THE sheer size of it is just remarkable. It almost feels like an optical illusion and even for a seasoned football fan, it’s impossible not to be impressed.

Few other sporting arenas, if any, come close. Not Old Trafford, not the San Siro in Italy, and certainly not the old Wembley. The arguments about spiralling costs and delays are long forgotten now, at least by football fans. It was worth the wait.

This is the new Wembley Stadium. And on May 9, this is where York City will face Stevenage Borough in the FA Trophy Final, looking for a bright end to an otherwise grim season.

Thousands of York City diehards will flock to the capital, and thousands of others will join them for a day out. But just what lies in store?

As we approach by road through north London, Wembley’s stunning arch dominates the skyline. And as we park up in the shadow of Wembley Way, the stadium truly is awesome.

Sir Bobby Robson called it “mind-blowing”. David Beckham “unbelievable”. Sir Geoff Hurst “magnificent”.

It’s not easy to contextualise the hyperbole, but here goes… The arch, the defining aspect of the new stadium, is 133 metres high. That’s more than twice as high as the Central Tower at York Minster.

The stadium has 90,000 seats – enough to accommodate half the entire population of York.

There are 2,618 toilets – enough for three for each York City season-ticket holder.

The foundations are 35 metres deep – deeper than the old stadium’s iconic Twin Towers were tall.

And you could park 25,000 London buses in the overall space taken up by the stadium.

The changing areas at Wembley are vast and spacious. Each team has a dressing room with space for 26 players, as well as kitchen areas, bathrooms, showers, physio space – and more.

The players’ tunnel is a tunnel in name alone. In reality, it is a vast foyer, with space for players, managers, coaches, match officials, journalists, TV crews – and more.

To say it’s a far cry from York’s KitKat Crescent and the other grounds in the Blue Square Premier is an understatement. But come May 9, this is where City will be. The signs outside the ground confirm it: “Next event – May 9”. Sixteen years after their only trip to the old Wembley, City are back at the home of English football.

York City secretary Nick Bassett has been before, for meetings and matches, but when he went again last week he was still impressed.

“I have been quoted saying it’s the best football stadium in the land, and every time I step in I am convinced it’s true,” he said.

“The opportunity to see York City run out of that tunnel and play football on that pitch is mouth-watering.”

City fans have already been snapping up tickets for the big day in their thousands. They will be in the eastern half of the stadium, and will be spread over three tiers but even up in the skies, the view will be impressive.

The FA proudly boasts that none of the 90,000 seats has a restricted view, and it’s true – every spectator can see every square inch of the pitch. From low down or up high, nobody will miss any of the action.

The playing surface was the cause for consternation in the recent FA Cup semi-finals, but it will have been re-laid by May 9, giving the York players a perfect end to a tough season.

Make no mistake – York go into the match as underdogs, having finished the league season 29 points behind their opponents Stevenage. But the Minstermen have displayed some of their best form and achieved some of their best results this season in this competition, including victories over Oxford and Kidderminster.

And come May 9, optimism will be high that City can do themselves proud and provide the drama and glory deserving of this magnificent arena.

Wembley fact file

· There are 107 steps in the trophy presentation route – the old stadium had 39 steps

· The new pitch is four metres lower than the old one

· Each of the two giant screens is the size of 600 domestic television sets

· The total length of the escalators is the same as a 400 metre running track

· The rows of seating, if placed end to end, would stretch 33.5 miles – half-way from York to Manchester

· There is more leg room in every seat in Wembley than there was in the Royal Box of the old stadium

· There are 90,000 seats – 34,303 in the lower tier, 16,532 in the middle tier and 39,165 in the upper tier

· The arch is 133 metres high. It has a span of 315 metres and is the longest single span roof structure in the world

· It has a diameter of 7.4 metres, making it wide enough for a Channel Tunnel train to run through

· More than 200 construction workers, including at least one from each English county, were involved in building the arch

· The stadium roof is 52 metres above the pitch and covers 11 acres, of which four are retractable

· As well as 90,000 spectator seats, Wembley has 310 wheelchair spaces, 400 press seats, 34 bars, eight restaurants, 98 kitchens and 688 food and drink service points

· There are 2,618 toilets, 47 retail units (programmes, merchandise, betting), 164 turnstiles, 26 lifts and 30 escalators