The kick-off time for the upcoming FA Cup final could be significantly altered to prevent it from coinciding with a major, popular annual television event.
This year`s decisive match for the oldest cup competition in world football is scheduled to take place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 17.
Manchester City is looking to cap off what has been described as a challenging season by securing the trophy against Crystal Palace.
The expected start time is 3:00pm, although a later kick-off of 5:15pm, similar to last weekend`s semi-final between Palace and Aston Villa, is also being considered.
However, reports indicate that the BBC is advocating strongly for a 3:00pm start to ensure the match doesn`t clash with the live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest.
If the final begins after 5:00pm and runs into extra time or penalties, there is a high probability it would overlap with the start of the Eurovision show.
An earlier 3:00pm kick-off would avoid this scheduling conflict, with the match projected to finish around 6:30pm even if it extends to penalties.
The Football Association (FA) is anticipated to make a final decision on the precise start time for the match sometime this week.
The FA`s choice regarding the kick-off time will also take into account several other factors, following consultations with the local council and police authorities.
Interestingly, this season`s final is scheduled to be played BEFORE the conclusion of the Premier League season.
There will be no Premier League fixtures held on the same day as the final, with the domestic league campaign concluding the following Sunday, May 25.
Manchester City secured their place in the final by defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the semi-final last Sunday.
Crystal Palace, on the other hand, reached their first FA Cup final since 2016, and only the third in their history, after a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa.
Crystal Palace fans incurred an FA charge for the club almost immediately at Wembley due to using flares that caused smoke during their semi-final match.
