The Football Association has confirmed today (Friday) that the new Wembley Stadium will now not open until next year, 2007. The project is already more than six months behind schedule and over budget. Now four concerts planned for the summer will no longer be staged there. The decision, made by the FA and its operating company Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL), is likely to be blamed on the failure of the Australian construction firm Multiplex to convince them that the stadium would be ready earlier.
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US rock band Bon Jovi were due to be the first band to play at the rebuilt stadium on 10 and 11 June. Their shows have now been moved to the Milton Keynes Bowl, and discussions are also underway to move two dates by Take That on 24 and 25 June. No announcement has been made about planned Wembley concerts by The Rolling Stones in August or Robbie Williams, who was due to perform for five nights in September. BBC Three Counties Radio Breakfast Show presenter Big George spoke to Gordon Cahill, Director of Gaming International, the Company who own the Milton Keynes Bowl. George: So it's going to be a big summer for the Bowl? Gordon Cahill: It certainly is, in a way though it's born out of somebody else's disaster, and I don't take any pleasure from seeing the problems at Wembley, but quite clearly, their misfortune is proving to be our good fortune. Not just for the Bowl, but also for Milton Keynes generally and we're very excited about that. So yes, it's all shaping up to be a very busy summer. George: How is the development of the Bowl coming along? Gordon Cahill: Again, we're working very hard on that, we've had a period of consultation, which incidentally we've extended through to 26th May, it was previously 24th April. George: Any good ideas come from the consultation so far? GC: We are starting to collate the information and then we will need to sit down and look at the ideas to see where we can take them onboard.
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