FA Cup gets green light

The oldest football competition in the world, the FA Cup was on Friday (May 29), given the green light to return to action.

Football Association officials confirmed that the quarter-final ties will be played on the weekend of June 27 and 28.
The semi-finals and final will all take place at Wembley behind closed doors over the weekend of 18-19 July and 1 August.

This announcement followed Thursday’s statement that the Premier League would return on Wednesday, June 17.

FA Chief Executive Officer Mark Bullingham said the need to resume the competition following its initial suspension as a result of the coronavirus pandemic was necessitated by its status as ‘an integral part of the English football calendar for nearly 150 years’.

“We are pleased to agree the provisional restart date for the 2019/20 Emirates FA Cup,” Bullingham said.

“The competition has been an integral part of the English football calendar for nearly 150 years, and we’d like to thank the Premier League Executive and Clubs for their support in scheduling the remaining matches during this unprecedented time.

“This has been a difficult period for many people and while this is a positive step, the restart date is dependent on all safety measures being met. The health and wellbeing of players, staff and supporters remains our priority,” he concluded.

It is understood the quarter-finals are due to be played at the respective grounds of the home clubs.