Cup rivals unite behind London 2012

Next year's final will take place at the new Wembley Stadium - venue for the finals of the Football tournament if London is awarded the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

The Welsh capital has hosted English Football's showpiece event since Wembley closed for refurbishment in 2000.

And players from both clubs have already revealed their excitement at the prospect of a state-of-the-art new Wembley playing host to Olympic Football in 2012.

Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney said: "We're all looking forward to the chance to play in front of 90,000 England fans at the new Wembley it will be the greatest stadium on earth.

"Having the Olympics in Britain would be great for getting kids involved in sport. Seeing the world's best athletes in action would be really inspiring and anything which encourages children to be more active gets my support."

Rooney's England team-mate Sol Campbell will be doing everything he can to stop the youngster on Saturday, but the Arsenal defender and United star agree on one thing.

"I love sport, it brings people together, and the Olympics is the ultimate ideal," said Campbell, who grew up close to the site of the Olympic Park in east London.

"I've got loads of great memories from Olympic Games... Carl Lewis getting four golds in LA in 1984, Cathy Freeman in Sydney, Jonathan Edwards, then of course there's been the rowers... loads of great memories.

"Imagine having scenes like in Sydney when Cathy Freeman won the 400m in my own home town of Stratford. It would be magnificent."

The Millennium Stadium is one of six world-class venues throughout the UK that would host Football matches in 2012.

Hampden Park in Glasgow, Newcastle United's St James' Park, Villa Park in Birmingham and Old Trafford in Manchester would also host games.

20 May 2005