Due to a scheduling conflict between the BBC and ITV, the 2025 FA Cup final will begin at a time never seen before, barely two weeks before English football’s premier event at Wembley Stadium. On May 17, Manchester City and Crystal Palace will play at the national stadium.
With an average of 2.5 visits per season since his arrival at Manchester City in 2016, this will be the 24th time Pep Guardiola’s winning machine has visited the storied stadium. Wembley should seem like a second home to supporters as a result of such frequent visits. The reverse is actually true.
Frequent journeys to London have become an expensive and logistical burden for a fan base steeped in working-class tradition. The average train fare from Manchester is almost £100, and people who need to make advance plans to have a hope of even getting to the city and back on time are rarely accommodated by fixture scheduling.
BBC and ITV Clash Pushes FA Cup Final Back to 4:30PM
The showpiece event has traditionally kicked off at 3pm
After consulting with the two clubs, local officials, police, broadcasters, and the Safety Advisory Group, the new kick-off time was decided upon. The FA Cup final has traditionally begun around 3 p.m., a timing that police have historically preferred. However, The Sun has disclosed that a disagreement between broadcasters BBC and ITV caused negotiations on this year’s kickoff time to be postponed.
Even if the game goes into extra time or penalties, the BBC fought for the customary 3pm start time to prevent conflict with the 8pm Eurovision Song Contest. In contrast, it was rumored that ITV was lobbying for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff in order to maximize viewership and advertising income.
The first increase in ticket prices in six years has already infuriated supporters of both clubs. Prices have increased by £30 from the previous year’s final, with Category 4 seats now costing £50 and Category 1 seats costing £175. Supporters of Man City seem to have been completely ignored in the scheduling and budget considerations. In a recent social media post, prominent journalist Henry Winter emphasized that City supporters are once again confronted with a number of practical difficulties. See his complete post below for what he wrote:
“Agreed in collaboration with the competing clubs, broadcasters, local authorities, police, and the Safety Advisory Group,” the FA insists that the FA Cup final begin at 4.30 p.m. Not with fans, though? 9.01 p.m. is the last train back to Manchester.
“If there is extra time or penalties, MCFC supporters won’t leave Wembley until after 7.30, after which they will have to wait in a lengthy line for the Tube, rush to Euston, etc. It’s hardly ideal, forcing supporters to reserve lodging or travel busses or cars. Note: the last kick-off time is 3 p.m. in 2023 and 2024 (4.45 p.m. in 2022). Don’t go past 3 p.m. Honor tradition and your fans.
This is concerning because City’s 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals did not sell out all of the seats, leaving 5,000 empty seats visible in the national stadium’s top deck.
In fact, Palace fans will have a lot fewer issues because the majority of their followers will live in SE25, just 20 miles south, after the team defeated Aston Villa 3-0 to advance to their second FA Cup final in the previous nine years. However, it is evident that English football supporters are increasingly being ignored by those in charge.
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