invincibles" and lifted a special golden Premier League trophy at Highbury.

Among many other highlights, television history also took place at the ground. In September 1937, Highbury hosted the world's first ever live televised football match during a specially arranged game against Arsenal's reserve side.

As far as the history of the ground is concerned, the stadium was first redeveloped during the 1930s under legendary Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman.

The famous East Stand and West Stand became famous for their distinctive Art Deco appearance and remained some of the most recognisable football structures in the country for decades.

However, by the late 1990s, Arsenal had started to outgrow the stadium.

Following the Taylor Report, football stadiums across England were converted into all-seater venues. That reduced Highbury's capacity from more than 73,000 to just 38,419.

Arsenal desperately needed a larger stadium to increase matchday revenue and compete financially with Europe's biggest clubs.

Expanding Highbury proved almost impossible because the ground was tightly surrounded by residential housing on all sides.

The famous East Stand was also a Grade II listed building, meaning it could not simply be demolished or heavily altered.

Instead, Arsenal built the Emirates Stadium nearby in Ashburton Grove. The club moved into the new 60,000-seat stadium ahead of the 2006/07 season.

After Highbury closed, large parts of the ground were demolished before the site was transformed into a residential complex called Highbury Square.

The North Bank and Clock End were completely removed during the redevelopment work. However, several parts of the old stadium had to be preserved.

The Art Deco exterior of the East Stand and West Stand still stands today, including the giant "Arsenal Stadium" lettering.

The famous Marble Halls entrance area was also kept, along with the old players' tunnel, which now acts as a walkway for residents.

The pitch itself was transformed into a large communal garden in the centre of the apartment complex.