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2023 Eve of Final Rally


Wembly

The Eve of the Final Rally for 2023 is the centenary - the 100th edition of the Rally, and it will be done slightly differently this year.

100 Years of the Rally

Since 1923 traditions for the FA Cup Final include the "Eve of the Final" rally at a central London location, where the match officials are guests of honour at a meal provided for by the Referees' Association. Many members of the Association including serving and past Cup Final referees also attend.


Speeches are made and the officials are presented with mementos of the occasion and invited to autograph their refereeing colleagues' Cup Final programmes. The referees usually sleep at White's Hotel, with FA protocol stating that they should not leave the grounds.


On the morning of the Cup Final, the officials take a pre-match walk through Hyde Park before travelling by limousine to Wembley. Once there they are obliged once more to autograph Cup Final programmes and are invited to join any VIPs in the banqueting hall.

Change to format

Traditionally the event would be held the evening prior to The FA Cup Final, but in recent years the National RA have come to realise that actually this is not great for the selected Match Officials Pre-Match preparation, so with this in mind the Rally this year has been brought forward to a week prior to the cup final.


Therefore, the National RA have also taken the decision to hold this virtually by Zoom on Wednesday 31 May 2023 at 7.30pm.




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