BBC SPORT | SOL | Final ball for Wembley

Wembley Stadium is to get a glitzy send-off just hours before the bulldozers move in to demolish the home of English football.

The stadium's Twin Towers will be the backdrop to a night of dancing, music and fireworks at a "grand final" charity ball at the historic sporting site.

Stars from Wembley's illustrious past will gather in a five-storey high transparent tent specially put up on the pitch on 2 November.

A new �475m state-of-the-art stadium with a capacity of 90,000 is to be built on the Wembley site.

Wembley factfile

1923: First FA Cup Final staged at Wembley, then known as the Empire Stadium. Bolton beat West Ham.

1948: Wembley hosts Olympic Games

1966: England beat Germany 4-2 in 1966 World Cup Final.

1985: Live Aid, the biggest of several concerts held at Wembley, is staged.

May 2000: Chelsea beat Aston Villa 1-0 in the last ever FA Cup Final at Wembley.

The old stadium, built in the 1920s, is due to stage its last international match next month when England play Germany in a World Cup qualifier.

The AXA-sponsored ball, which will feature music from Jools Holland, is designed to give the much-loved stadium a fitting send-off and to raise money for charity.

Sports personalities and professionals, blue chip companies and a range of stars have been invited to the event.

David Richards, FA Premier League chairman, said: "The AXA Final Ball gives everyone in sport, showbusiness and the business world the opportunity to pull together by paying their last respects to this magnificent venue."

Money for charity

The event is set to raise �1m for the charity NSPCC's Full Stop campaign, which is working to raise �250m to help eradicate cruelty to children within a generation.

Wembley 1966: England 4-2 Germany
Wembley Chief Executive Bob Stubbs said: "We are delighted that the old stadium will have such a fitting finale.

"Not just a celebration of all that is good about Wembley, but also such an important fund-raising event for the NSPCC's Full Stop campaign."

An hour of the evening will be televised and broadcast live.

Delays have plagued the planning process for the new Wembley, which was intended to be the jewel in the crown of England's 2006 World Cup bid.

stadium
The design for the new stadium
Although England lost out to Germany earlier this year, the new stadium could be used for future World Cup bids and will become the scene of FA Cup Finals, England internationals and other major football matches.

Construction work has already been put back twice and a plan to include athletics was ditched last year following a row over the addition of a running track.

There has also been an issue between Brent Council and the consortium developing the new stadium over who should pay for improvements to the notoriously congested access routes around the stadium.


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