Wembley delays force Cup Final switch to Cardiff

Wembley delays force Cup Final switch to Cardiff

The 2006 FA Cup Final will be staged at Cardiff’s Millennium stadium after the Australian construction company responsible for the the redevelopment of Wembley, Multiplex, confirmed that the new stadium will not be ready in time.

In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Multiplex said: “We understand that the FA has made this decision on the basis that it requires 100 percent certainty that the venue will be fully functional by May 13, 2006, the scheduled date for the FA Cup final.”

Multiplex had previously conceded that there was a “material risk” that the 750 million-pound project to complete the new 90,000-seater stadium would not be finished in time for the Cup Final.

The Football Association had hoped to return the showpiece event to Wembley, which hosted Cup finals between 1923 and 2000, after five years in Cardiff.
The original Wembley was demolished in 2000.