BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Wales | Bates rubbishes Millennium Stadium

Ken Bates has sparked controversy by criticising the Millennium Stadium during an interview on BBC television.

Grandstand's Football Focus programme invited the Chelsea chairman to speak about the �757m development of the new Wembley Stadium.

Countdown to new Wembley

Millennium: A very special stadium

But Bates also rubbished Welsh sport's showpiece stadium for what he believes are its poor facilities and organisation.

"The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is crap by comparison (to the new Wembley), with 100-yard queues for toilets and the like," Bates said.

We think the Millennium Stadium is fantastic

FA chief executive Adam Crozier

"They think it's good because they've seen nothing else."

The cost of the new Wembley will set a world record for the construction of a sporting arena, albeit with a much improved infrastructure for the surrounding area.

That includes the money already absorbed by the delays, fees and legal rangles sucked up by the saga of rebuilding English football's home.

By comparison, the �121m spent on the Millennium Stadium is small change and it would be expected that its facilities might suffer in comparison.

FAW targets Euro finals

Yet the venue's retractable roof and removable pitch have won many plaudits and offered a versatility to attract a wide range of sporting and concert events.

But Bates' view that Cardiff's pride and joy is substandard doesn't seem to be shared by many.

The fact that Chelsea limped away defeated from their only appearance there, losing last season's FA Cup final 2-0 to Arsenal, probably didn't help endear Cardiff to their chairman.

Chelsea chairman Ken Bates
Bates had been involved in the Wembley project

But the Football Association, which has happily staged all it's major finals at the Millennium Stadium since the bulldozers moved in on Wembley, moved swiftly to distance itself from Bates' remarks.

"They are a personal view and not an opinion held by us, let me make that clear," FA chief executive Adam Crozier said.

"We think the Millennium Stadium is fantastic."

That is a view shared by rugby union, with the International Rugby Board delighted with its debut for the 1999 World Cup and its hosting of last season's Heineken Cup final.

Rugby league has also given its blessing, with matches being held there for the 2000 World Cup and next season's Challenge Cup final booked in.

Uefa, European football's governing body, has given the Millennium Stadium a five-star rating, paving the way for a major European final to be played in Cardiff one day.

Speedway welcomes Cardiff return

Also confimed fans are the motorcycle speedway community, who seem to have found a new home for the British leg of the World Speedway Grand Prix series.

"All the Grands Prix are big meetings now, but Cardiff looks as if it's becoming the granddaddy of them all," Coventry Bees rider and former world champion Billy Hamill said.

"It generated the sort of atmosphere last year that everyone has longed for in speedway."


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