England
will at last stage another major football tournament after Wembley was
awarded the final and semi-finals of Euro 2020 in Geneva on Friday.
The UEFA ExCo voted in favour of Wembley
over Munich’s Allianz Arena for the marquee matches in a tournament
being staged in 13 cities across Europe – the brainchild of UEFA
President Michel Platini..
After the doomed bids to hold the World
Cups in 2006 and 2018, this was the first successful campaign by the FA
since the decision in Lisbon 1992 to award Euro 96 to England.
The UEFA vote for Wembley – held in an
eyesore exhibition building in Geneva – was regarded almost as a
foregone conclusion with the big FA party including England manager Roy
Hodgson, FA chairman Greg Dyke and past and present Ministers of Sport Helen Grant and Kate Hoey, London Mayor Boris Johnson’s Commissioner for sport.
UEFA regard Wembley as their favourite stadium on the continent, especially with its money-making
potential from the tier of 17,000 corporate seats. The ground has
hosted UEFA’s flagship Champions League final twice in the last four
years.
It was a complicated secret ballot with
the 17-strong voting UEFA executive, which includes Manchester United
director David Gill not involved in any vote involving their own
country.
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