Wembley kick-off: Stadium is ready and England play first game in fortnight (original) (raw)

More than four years late - and having cost a staggering £798 million - the new Wembley Stadium was yesterday preparing to open its doors for the first time.

As staff spent the day unpacking cutlery and glasses in the many restaurants within the complex the hand-over of keys for the project was finally in sight.

More pictures

Gallery: The big Wembley kick-off

The "practical completion" of the complex came a step nearer after a safety certificate was issued for the fire alarm system - described by a stadium source after two days of successful testing as the "last box to tick."

The completion of the stadium will see the 2007 FA Cup final staged at Wembley - in an arena twice the size and four times the height of the old stadium.

The complex is being prepared to host what are known as "ramp up" events - designed to test safety and security at the 90,000 seat arena.

These will include a community day on March 17 when thousands of local residents will be invited to tour the ground and facilities.

As well as a mini-football tournament involving celebrity teams the first visitors will also help the organisers test the turnstiles, escalators and toilets.

A friendly international between England Under-21's and their Italian counterparts has also been pencilled in for March 24.

With new photographs of the stadium released it emerged that rich colours have been "avoided" both inside and outside the main arena.

This, it is argued, will allow spectators to add "light, life and colour" to the imposing grey structure when they arrive for events ranging from football matches to pop concerts.

The complex involves five levels of atriums boasting wide walkways, cafes, bars, shops and restaurants - while at night the glowing Wembley arch will be seen for miles.

The 133 metre high curved structure has been described as a 315 long "steel tiara" - and beneath it a roof in three sections which can be closed over the massed banks of red plastic seating.

The new Wembley is the most expensive stadium ever built in the World and also has the largest roof-covered seating capacity in Europe.

It is twice the size of the imposing Stade de France arena in Paris.

As for the team to collect the first FA Cup at the new arena the players will need to climb a sapping 107 steps to reach the Royal Box - compared to 39 at the old stadium.

The victors and the vanquished can then return to the stadium's "minimalist" dressing rooms and cream tiled bathrooms.

The new stadium boasts a dozen restaurants seating between 400 and 2,000 people between them.

There are 58 kiosks and 156 hospitality boxes and 2,618 toilets compared to just 361 at the old venue.

When the Australian firm Multiplex first bid to build the stadium in 2000 the price was put at £326 million - with that figure rising to £445 million by the time the bid was signed.

The stadium was supposed to have opened in 2003 but work only began in September 2002 which meant the proposed completion date for a 2006 FA Cup final could never be met.

On a recent visit Chancellor Gordon Brown recently described the arena as "fantastic" after travelling by London Underground to the newly refurbished Wembley Park station before walking down the famous Wembley Way.

Pop star George Michael will play the first concert at the new stadium, on June 9, as part of his British and European tour.

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