Wembley to miss the FA Cup final

The new multi-million pound Wembley Stadium will not be ready in time to host this year's FA Cup final.

The company building it said it could not promise to finish the stadium in time for the 13 May match, so Cardiff's Millennium Stadium will now host it.

The announcement follows months of rumours that the stadium would miss the deadline, after it failed to meet its original handover date in autumn 2005.

England's pre-World Cup friendlies will now be moved to Old Trafford.

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And the Football League's end-of-season play-off finals are expected to take place in Cardiff.

Wembley was also expected to host several summer pop concerts which might now have to change venue.

'No guarantee'

After builders Multiplex missed its 2005 date to finish the project, it extended the handover twice to January 31, 2006 and then March 31.

The company said the Football Association decided to move the Cup final because it couldn't give football bosses a guarantee the building would be finished by May.

Press Packer report on the Wembley time capsule

The 90,000-seater stadium has suffered a number of problems and has gone at least £75m over budget.

It's not known when the first football match will be played at Wembley, but experts say it might be the Community Shield, to be held in August.