Demoliton work has begun at Wembley Stadium on the famous twin towers. The sight of the twin towers was part of the quintessential experience of going to Wembley for the many millions of fans who watched cup finals and internationals there. They have witnessed some of the greatest sporting moments ever, during occasions such as the 1966 World Cup and the Olympics in 1948. A £757million project is already under way to redevelop the entire site, with a 133metre high arch, which will be visible across London, replacing the historic towers.
The new stadium - due to open in early 2006 - will seat 90,000 people and will have a state-of-the-art sliding roof designed to aid pitch conditions. But the white structures which have stood for 80 years were being reduced to rubble this afternoon at around 2pm. Since it was built in 1923 for the Empire Games, Wembley has also hosted pop concerts including Live Aid.
The last international match to be played at the venue was on October 7, 2000, when England lost to Germany 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier. A short ceremony celebrating the past and future of the stadium was taking place just before a special excavator, nicknamed Goliath, moves in to demolish the towers.
Former England captain Ray Clemence and architect Lord Foster were speaking at the event. Australian-based contractors Multiplex are building the new stadium, which has a basic cost of £352 million and a total project cost of £757 million.
