Wembley will be ready

Officials behind the new Wembley have insisted the 2006 FA Cup final will be held at the national stadium.

Reports today suggested construction may not be completed in time and that the Football Association had held talks with the Millennium Stadium about staging the showpiece event should Wembley not be ready in time.

Wembley National Stadium Limited chief executive Michael Cunnah was quoted as saying it "would not be the end of the world" if the London stadium was not ready in time. But WNSL have clarified their position.

"Multiplex (the stadium construction firm) have assured us they remain on schedule to hand the stadium over to us early next year," Cunnah told the Press Association.

"Once the building work is complete we will run a number of test events to secure our licences and test the operational systems in the new stadium.

"The FA Cup final will be held at Wembley Stadium on 13th May, 2006 and will be a spectacular occasion for the whole nation to enjoy."

A spokesperson for the Millennium Stadium told the BBC Sport website: "We approached the FA saying we would be keen to host the 2006 final. We are a preferred option for them, but they're confident on Wembley.

"We are all aware, as regards 13 May 2006, if Wembley is not ready then the Millennium Stadium is first in line.

"For us it's a commercial judgment as to how long we can keep that date open. If somebody came to us next week asking to use the Millennium Stadium we would have to take a serious look at that offer."