Fans give new Wembley the thumbs up at test event
17th March 2007
Football fans today declared themselves more than happy with the new £800 million Wembley Stadium.
Local residents and England supporters were allowed into the ground for a "community day" staged as part of the procedure to get the general safety certificate.
They were the first to get a good look at the rebuilt ground and agreed it was "fantastic". Luke Humber, 34, from Nottingham, who went to the old Wembley many times to watch Notts County and England, said: "It's fantastic, a lot bigger than it was, and the view is fantastic from wherever you are.
"I think it's even better than the Stade de France in Paris. My only reservation would be that you can't walk all the way round like you did at the old ground, it's separated into sections, and it was nice to be able to walk all the way round."
Paul Tobin, 27, from Shirley, Birmingham, was irritated that he had been told to take his flag off railings. "It's not a security risk and they've got them elsewhere in the ground," he said.
"So they've got a bit to learn, but doesn't it look magnificent. It's a year and a half late, but it's absolutely brilliant. When it's full, it's going to be the best stadium in the world."
His friend Tim Ankers, 25, from Fleet, Hampshire, another member of the official England supporters' organisation, Englandfans, said: "I flew into Heathrow the other evening and the arch looked amazing from the air."
The turnstiles opened 16 minutes later than expected, at 11.16, but Mr Tobin said: "What's 16 minutes after a year?"
The first goal at Wembley before a crowd was scored by Mark Bright, former soccer star and now a BBC sports presenter, for the Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity VI against the Wembley Sponsors Allstars, a match his team won 2-0.
Local campaigners protecting health services in the local borough of Brent used the occasion to collect signatures for a petition.
Sarah Cox, 70, from Harlesden, north west London, said: "It would be right to say that some people are aware of the contrast between this splendid venue and the property we see in some parts of the borough, but I'm not against the stadium.
"I don't think it should be either/or, you need to have good sports and leisure facilities as well."
Up to 60,000 people were invited to the event, though numbers looked as though they may be smaller than that, though no official figure was available yet.
Last week construction giant Multiplex handed over the keys to the stadium to the Football Association.
The event marked the end of the project's troubled construction which has been dogged by delays and bitter rows between the parties involved.
The event today is the first of two test days needed for the venue to gets its general safety certificate.
Once the certificate has been issued, the FA will be in a position to confirm that the FA Cup final will be held at the new stadium in May.
dailymail.co.uk
17th March 2007
Football fans today declared themselves more than happy with the new £800 million Wembley Stadium.
Local residents and England supporters were allowed into the ground for a "community day" staged as part of the procedure to get the general safety certificate.
They were the first to get a good look at the rebuilt ground and agreed it was "fantastic". Luke Humber, 34, from Nottingham, who went to the old Wembley many times to watch Notts County and England, said: "It's fantastic, a lot bigger than it was, and the view is fantastic from wherever you are.
"I think it's even better than the Stade de France in Paris. My only reservation would be that you can't walk all the way round like you did at the old ground, it's separated into sections, and it was nice to be able to walk all the way round."
Paul Tobin, 27, from Shirley, Birmingham, was irritated that he had been told to take his flag off railings. "It's not a security risk and they've got them elsewhere in the ground," he said.
"So they've got a bit to learn, but doesn't it look magnificent. It's a year and a half late, but it's absolutely brilliant. When it's full, it's going to be the best stadium in the world."
His friend Tim Ankers, 25, from Fleet, Hampshire, another member of the official England supporters' organisation, Englandfans, said: "I flew into Heathrow the other evening and the arch looked amazing from the air."
The turnstiles opened 16 minutes later than expected, at 11.16, but Mr Tobin said: "What's 16 minutes after a year?"
The first goal at Wembley before a crowd was scored by Mark Bright, former soccer star and now a BBC sports presenter, for the Geoff Thomas Foundation Charity VI against the Wembley Sponsors Allstars, a match his team won 2-0.
Local campaigners protecting health services in the local borough of Brent used the occasion to collect signatures for a petition.
Sarah Cox, 70, from Harlesden, north west London, said: "It would be right to say that some people are aware of the contrast between this splendid venue and the property we see in some parts of the borough, but I'm not against the stadium.
"I don't think it should be either/or, you need to have good sports and leisure facilities as well."
Up to 60,000 people were invited to the event, though numbers looked as though they may be smaller than that, though no official figure was available yet.
Last week construction giant Multiplex handed over the keys to the stadium to the Football Association.
The event marked the end of the project's troubled construction which has been dogged by delays and bitter rows between the parties involved.
The event today is the first of two test days needed for the venue to gets its general safety certificate.
Once the certificate has been issued, the FA will be in a position to confirm that the FA Cup final will be held at the new stadium in May.
dailymail.co.uk
