Wembley delayed until 2010?

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Wrangle could stall Wembley until 2010

By Mihir Bose

(Filed: 06/09/2006)

 

The Wembley Stadium crisis took a sinister new turn last night when the builders Multiplex began legal action which could delay the opening until 2010.

 

With the Football Association desperate to have the stadium open by next May to start earning money to repay £433 million in loans, the Australian builders have issued a £350 million claim to cover loss of earnings and are prepared for litigation to last several years.

 

The FA may now call in Lord Carter, the chairman of Sport England, to help resolve the issue.

 

The Daily Telegraph can exclusively reveal that the Multiplex claim is meant to mark the start of litigation and, should it go to court, could take three years to resolve. Multiplex, I understand, will refuse to hand over the keys of the stadium to Wembley National Stadium Ltd — an FA subsidiary — until the courts rule on their claim.

 

This latest twist has come after a series of legal rows which reveal the complete breakdown in the relationship between WNSL and Multiplex.

 

The latest follows seven months of wrangling which began when WNSL were desperate to get Wembley, which last staged a match in 2000, ready for the 2006 Cup final. The FA had told the world that Wembley would host the game.

 

WNSL even offered more money to Multiplex, around £25 million, plus a share of Cup final revenue. They were so keen for the final to be there that they were prepared to accept a Wembley which was not quite complete.

 

However, talks broke down when the banks, who have lent £433 million to WNSL, insisted Multiplex drop all claims, now and in the future. Multiplex refused and, following the 2006 Cup final fiasco, Wembley retaliated by withholding £38 million as a penalty for the late finish.

 

This started a string of legal claims, culminating in Multiplex's stunning £350 million claim.

 

Multiplex, who have lost money and reputation in this country, clearly feel they have nothing to lose and have hired the best lawyers.

 

Last month they secured an important victory over their sub-contractor, Cleveland Bridge, a case they were expected to lose.

 

WNSL continue to insist that all the fault lies with Multiplex, and yesterday a WNSL source refused to accept that Multiplex were winning the legal battle. The situation has considerably alarmed the Government and one source said: "We cannot allow this to go on. The two parties must be brought together. The ridiculous situation is that it will not take much to finish the project, but there is no trust between the two sides."

 

A WNSL spokesman said last night: "Multiplex have, from time to time, intimated various claims to us. We have refuted these claims and continue to believe that the delays to the construction of the stadium are delays that WSNL do not have responsibility for, such as the steel work and the installation of the roof."

[Gemmill 46208]

Jesus how have they managed to get this so horribly wrong?

[Sima 0]

ahahahhaahaaaa

 

awesome.

[spongebob toonpants 4166]

I know people get outraged by this Wembley Farce, but personally I am really enjoying the soap opera aspect of it. I hope it never gets finished

[Meenzer 15742]

Fuck me, this country's rubbish.

[johnny tightlips 0]

I've got no inside info but it looks like a case of management by committee. Anyone who works on projects knows that the worst client is one that doesn't know what they want and keeps changing the requirements hoping the commercials will all get sorted out in the end. This looks like a classic case.

[Guest alex]

Serves the government right in a way. The decision to have it at Wembley was taken long before the official announcement and the bidding process was just a charade imo. The cost is outrageous. The Northumbrian will be delighted too

[Kid Dynamite 7199]

You would think the FA, one of the biggest of its kind in the world, could manage to build a stadium. Unfortunately the Millenium Stadium and Ashburton Grove are both cheaper and better at the minute and took half the time to build.

[chip2388 0]

Longer it takes the more money we ourselves put into it right?

[Craig 6700]

Jesus how have they managed to get this so horribly wrong?

193824[/snapback]

 

They built sub-standard sewage drainage. Once the stadium started being built on top, it was too heavy and the drainage caved in. Consequently they've had to rebuild them with the steelwork above them and in the interim, other work was delayed.

 

I heard rumours they could do very little for about 4 months when the plant rooms were under 3 feet of water!

[Gemmill 46208]

I used to do the audit of Bechtel (the big nasty construction company in the US that Michael Moore isn't too fond of). Some of the monumental balls-ups they would make on projects were incredible. I was working on a construction project of theirs where they were building a bridge in New Jersey. Sat in my hotel room watching the news when up pops a news story about this bridge. It had only completely collapsed into the river they were building it over. It meant I didn't have to hang around any longer in New Jersey though.

[Tom 14021]

[luckyluke 2]

Sparks must be gutted.

[walkinthedog 0]

What a fucking embarrassment. How long did it take to complete Emirates?

 

Do you think we'll be able to put off the olympics for a year or two?

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

The problem is that as Multiplex are going to go into liquidation they have nothing to lose, might as well try to take the FA down with them.

[Craig 6700]

Didn't Multiplex announce record profits the other week?

 

Wembley is its only failure but it is naturally more 'visible' to us than their successes...

[Mad-on-the-cocks 0]

Man U Must be made up, as well as Cardiff

[LeazesMag 0]

We will see, however this bloke "mihir boze" once paid tribute to the mackems building a "super" stadium thanks to the efforts of the chairman "Bob Reid", suggesting it was so successful a project they should get him involved in the Wembley project when it was on the drawing board.

 

Good journalist - not.

 

In fact, I stopped reading what he wrote a short time after this one because I came to the conclusion he was basically just another clueless twat who somehow wormed his way into reporting for one of the "informed papers" which emphasises how crap they really are, Henry Winter being another clueless fucker not worth the time of day, knowing nowt about nowt, and a complete waste of space as well as being a pompous prick to boot.

 

The unfortunate thing is - also - is that the man who presided over this farce, is none other than Adam Crozier, who is macbeths [from NO] choice as the "perfect chairman of Newcastle United".

 

Edited September 6, 2006 by LeazesMag

[Sima 0]

Henry Winter is football's best journalist tbh. You're just talking out of your arse.

[Guest alex]

Henry Winter is football's best journalist tbh.  You're just talking out of your arse.

194291[/snapback]

Certainly knows his stuff. I like Brian Glanville and Patrick Barclay too.

[Mowen 0]

Henry Winter is football's best journalist tbh.  You're just talking out of your arse.

194291[/snapback]

Certainly knows his stuff. I like Brian Glanville and Patrick Barclay too.

194413[/snapback]

 

Hugh McIllvany (sp) tbh.

 

This all bodes well for 2012 doesn't it?

[Guest alex]

Henry Winter is football's best journalist tbh.  You're just talking out of your arse.

194291[/snapback]

Certainly knows his stuff. I like Brian Glanville and Patrick Barclay too.

194413[/snapback]

 

Hugh McIllvany (sp) tbh.

 

This all bodes well for 2012 doesn't it?

194455[/snapback]

Aye, like him too. Always read his sports column on the back of the Sunday Times Sports section. Talks a lot of sense.