AAfter more than a year of delays to Wembley Stadium, Australia’s Multiplex Group has finally handed over control of the stadium to its owners.
“Multiplex Group is pleased to announce that the Certificate of Practical Completion has now been granted for the Wembley Stadium project in London,” Multiplex said in a statement posted on its web site on Monday.
“The granting of this certificate by Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) marks the handover of the management and control of the stadium to WNSL.”
Last week, final safety checks on the world’s most expensive stadium were completed.
The old Wembley, built in 1923, was knocked down after staging its last game in Oct. 2000. The rebuilt stadium was originally scheduled to have been the centrepiece of England’s bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals, but a series of delays have pushed back the opening date by more than a year.
Much of the delay was due to a legal dispute between Wembley and Multiplex. The two parties eventually eached a settlement last October.
But the handing over of the keys to the Football Association means that the FA Cup final will return to its home for this year’s showpiece event on May 19.
