The schedule for the Final of the Emirates FA Cup’s 150th anniversary season at Wembley Stadium connected by EE can now be confirmed.
The 141st Final in the competition’s illustrious history is set to be contested by Chelsea and Liverpool on Saturday 14 May 2022 at 4.45pm BST, and it will be broadcast live in the UK on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, ITV, UTV, STV, ITV Hub and STV Player. To see where you can watch around the world, check out our global broadcast list.
Pre-match Entertainment
In the build up to kick-off, the internationally recognised DJ and broadcaster Pete Tong will perform a live and bespoke set in the stadium’s bowl called ‘the symphony of the twelfth man’ that will feature both music and iconic commentary to take spectators through several decades and historic moments from the competition.
The Massed Bands of the Guards Division, which is represented by the Bands of the Coldstream, Irish and Welsh Guards, will contribute to ‘the symphony of the twelfth man’, perform both the famous Chelsea and Liverpool club anthems of ‘Blue Day’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, and also support further activities detailed below.
Pre-match Ceremony
The inaugural Golden Ball Award in partnership with Mitre will be awarded following the conclusion of the game, and the competition’s current top scorer, Adam Boyes of Marske United with eleven goals, will walk out with a limited-edition Delta Max ball that has been produced especially by Mitre for the Final.
The competition’s very first Final was contested at the Oval in 1872, with Wanderers overcoming the Royal Engineers. The current club secretary and treasurer of Wanderers, Mark Wilson, and current chairman of the Royal Engineers, Colonel Alan Mason, will respectively walk out a version of the oldest surviving trophy, which is known as ‘the little tin idol’, and its present silverware before kick-off.
Just 12 teams took part in the competition that season, and representatives from Upton Park, Queen’s Park, Hitchin Town, Civil Service, Maidenhead United, Clapham Rovers, Reigate Priory, Marlow, and Crystal Palace will also be in attendance as guests of the FA.
The FA’s President, His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, will lead the traditional presentation party, which will also include its Chair, Debbie Hewitt, Emirates Airline’s chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim and The FA Challenge Cup Committee’s Chair Rebecca Caplehorn, who will all be presented to both teams.
The B Positive Choir will return to Wembley Stadium to lead the Final’s traditional pre-match hymn, Abide with Me, and UK recording artist RAYE will perform the national anthem ahead of kick off. RAYE will also perform before the Vitality Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 15 May 2022, and further details can be found here.
Players from both Chelsea and Liverpool will join together after the national anthem for a group photo where a Ukrainian flag will be displayed with a message of ‘peace’ in a moment of solidarity for all those affected by the ongoing conflict in that country.
The Royal Mint also produced a special £2 coin to celebrate the competition’s 150th anniversary earlier in the season, which depicts its famous trophy on one side, and it will be used by match referee Craig Pawson for the customary coin toss. Further details on the Final’s match officials can be viewed here.
Half-time entertainment
16 representatives from each of the competition’s decades from the 1870s to the 2020s will be presented to the crowd at half time to pay homage to their or their relative’s respective achievements in the competition. More details about this activity and each of these individuals can be found here.
British Sign Language
A British Sign Language interpreter, Joanna Aldridge, will be present at the Emirates FA Cup Final for the very first time to translate key moments of the pre-match, half-time and full-time entertainment detailed above, including the singing of Abide with Me and the National Anthem. Joanna will also be present at the Vitality Women’s FA Cup Final on Sunday 15 May to interpret both the National Anthem and entertainment script.
Branding
Wembley’s Olympic Way banners will be taken over for the occasion to instead create ‘memory lane’, depicting 34 famous moments from the competition’s history that will begin with its inception in 1871 and culminate in events from the modern day.
A full pitch cover has been created specifically for the conclusion of the 150th anniversary celebrations, with the names of all 729 clubs who have competed in the Emirates FA Cup this season being showcased alongside the club crests of Chelsea and Liverpool.
The pitch cover is the centerpiece of the ‘banner parade’ and it will be delivered by 151 military personnel. Created in partnership with Wembley Stadium, Veolia and Service Graphics, the banner is made using a fabric created from over 47,600 recycled plastic bottles. Post-event the cover will be recycled again, this time into clothing for Wembley’s local football community.
