FA Cup bound for Wembley

The FA Cup final will return to Wembley in May – bringing to an end one of the most protracted sagas in English sport.

A rebuilt national stadium has been awarded its general safety certificate from Brent Council and, as a result, the Football Association was able to confirm their showpiece final would be staged at the venue on May 19.

Some seven years – not to mention £757m (€1.1bn) ploughed into the development of the state-of-the-art north-west London venue – have passed since Chelsea beat Aston Villa under the famous Twin Towers.

However, after two successful ’ramp-up’ events as well as an England training session the stadium was effectively declared fully open for business.

Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick said: “I am happy to confirm the 2007 FA Cup final, sponsored by E.ON, will be played at Wembley Stadium.

“It is the announcement that a lot of people have been waiting for and is great news for football fans in this country and indeed the world over.

“The cup final and Wembley Stadium go hand in hand and everybody at the FA is looking forward to a great day.”

The success of the two test runs – a community day and last Saturday’s under-21 between England and Italy – means the redeveloped venue can now host events with up to 90,000 spectators.

The FA also announced the finals of the FA Trophy and the FA Vase will be held at Wembley on May 12 and 13 respectively, at a capped capacity, as part of the build up to the official opening on May 19.

The Football League, meanwhile, are expected to make an announcement on the venue of their end-of-season play-offs later in the week.

The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff hosted the Carling Cup final between Chelsea and Arsenal earlier this season, while the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy between Doncaster and Bristol Rovers will also be played there on Sunday.

With Wembley having gained its safety certificate, the complex is now likely to be hosting other events, such as high-profile concerts.

“We received the keys to the stadium just over a fortnight ago, since then Wembley and the FA’s staff have worked incredibly hard to put on two great test events in a very short period of time,” said Wembley Stadium managing director Alex Horne.

“We realise that there is still some way to go yet and are digesting the feedback we have received in order to ensure that coming to Wembley Stadium is a fantastic experience for fans.”

Brent Council chief executive Gareth Daniel said: “We are delighted to be able to hand over this safety certificate, which will allow this 90,000-seat stadium to open, bringing back world-class music and sporting events to Wembley.”

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell added: “Wembley is without doubt the most modern and best sports stadium in the world.

“Anyone who has been there, like I have, will know what a wonderful, imposing and inspiring venue it is.

“For generations to come, millions of people will sit in those stands and be part of the special atmosphere only Wembley creates at show piece events.

“The name and history of Wembley is known throughout the world and the new stadium will ensure the future of British sport is played on a fantastic and enviable stage.”