Wembley still on track
Tuesday, 31 May 2005.
Michael Cunnah, Wembley Stadium's Chief Executive, confirmed in an interview on BBC Radio Five Live last night that ‘very little has changed' for WNSL - The FA subsidiary that will operate the new stadium - since Multiplex’s release to the Australian stock exchange on 30 May.
Cunnah said: "From a Wembley Stadium perspective very little has changed. Unfortunately Multiplex (the Stadium’s builders) have had to disclose to their shareholders that they do expect a loss on the project.
"But they are still confirming that the stadium is going to be ready for The FA Cup Final.
"The whole process of handing over such a large stadium doesn't happen overnight. There are over 2000 rooms in this building and there has to be a very long commissioning process to make sure that each aspect of the stadium is of the quality we require."
Cunnah reassured the Five Live team that a lot of work has been going on behind the scenes involving the Stadium’s experienced operations team to prepare the stadium for opening.
He said: "Over the last two years a lot of detailed planning work has been completed as to how we will run the stadium. It is an ongoing process about which we are very confident."
- WNSL’s contract with Multiplex is a fixed price contract meaning Multiplex is contracted to deliver the 90,000-seater stadium to a fixed specification for a fixed price.
- The official opening of the stadium remains The FA Cup Final on 13 May 2006.
- There will be a progressive handover of the stadium from Multiplex to WNSL from 31 January 2006