Wembley gets the go-ahead

The English Football Association has declared Wembley as its preferred site for the country’s new national stadium.

Still waiting
In association with Sport England and the British Government, a decision was made on Wednesday to push ahead with a rebuilt Wembley stadum in north-west London at a cost of €1.2bn, although a final decision will not be made until April 2002.

Giant arch
The national stadium project has been under review for the last six months by the FA, following years of negotiations and dispute. The FA’s preferred option is an amended version of Lord Foster’s design – incorporating a giant arch and a removable athletics track - rather than proposals to move the national stadium to Birmingham or Coventry.

'The preferred option'
"We are saying Wembley is the preferred option," said FA chief executive Adam Crozier. "What we have to do now is go through a period of due diligence. We have to make sure all the offers are full and final before giving a full and final decision. That would take around three months."

'An excellent bid'
"Birmingham put together a strong case, an excellent bid," Crozier added. "But the independent Carter Review made it clear that a return on the investment at Wembley could be far greater than at Birmingham. It is important to get a return. We are building a football stadium that is one of the finest, if not the finest, in the world."