An announcement that Wembley is to be England’s national stadium is expected to be made today.
A report on the national stadium project, commissioned by the Government, is also to be announced at the same time.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and the Football Association (FA) are set to make simultaneous announcements on the project.
They are tipped to confirm that the Wembley Stadium site will be redeveloped as a permanent home for international football games, at a cost of around £700m.
Aston Villa FC chairman Doug Ellis, a key backer of the proposal to site the national stadium in Birmingham, has already described the move as “disgraceful”.
Lord Foster’s design (pictured), with a big arch instead of Wembley’s renowned twin towers, will be retained, but other aspects of the original plans, including a hotel and office complex, are thought to have been dropped.
The financing of the project has not been finalised, but builder Multiplex has offered to raise the bulk of the £450m construction costs in return for a stadium lease-back deal with the FA.
There will be little Government money, apart from some redevelopment funding.
EGi News 19/12/01
