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    FA Cup final plunged into TV chaos with new kick-off time expected, forcing another major ITV event to be moved as well

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    THE FA Cup Final’s kick-off time may have to be moved due to police concerns and could clash with the Epsom Derby.Rivals Manchester United and Manchester City are set to collide in the final at Wembley on June 3.
    The FA Cup Final’s kick-off time may have to be moved due to police concernsCredit: Rex
    The FA Cup Final may clash with the Epsom Derby on ITV next monthCredit: Getty
    And the FA are facing a logistical nightmare over scheduling the game with the Metropolitan Police refusing to sanction their preferred 5:30pm kick-off time due to safety reasons.
    According to The Mail, the authorities have deemed the first ever all-Manchester final a high-risk fixture for fan trouble.
    That is why they will demand an earlier kick-off time when they meet the FA for talks later this week.
    But the football governing body will also have to consider a potential clash with the Derby at Epsom.
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    The Jockey Club have listed it as being run at 4:30pm, but may now be brought forward.
    But the major problem is that both events are scheduled to air on ITV.
    The channel would ideally schedule both during late afternoon with a significant gap between them to increase the audience size and satisfy both sets of fans.
    But the FA may have no option but to follow police advice, with late kick-off times being avoided at Wembley following the violent scenes back in the final of Euro 2020 between England and Italy.
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    The authorities have made it clear that 4:45pm is the latest time they will tolerate for the FA Cup Final.
    The most likely solution would be if ITV tried to bring forward the running of the Derby until earlier in the card at Epsom.
    This way both events can be shown on ITV1, but that would still require the Jockey Club’s approval. More

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      Major change to ITV coverage before FA Cup final as TV bosses look to give fans blockbuster day of sport

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      ITV are planning to move the Epsom Derby to an earlier slot in order to broadcast it immediately before the FA Cup final, according to reports.The terrestrial broadcaster is the home of UK racing, with the Derby one of its biggest events.
      The Epsom Derby could be given a new start timeCredit: AFP
      Last year’s FA Cup final kicked off at 4:45pmCredit: Getty
      Since 2015 it has been shown at 4:30pm in order to try and gather as big an audience as possible.
      This year it is set to take place on Saturday, June 3 – the same day as the FA Cup final.
      With ITV going up against the BBC, who also hold rights to the FA Cup final, they reckon that showing the Derby immediately beforehand could help retain viewers for the football.
      The Cup final kick-off time has yet to be confirmed by football chiefs.
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      Manchester City play Sheffield United in the first semi-final this Saturday, with Manchester United taking on Brighton in the second on Sunday.
      The final kick-off time will depend on who wins – with factors such as travel being taken into account.
      Last year’s final kicked off at 4:45pm, and according to the Mirror, the Epsom Derby could be moved to an earlier 4pm slot in order to get straight to the football afterwards.
      Along with Cheltenham and the Grand National, the Derby is one of the biggest events on ITV’s extensive racing schedule.
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      The terrestrial channel recently confirmed that they have secured exclusive rights to UK racing through to the end of 2026.
      This year will mark the first time that the FA Cup final has ever been played in June.

      The mid-season World Cup pushed the usual schedule back by a number of weeks, with the Champions League final not taking place until June 10.
      While the 2020 FA Cup final was also pushed back, due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was not played until August 1. More