Wembley builders set to miss another deadline

Wembley’s owners are confident the rebuilt stadium will be open for business by the end of the year but believe builders Multiplex will miss their September deadline.

The traditional home of English football was due to open at the beginning of the year, but Australian firm Multiplex have announced a series of delays, forcing the Football Association to keep the FA Cup final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and arrange England fixtures at Old Trafford.

As the project nears completion, however, Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) are taking matters into their own hands and have confirmed their view of how long the final stages of construction will take.

Work remains to be done on seating, drainage, the roof and building management systems.

WSNL chief executive Michael Cunnah issued a statement, saying: “It is Multiplex’s responsibility to deliver the stadium and it is WNSL’s responsibility to ensure that they do.

“Unfortunately Multiplex has missed its original timetable of January 30, 2006 as well as its own revised timetable of March 31, 2006.

“Currently Multiplex states that it will complete the stadium by September 2006. 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.

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

“For example, Multiplex has yet to finish the stadium’s roof, the extensive remedial works to the stadium’s drainage network, the building management and life safety systems and the installation of approximately 10,000 of the stadium’s 90,000 seats.

“It has always been our view that the stadium’s delays are Multiplex’s responsibility.

“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.

“At that point we will be able to enter the stadium to start the handover process, begin our final training and carry out limited works which include the installation of radio communications systems, mobile cash machines and national flags.

“These items will be completed at the same time as we prepare for the test events which will precede our first full capacity event.”