Demolition begins on old Wembley stadium Mon Sep 30, 7:15 AM ET LONDON - Demolition of London's famous Wembley Stadium began Monday as the 757 million pound (US$ 1.17 billion) redevelopment finally got underway after a decade of planning. An awning between the stadium's historic "Twin Towers" was the first part to be torn down. The 79-year-old home of English soccer will be redeveloped into a 90,000-seat stadium designed by Norman Foster and scheduled to open in 2006. It is being built by Australian firm Multiplex, which constructed Sydney's Olympic stadium. "This is a historic day," Sport England chief operating officer Roger Draper said before demolition began. " Whilst we are sad to see the old stadium go with all the memories it holds, the new stadium will be even better and will be a beacon for sport in this country. "Wembley will be the best stadium in the world — by a mile. It is the most famous stadium brand name in the world." German bank WestLB is financing 426 million pounds (US$ 660 million) of the cost. About 170 million pounds (US$ 263 million) is public money with the stadium itself costing 352 million pounds (US$ 545.6 million) with the remainder slated for land acquisition and infrastructure improvements. An Olympic-standard athletics track is incorporated into the design, and instead of the world famous "Twin Towers," Foster's design will include a "Triumphant Arch" towering some 400 feet (120 meters) high. Stone from the towers will be manufactured into commemorative keyrings and sold at the new stadium when it opens in 2006. "Unfortunately, while memories may stand the test of time, bricks and mortar cannot always do the same," Multiplex project manager John Corcoran said. "So now it's time to treasure those memories and at the same time move on to create another of the world's greatest stadia — one more suited to modern needs." Wembley was built in 1923 and was the site of England's greatest soccer triumph, a 4-2 victory in the 1966 World Cup final over Germany. The last match at Wembley was played on Oct. 7, 2000 — a 1-0 Germany win over England. Since then, plans to redevelop the site have been delayed as bankers and investors have been wary of ever-rising costs, political infighting over the project and squabbling over whether to include facilities for athletics. click for pics ---------- Dude, what about Wembledon? Where the hell are they gonna play for the next few years?
No. That cost mostly covers the renovation fees. If they built it from scratch, it would be half the price.
How ironic that a German bank, is financially supporting the construction of England's national soccer stadium.
It should have a retractable roof, be a full seater, have under-soil heating, and come with top flight facilities with a youth academy. ...
Is the Wembledon thing a joke? If so....ok...if not, Wimbledon and Wembley are different places. One's a football (Eur.) stadium, the other is the All England Tennis Club.
