FA confirm Cup Final kick-off time

16 April 2012 13:47

This year's FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Liverpool will kick-off at 5.15pm, the Football Association have confirmed.

The showpiece final on Saturday, May 5 will be the first to be played under floodlights in 19 years, with the last being the 1993 replay between Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday.

It is the first time the final has been moved away from its traditional 3pm kick-off since the new Wembley opened its doors in 2007.

Since then, Chelsea have won the cup three times, lifting it in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Liverpool booked their first FA Cup Final appearance in six years with a 2-1 win over Everton on Saturday, while Chelsea hammered Tottenham 5-1 in the second semi-final on Sunday.

Despite making a combined 43 semi-final appearances between them, the game will be the first time the two have met in the final.

The FA came in for some criticism for the scheduling of the two semi-finals, with Chelsea's interim manager Roberto di Matteo particularly vocal.

The Blues, with a high-profile Champions League semi-final to play this week, kicked-off at 6pm on Sunday night, leading the Italian to declare himself as "disapppointed and angry".

On Saturday, despite the travelling time required, the Merseyside derby started at lunchtime.

Source: PA