The kick-off time for the FA Cup final has finally been confirmed, just two weeks before the showpiece match at Wembley Stadium.
The FA have announced Manchester City and Crystal Palace’s season-concluding clash will begin at the later time of 4:30pm… because of Eurovision.
The FA Cup final kick-off time has finally been shared with fans – just two weeks away from the gameGettyFans of both clubs are already raging over an increase in ticket prices – a first in six years – with fees ranging from £175 for a category 1 ticket to £50 for category 4.
That’s a rise of £30 for category 1 tickets compared to the 2024 final.
They have also been hit by uncertainty over the kick-off time, hampering travel and accommodation plans for supporters making the trip down from Manchester.
It was suggested the delay was due to negotiations between joint-broadcasters BBC and ITV hitting an impasse over the kick-off time.
The FA Cup final has traditionally kicked off at 3pm – a time preferred by police.
ITV were said to prefer a later time of 5:30pm to catch the primetime audience, while BBC preferred an earlier kick-off.
That’s because they are broadcasting the Eurovision song contest later that evening and want to prevent the chance of the game overlapping the build-up to the event in Switzerland should the match go to extra-time and penalties.
Coverage of Eurovision 2025 is due to begin at 8pm. Dr Who is also usually scheduled for air on Saturday evenings.
And so it appears – because heaven forbid people miss Dr Who – they have reached an agreement, compromising on a 4:30pm kick-off for the first time in the history of the FA Cup final.
City booked their place in the final for the third straight year with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last weekend, with goals from Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol giving Pep Guardiola the chance to end a disappointing season with another trophy.
Man City will be looking to redeem their terrible season by lifting the FA Cup for the second time in three yearsGettyBut in their way will be a Crystal Palace side hoping to lift the famous cup for the first time in the club’s history, having been beaten finalists twice before.
They certainly showed what they’re capable of in the semi-final as they thumped Aston Villa 3-0 thanks to a wonder striker from Eberechi Eze and a double from Ismaila Sarr.
Fans aren’t the only ones annoyed by the kick-off saga, with talkSPORT’s chief commentator Sam Matterface – a Manchester resident – taking aim at the lack of communication with supporters who have been left hanging with just weeks to go.
“Whoever is to blame for it, whatever the situation, we want to know,” Matterface said on air on Friday. “There are fans that have got to come down.
“Do you know how hard it was to get back to Manchester on Sunday after the FA Cup semi-final? It was a disaster. I was driving, it was six hours in the car, and I left on the final whistle, and I was home, I got home just after midnight.
“But can you imagine if you can’t drive, or you’ve got to go in public transport, or you have to stay over – it’s absolutely impossible to do with just two weeks to go.
Crystal Palace are in fine form heading into the FA Cup final – for only the third time in the club’s historyGetty Palace fans are dreaming of watching their heroes hold aloft the famous trophy for the first time everGetty“Getting out of Wembley is a pain. If you’ve got to get a hotel round there, it is exorbitant, it is ridiculous. If you’ve got to get a train, you can’t, because usually it’s a Sunday, and Avanti have decided they’re not going to run trains. And they all go on strike anyway, don’t they?
“It’s a nightmare, it’s an absolute nightmare. So planning is absolutely essential. So any chance of anybody telling everybody what time it’s kicking off?
“Why don’t they do that at the start of the season? I don’t know, I don’t get it. They know when the FA Cup Final is going to be. Why are we 15 days before, and they’re still haggling over a kick-off time?
“They know ITV, BBC, whoever’s got the FA Cup final, want it at 5:30pm to maximise their audience. They pay a hell of a lot of money to the FA, and they want the commercial revenue that comes with that. They want the huge audience.
“They don’t want to do it at 3pm because not as many people are going to watch it, and if you’re going to spend all that money you do want some return for it.
“That’s how the business of football actually works, so why don’t we try and make a way of facilitating that? Get it done earlier!”
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