Cannon ball
01-08-2006, 11:35
The completion of the new Wembley Stadium could be further delayed.
The venue was due to have been completed in August 2005, but hold-ups have led to events, such as this year's FA Cup Final, being rescheduled.
Now construction firm Multiplex has said the £757m north London stadium will not be completed until June 2007.
It blames the venue's owners, Wembley National Stadium Ltd, for not completing a series of critical works. The firm rejected Multiplex's claims.
'Test events'
Builders Multiplex said it was "substantially complete" apart from some seats.
But it said Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) needed to stage test events so the stadium could gain the required licences and approval to operate.
Multiplex director of communications Peter Murphy told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The problem at the moment in terms of when the stadium becomes operationally complete, or reaches practical completion, really surrounds commencement and completion of the client works.
"So at this stage, Multiplex as builder is reliant upon our client, WNSL, completing a series of critical works to get us through to the point where we're capable of actually hosting or running test events and, at this stage, we're unclear and we haven't been informed by WNSL when in fact they'll commence and complete those works."
The company said it had analysed how long these works would take, and found "it is unlikely that the stadium will be able to hold a test event for 90,000 spectators before June 2007".
Claims dismissed
But a spokesman for WNSL dismissed claims the stadium will not be ready until June.
He added that Multiplex was trying to "muddy the water" between the dates for practical and operational completion and said WNSL had always insisted it could not organise test events until Multiplex had reached practical completion.
It is only then that a safety certificate can be issued that would enable the stadium to open at full capacity, he said.
However, WNSL would not confirm that the 2007 FA Cup Final would be held at Wembley. If it was not, the event would probably be held again in Cardiff next May.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5233596.stm
The whole thing is a shambles and a joke, embarrasing for England.
The venue was due to have been completed in August 2005, but hold-ups have led to events, such as this year's FA Cup Final, being rescheduled.
Now construction firm Multiplex has said the £757m north London stadium will not be completed until June 2007.
It blames the venue's owners, Wembley National Stadium Ltd, for not completing a series of critical works. The firm rejected Multiplex's claims.
'Test events'
Builders Multiplex said it was "substantially complete" apart from some seats.
But it said Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) needed to stage test events so the stadium could gain the required licences and approval to operate.
Multiplex director of communications Peter Murphy told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The problem at the moment in terms of when the stadium becomes operationally complete, or reaches practical completion, really surrounds commencement and completion of the client works.
"So at this stage, Multiplex as builder is reliant upon our client, WNSL, completing a series of critical works to get us through to the point where we're capable of actually hosting or running test events and, at this stage, we're unclear and we haven't been informed by WNSL when in fact they'll commence and complete those works."
The company said it had analysed how long these works would take, and found "it is unlikely that the stadium will be able to hold a test event for 90,000 spectators before June 2007".
Claims dismissed
But a spokesman for WNSL dismissed claims the stadium will not be ready until June.
He added that Multiplex was trying to "muddy the water" between the dates for practical and operational completion and said WNSL had always insisted it could not organise test events until Multiplex had reached practical completion.
It is only then that a safety certificate can be issued that would enable the stadium to open at full capacity, he said.
However, WNSL would not confirm that the 2007 FA Cup Final would be held at Wembley. If it was not, the event would probably be held again in Cardiff next May.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/5233596.stm
The whole thing is a shambles and a joke, embarrasing for England.