Darren England to referee Man City-Chelsea FA Cup final

Darren England will referee the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 16, marking his first time leading English football's showpiece event, while assistant referee Akil Howson becomes the first black official in the competition's 154-year history.

The match, scheduled for a 3 p.m. kickoff, features a full officiating team that includes Tim Wood as the second assistant referee, Sam Barrott as fourth official, and Peter Bankes on Video Assistant Referee duties with Nick Hopton assisting. Manchester City advanced with a 2-1 semifinal victory over Southampton, where Jeremy Doku equalized before Nico Gonzalez scored a late winner. Chelsea secured their place with a 1-0 win against Leeds United, thanks to Enzo Fernandez's first-half goal.

England's appointment follows a VAR controversy in a September 2023 Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, where he failed to correct an incorrect offside call disallowing a Luis Diaz goal. Officials sidelined him from refereeing for three months, and he did not resume VAR duties until April 2024. Since joining the Premier League referees in 2020, England has officiated games involving both...