Multiplex said today it was “disappointed” with the Football Association’s decision to play the FA Cup final at Cardiff because the new Wembley Stadium would not be ready in time.
FA chief executive Brian Barwick is to announce today that the new stadium will miss its completion deadline and the FA Cup final on May 13 will be played at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
He will also reveal that England’s two World Cup warm-up friendly matches against Hungary on May 30 and Jamaica on June 3 will take place at Old Trafford.
In a statement to the Australian stock exchange, Multiplex company secretary Mark Wilson said: “Multiplex understands that the English Football Association is to transfer the 2006 FA Cup final to its reserve venue (Millennium Stadium).
“Whilst disappointed with the decision, Multiplex continues to work towards targeting completion of Wembley National Stadium at the earliest possible date.
“We understand that the FA has made this decision on the basis that it requires 100% certainty that the venue will be fully functional by 13 May 2006, the scheduled date for the 2006 FA Cup final.”
It is understood that the decision came after FA and Wembley chiefs finally accepted that construction work on the £757m stadium would not be completed in time.
Mr Barwick and Wembley chief executive Michael Cunnah made a site visit to the stadium with other FA and Wembley officials yesterday.
They also met Martin Tidd, the UK managing director of the stadium’s builders, Multiplex.
Following that meeting, and with Australian firm Multiplex unable to offer the necessary guarantees, it was decided there was no longer any chance of holding the FA Cup final at the new national stadium.
The FA has already allowed Multiplex to move the completion deadline several times.
The original handover date was to be the autumn of 2005, then it was extended to January 31, 2006 and then until March 31.
Multiplex is expected to lose more than £100m on building the stadium and it is understood the company will be penalised £1m a week for over-running the deadline.
There are several pop concerts lined up for Wembley in June, starting with Bon Jovi on June 10 followed by the Rolling Stones, Take That and Robbie Williams.
Wembley is expected to announce today whether these events will go ahead.
The stadium was dogged by delays and problems even before the site was sold to the FA in 1998.
The original £325m cost has more than doubled and there were numerous wrangles and problems in raising the money before construction had even got under way.
References: EGi News 21/02/06
