Sport

Wembley looks set to win a £200m redevelopment

WEMBLEY seems certain to be named as the site for Britain's new National Stadium after gaining unanimous support from the governing…

Tue Oct 22 1996 - 01:00

WEMBLEY seems certain to be named as the site for Britain's new National Stadium after gaining unanimous support from the governing bodies of football, athletics and rugby league.

All three sports yesterday announced that they were backing the Wembley bid ahead of the rival tender from Manchester. And, while their votes will not be binding on the Sports Council when it announces the final decision later this year, it seems unlikely in the extreme that the Wembley option will be turned down.

It is clear that the international image, lustre and reputation of the famous Twin Towers and London's standing as one of the world's great cities, has given the Wembley bid an edge Manchester simply could not match.

And even though the estimated £200 million cost of rebuilding the stadium virtually wholesale only the Towers will remain makes the Wembley option more expensive, there seems little chance of the Manchester bid coming out on top.

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The British Athletic Federation was the first of the three governing bodies to tow its weight behind the Wembley bid, with executive chairman Peter Radford admitting the prestige of the 74 year old stadium had been a huge factor.

Radford said: "It is our ambition to stage major world and European events and our international colleagues tell us that London, and in particular Wembley with its rich sporting history, would have an outstanding chance in any bidding process.

Then Rugby Football League chief executive Maurice Lindsay gave his sport's blessing to the Wembley re fit. And, if there was any remaining doubt, that was swept away when the Football Association with the biggest say in the final decision announced it too was backing the Wembley bid.

The FA's executive committee finalised its decision after a meeting earlier in the day, with the support of the Premier League and the Football League giving the sport a united front.

FA chief executive Gham Kelly said that significant issues remained to be resolved. Kelly said the issues were legal, financial and commercial, but he was very optimistic", given the nature of the discussions so far.