Cohen, who was part of England's World Cup winning side in 1966, admits he will feel a little tearful this afternoon when the Towers finally fall at 2pm.

 

He hopes to be there to pay his respects to one of English football's most famous symbols as giant crane Goliath moves in to knock them down. But the legendary Fulham full-back also wants to look on the positive side as a new stadium rises from the ashes.

He said: "The Towers were a beacon for English football recognised all over the world and I suppose for some people it will be an emotional moment when they go.

"But the stadium was old and it had to come down.

"It was never going to last forever and this is the right time to rebuild it. The new stadium will be more comfortable for everyone and the memories will still be there.

 

"It will be sad to see the Towers go but a lot of good will come of it. We will have a new stadium to be proud of and I hope it will become a legend in its own right.

"Of course future generations will remember the Twin Towers, they are part of folklore now. But hopefully they will also talk about the wonderful new Wembley and how it started a new era in English football."

 

 

A string of former England internationals have also paid tribute to the Towers, and although all will be sorry to see them go, most believe they had to be replaced in the name of progress.

Alan Ball, another member of the England World Cup winning side, said: "I am not going to get upset when the Towers are demolished because if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. It's a shame because I have a lot of great memories of the place. But it's all about progress. You have to go forward and that is what we are doing."

Gary Lineker, who played beneath the Towers for club and country, has a similar philosophy.

He said "Obviously I have great memories of Wembley and it's sad in a way that the towers are coming down. But I think everyone is so tired of the saga that it's good to see something is actually happening.

 

"It's a sign that the problems over Wembley are finally over. We are going to build a stadium to be proud of and that can only be positive."

Not everyone, of course, is quite so happy. The debate over whether to keep the Twin Towers has raged for several years and many fans and players were keen for them to stay. The only problem was that it simply wasn't possible.

Reports suggest the Towers, which are hollow, made of concrete and form the stairwell of the north stand, would have cost £30m to move - with no guarantee they would have stayed intact.

Even so, former England and Manchester United midfielder Ray Wilkins will feel a tug on the heartstrings when they are demolished today.

 

"I am really sad to see them go," he said.

"I think world football is losing something very special. It's not just the English public, I think it's everyone. When foreign players walked up Wembley Way and saw the towers they realised it was the Mecca of football. And we've lost that.

"It's a shame, but I guess we have to move on. It's all about progress, isn't it? Hopefully the new Wembley will be something very special."

If Wilkins has seen the plans, he will realise that 'special' is exactly the word for what Wembley has in store.

The demolition of the towers will certainly mark the end of an era. But in their place a state-of-the-art venue, seating 90,000 fans, covering twice the area and standing at four times the height should be quite a sight.

Instead of the Towers, fans approaching the stadium will be greeted by a 133m-high steel arch set high above the new North Stand.

How long before Wembley's arch makes its way into English hearts - just like the Towers of old?

For more information on the new Wembley visit www.wembleystadium.com