World Cup qual. - Wembley officials deny damage

Eurosport - Wed, 12 Nov 13:19:00 2008

Wembley Stadium officials have denied reports that storms ripped a 40-foot crack in the home of English football.

2007 England-Germany Wembley - 0

According to workers at the state-of-the-art facility, which opened in 2007, heavy winds and torrential rain battered the £827 million development and left a 1.5-inch split in the walls on Monday.

"The ground shook. There were people in the lifts and they were terrified," said an employee.

"Then the major crack appeared from the floor of level one and snaked up to level four. It happened in an instant and wasn't something that had been growing over weeks or months."

But a spokesman for Wembley has moved to deny any damage was done.

"There was some minor movement in the building on Monday morning. Our engineers have reviewed the situation and reports indicate that this has been caused by natural settling," read a statement.

"As with all large structures, the stadium has been designed with movement tolerance factored in. Reports suggesting that there is a crack in the stadium as a result of this movement are incorrect.

"It's business as usual and the stadium remains fully operational."

Will Tidey / Eurosport

Comment 142 - 161 of 201

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  1. where i live there is a crack though our bathroom wall after the tremor last year but you can not blame any nation of workers in that trade the thing if you want to cut corners expect things to happen

    From Mark pr, on Wed 12 Nov 4:15PM

  2. You don't see Croke Park with a crack down the side. Any way was there truth in reports that the builders were taking drugs?

    From cairn88, on Wed 12 Nov 4:07PM

  3. I don't get it. The English hate the Polish, Aussies, Scotish, Welish, Irish and probably the earthish people just because a crack in a stadium. I should hate the universal for a hole in my roof!!!!

    From djackal, on Wed 12 Nov 4:02PM

  4. I am thinking that the crack could have occured from a strange nature event called Earthquake. I probably think its a very minor one but the engineers will have to walk round the clock if only to restore partial confidence from Londoners.
    Keep us posted on any new development please.

    From iced melt, on Wed 12 Nov 4:00PM

  5. When i seen '40 ft crack at Wembley' i thought it was an article & pictures of Danielle Lloyd on a photoshoot at Wembley

    How disappointed am i :(

    From eire_ogni2004, on Wed 12 Nov 3:59PM

  6. Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! We spend Millions & Millions on a new National Stadium..........A few months later its falling apart [bit like the UK ] What on earth was wrong with the original one.Built in 1923 & it never had a problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From Bigal, on Wed 12 Nov 3:56PM

  7. Why is everyone moaning about being British. How quickly people forget. It was armistace day yesterday and none you were crying about it then. Wear your poppy with pride then throw pride in the bin with it eh??

    From pk1873, on Wed 12 Nov 3:53PM

  8. "It's embarrassing to be British"

    Wembeley is the national stadium for England and if you are suggesting otherwise ... then you are just re-inforcing the belief of Scots that you English see England as Britian ... hence our clamour to leave the union

    Well go then! One less useless football team in Britain!!

    From brooksie6870@..., on Wed 12 Nov 3:52PM

  9. See a Structural Engineer's opinion on the design-in-steel website.

    From r_dejongh, on Wed 12 Nov 3:49PM

  10. Aussie company who used a load of Bodging Jam Rolls to build it.

    From derek, on Wed 12 Nov 3:49PM

  11. Lucifer us English would love to get rid of you Sweaty's your just a drain on the country anyway.

    From derek, on Wed 12 Nov 3:47PM

  12. Lucifer states

    "It's embarrassing to be British"

    'Wembeley is the national stadium for England and if you are suggesting otherwise ... then you are just re-inforcing the belief of Scots that you English see England as Britian ... hence our clamour to leave the union'
    If you had read the original statement correctly instead of jumping straight onto your soapbox you would see it IS embarrassing to be British because of all the racist comments being hurled about - absolutely naff all to do with where Wembley is and who it belongs to.

    From Caz, on Wed 12 Nov 3:47PM

  13. ANOTHER CRACK HOUSE DISCOVERED IN WEMBLEY! WELL WHATS NEW!,LOL

    From t, on Wed 12 Nov 3:44PM

  14. The same guys did my drive! Had a van, caravan and an irish accent...

    From mark w, on Wed 12 Nov 3:44PM

  15. there goes the olympics, paralympics, and world cup ah well its not as if theres a credit crunch

    From Matthew, on Wed 12 Nov 3:39PM

  16. this stadium is a bit sexual theres a 40ft crack in it and it was built by a bunch of tits ! get the 60 minute make over team in or DIY SOS. put some woodchip over it ,it will be the strongest part of the building I me have you ever tried getting that bloody stuff off unfortuneatly us brits could`nt organize a piss up in a brewery any more sad isnt it

    From TRACEY, on Wed 12 Nov 3:38PM

  17. "It's embarrassing to be British"

    Wembeley is the national stadium for England and if you are suggesting otherwise ... then you are just re-inforcing the belief of Scots that you English see England as Britian ... hence our clamour to leave the union

    From Lucifer, on Wed 12 Nov 3:35PM

  18. ha ha that's what you get from foreign company's who overspend and employ lazy workers.

    From encyclopeter, on Wed 12 Nov 3:33PM

  19. Are the engineers that declared the structure safe the same ones who designed it. Not very reassuring.

    From Chris, on Wed 12 Nov 3:27PM

  20. i've got one of them in my a*** but not 40 foot one!!
    are the owners gonna ask for the money back, i bet they didn't do sale or return!

    From parent, on Wed 12 Nov 3:26PM
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