Troubled Wembley prepares to open

14 April 2012

The final few tests were being completed and the so-called practical completion of the £800 million complex was said to be imminent.

Read more

• Handover of keys for Wembley 'imminent'

• Wembley lines up a feast of action

• Wembley on course for final, FA told

• Wembley suffers further delays

• Barwick: Wembley will host Cup final

• Why I love the new Wembley

• 2012 Olympics 'won't be another Wembley fiasco'

The symbolic handover of keys could go ahead as early as today, smoothing the way for the FA Cup final to be held on May 19.

Food and cutlery have been delivered to the site as well as furniture and computers for the offices and monitors for the police control room.

Final testing of the fire alarms was said to be progressing well, while the number of visitors to the site has steadily increased in recent weeks.

A community day is due to be held on March 17, when thousands of local residents will tour the ground.

There will be a mini-football tournament on the day involving celebrity teams, and visitors will also help the organisers test facilities such as the turnstiles, escalators and toilets.

A friendly international between England Under-21 and Italy Under-21 is scheduled for March 24.

These two so-called "ramp up" events have to be held to test the safety and security systems at the complex.

Chancellor Gordon Brown recently described the 90,000 seat stadium as "fantastic" after travelling by London Underground to the newly refurbished Wembley Park station and then walking down the famous Wembley Way.

Pop star George Michael will play the first concert at the new stadium, on June 9, as part of his British and European tour.

Tom Kelly, an official of the GMB union, which represents many of the workers involved in building Wembley, said: "This magnificent stadium will be a wonderful memorial to the craftsmanship of the skilled workers who built the new Wembley.

"We are proud of it and we are certain that Wembley will stage many dramatic and memorable events in the future."

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