Confirmation by the Football Association (FA) that the new Wembley stadium won’t be ready until 2007 because of construction delays is raising concerns over London’s preparations for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The stadium was scheduled to be finished by late 2005, but various construction delays pushed the deadline to January and then to March.
The FA announced the decision after meetings with the Australian construction firm Multiplex, and Wembley management.
Not only will the delay affect the FA schedule, it is also raising questions about whether London will complete all its venues in time for the 2012 Games, reports the Associated Press.
Hugo Swire, opposition Conservative’s Party spokesman on sports issues said, “this setback raises serous concerns about our ability to deliver on time and to budget. If we are to learn from these mistakes in time for the Olympics, we must have answers…about why this has gone so very wrong. The reality is that, ready or not, we can’t postpone the Olympics”.
Sports Minister Richard Caborn said Wembley’s mistakes would not be repeated for the Olympics and that everyone will learn lessons from this.
Meanwhile two new surveys show strong UK-wide support for the London 2012 Games. In London a poll commissioned by the Greater London Authority found that 74 per cent of Londoners believe that the Olympics will be good for London.
And a BBC Sports poll shows that 77 per cent of the UK were pleased that the Games are being hosted in London.
The pool also showed that about 75 per cent of English, Welsh and Scots were happy that the Games were coming to London and in Northern Ireland 82 per cent were enthusiastic about the Games.
London 2012 head Sebastian Coe said, “it is great to hear about the ongoing support from the regions and the rest of the UK. I think there is a feeling all of the UK will share the benefits that will come with holding the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in this country”.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone added he was also pleased about the results. “This poll highlights that Londoner’s understand that the Games will benefit the whole capital, not only with access to the world’s greatest sporting event on our door step but with the massive investment coming to the city and the vast number of job opportunities that will be generated”.
