FA Cup Final 2007 at Wembley

Posted by David Whitley Apr 12, 2007

Well, thank heavens for that. After what seems like decades of bungling builders, spiralling costs and infighting over exactly whose fault the whole sorry mess was in the first place, the new Wembley stadium is ready to go.

There was much consternation when the iconic twin towers of Britain’s most iconic football stadium were pulled down in 2002, but there can be little doubt that Wembley was in need of some serious work. That it got, but the new version – complete with its fantastic arc – was severely delayed.

During that time, the biggest football match on the English football calendar – the FA Cup final – was played in a temporary home. Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium is undoubtedly a great venue, but playing the cup final anywhere other than Wembley just isn’t right.

Mercifully, this year the cup final will be back at its spiritual home. A couple of weeks ago, the first competitive football game at the new Wembley took place between Italy and England’s under 21 sides. Nothing untoward happened, which ensured that the stadium would be granted its safety certificate.

This means that the FA Cup will be back in May, and whilst we don’t yet know which teams will contest it (although that said, if it’s not Manchester United and Chelsea, it will be a monumental surprise), here’s hoping that the game is a cracker.

By all accounts, the new Wembley is a vast improvement on the old version, with much better seating, sightlines, facilities and amenities. Hopefully it will prove a great venue not just for football matches, but other events such as concerts as well.