Wembley Stadium to open 'as soon as possible in 2007'

The new Wembley Stadium will definitely host next year's FA Cup Final and could be in use much sooner after all outstanding disputes were settled today.

The announcement means the stadium will be open "as early as possible in 2007" and should be the venue for next year's FA Cup final.

The deal was agreed after meetings between the Football Association, their subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) and the stadium builders Multiplex.

A joint statement said: "This agreement will avoid a lengthy and expensive legal dispute and all parties are committed to working together to ensure that the stadium opens for business as early as possible in 2007."

FA chief executive Brian Barwick said the deal meant major events would be staged at Wembley next year.

Barwick said: "This agreement secures the process of getting the new Wembley Stadium up, running and open to the public.

"We look forward to staging major events at the stadium next year and consider this agreement with Multiplex to represent the beginning of the end of the construction phase. Everyone's target is now to complete what will be the finest stadium in the world."

The disputes had covered the final cost of the project, with Multiplex claiming the FA and WNSL had changed the original specification of the design and should therefore pay more than the original £458million fixed-price contract.

It is understood that the FA have agreed to pay an extra £35million to Multiplex on top of the original fixed-priced contract to take account of the changes to the design.

That would take the full cost of the stadium, including buying the land and all the fees involved, close to £792million.

Multiplex chief executive Andrew Roberts said: "We are very pleased to have reached agreement with WNSL and the FA to put our past differences behind us and put all our joint efforts into completing Wembley Stadium at the earliest opportunity."

WNSL chief executive Michael Cunnah added: "This is very welcome news for everyone involved with the stadium.

"This project was founded on the shared desire of WNSL and Multiplex to create a truly special stadium and it is very appropriate that we should enter the final stages of the project working together to get the stadium operational.

"Multiplex played an intrinsic part in getting this stadium project up off the ground and I am delighted to be working together to achieve our original vision."