another wembley blow out delay. Wembley Stadium unlikely to be...

another wembley blow out delay. Wembley Stadium unlikely to be completed by September
Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:16 AM BST



By Ken Ferris

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - Wembley Stadium's operators said on Monday the venue is unlikely to be completed by September, which was the revised date given by contractor Multiplex.

"Currently, Multiplex states that it will complete the stadium by September 2006," said Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) chief executive Michael Cunnah.

"It is WNSL's view that, at the current rate of progress, particularly in light of the extensive testing and commissioning regime that will be required, this is not likely to be achieved until later in the year," he added in a statement.

Australian constructor Multiplex had originally planned to have the 90,000-seat stadium ready for the 2006 FA Cup final but was forced to delay the opening after a series of embarrassing setbacks.

The match was moved to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and the Football Association has already rescheduled England's home 2008 European Championship qualifiers in September for alternative venues.

WNSL last month declined to guarantee the stadium would be ready for the 2007 FA Cup final and a spokesman said on Monday they still could not commit to an opening date.

MAJOR ITEMS

The FA has said it would wait until the stadium had been handed over to its subsidiary WNSL before making an announcement about next year's Cup final.

"Whilst the stadium is well on the way to being finished and looks magnificent from the outside, Multiplex still has major items to complete," added Cunnah.

He said Multiplex has yet to finish the stadium's roof, remedial works to the drainage network, building management and life safety systems and the installation of some 10,000 seats.

The 750 million pound ($1.40 billion) redevelopment in northwest London has been dogged by problems and soaring costs, which forced Multiplex to issue six profit warnings last year.

"It has always been our view that the stadium's delays are Multiplex's responsibility," said Cunnah. "Notwithstanding this, WNSL is geared up for opening the new stadium.

"We have recruited a team of over 6,200 people and the next step for them is to begin the final stages of training inside the stadium itself. We can only begin this final stage when Multiplex has sufficiently finished its works."