YOU can scarcely mention Wembley without breaking into debate.

Will the home of English football become a new theatre of dreams to match the marvel of memories from the old Twin Towers or will it be an expensive white elephant?

Wembley National Stadium Ltd proudly boast on the Wembley website that they are 'building the greatest stadium in the world, with levels of comfort better than fans have ever experienced', but the signs at present have not been as positive.

The project has been dogged with controversy throughout - and since the demolition crews moved in to start work on the ground after the infamous 1-0 defeat by Germany on October 7, 2000, little progress has been made.

A variety of plans had been unveiled before the current designs, but there has been financial problems and infighting among the power men handed the task of advancing the project.

Work is now expected to pick up to see the 90,000-capacity stadium completed in 2006 - the time of the next World Cup in Germany - but the cost is expected to top £757million by the time it is finished.

At one stage England was vying to host one of sport's premier tournaments, only to lose out to their footballing nemesis.

However, while England and Wembley have seemingly taken a back-step since that humiliating defeat, the victorious Germans have strode forward, with stadium developments taking place across the country.

Even Dusseldoff, who are not currently one of the 12 cities selected to host games, will see a new 55,000-capacity stadium completed in time for the tournament.

And with three years to go until the eyes of the world will focus on the three-time winners to see whether they can match the festival of football from Japan and South Korea, the first of the new stadia has been completed.

The Evening Press is one of the few English newspapers that has been given a tour of the Arena AufSchalke, the state-of-the-art ground that will host three group games and a quarter-final in the 2006 World Cup.

The home of Bundesliga side Schalke 04 was completed in just over two-and-a-half years and puts the whole Wembley fiasco to shame.

At a cost of 180million Euros - approximately £130million - the city of Gelsenkirchen has a 62,000-capacity arena that it can be proud of, not just for football, but American Football and concerts.

A roof that closes and a pitch which slides out means that the stadium is not just limited in it uses, ensuring money continues to roll in. Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi are among two of the acts who have sold out their tickets for concerts there, while Rhein Fire American Football are in residence until the Dusseldorf stadium is finished.

Although the ability to shut a roof is not new, unlike Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, Schalke has been designed so the ground still receives a good percentage of light.

The ground also matches the desires of the fans, with a 17,000-capacity area at the North Stand - the home of the most vocal Schalke supporters - for terracing.

However, for internationals - Schalke are guaranteed at least one of Germany's fixtures a season - this is replaced by seating seeing the total capacity drop to 54,000.

UEFA have been so impressed with what they have seen that they have said the 2004 Champions League Final will be held there - despite the fact that the ground falls down in the criteria because it currently lacks a hotel facility on the complex. UEFA still rate it as one of the top grounds in Europe.

Even the entrance is state of the art, with a bar-code system being used to combat the menace of ticket forgery, while inside the ground a special card system is used to speed up the queues for food and drink at half-time.

The history of the of 1996/97 UEFA Cup winners has not been lost either.

The original Schalke Park remains intact as a training ground and athletics facility, while there is also a museum focusing on the history of the club and the building of the new stadium.

Plans are also being worked on for a history of German football museum, a hotel and further leisure facilities.

It is an amazing development and with every game sold out - they could have filled the stadium with season ticket holders alone - 62,000 Germans can't be wrong.

Quickly built, cost-efficient, atmospheric, multi-functional and state-of-the-art...if only it was Wembley.

Updated: 11:31 Saturday, May 17, 2003