The English Football Association (FA) has confirmed that the FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City will commence at 3 pm on May 25th. The decision was made following extensive discussions with the Metropolitan Police, Brent Council, and television rights holders BBC and ITV. The Metropolitan Police expressed concerns about the potential for crowd disturbances at Wembley Stadium, prompting the departure from the traditional late start time.
The FA generally favors early evening kick-offs to attract larger television audiences in the United Kingdom and the United States. However, sources at Wembley Stadium acknowledge the likelihood of the Cup Final maintaining its customary 3 pm start time.
While Manchester United and Manchester City supporters making the journey to London may welcome the earlier kick-off, the scheduling conflict with the European Champions Cup final, which is set to begin at 2:45 pm on the same day, presents a commercial challenge for the FA and broadcasters, particularly ITV. ITV holds the rights to broadcast both events and will likely air the rugby match on ITV4, a decision with significant implications for viewership figures.
Rugby authorities have expressed their dissatisfaction with the clash, as one of the most prestigious events in the club season, featuring potential semi-finalists Northampton, Harlequins, Leinster, and Toulouse, could be overshadowed. Tournament organizers, European Rugby Cup Ltd, remain firm in their stance against altering the Champions Cup kick-off time, which was strategically chosen to avoid conflicts with the Cannes Film Festival and the French Cup final in France, both scheduled for May 25th.
Another potential complication arises from the Champions Cup final’s venue, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, the Metropolitan Police have not raised any concerns about hosting two major sporting events in London on the same day.
In recent years, the Metropolitan Police has adopted a more cautious approach to football policing, as evidenced by the EFL’s decision to move this year’s Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea to 3 pm. The FA declined to provide any further comment on the matter.
