For the first time in the 134-year history of the Emirates FA Cup, the ticket design for The Final of the world famous competition will feature a photo captured by a select few of the millions of fans that will follow The FA Cup adventure this season.
Tickets for the Emirates FA Cup Final are one of the most sought after in football – and for the fans who have been lucky enough to be at Wembley Stadium for the showpiece game, the ticket becomes a collector’s item that is passed down through the generations.
In a first for the competition, The Football Association has announced that a matchday photo captured by a fan at an Emirates FA Cup tie between the first round proper and the semi-finals in April 2016 will take pride of place on the ticket design for The Final next May.
Emirates FA Cup
First Round Proper
6-9 November 2015
Winning clubs to receive £18,000 from The FA
With only 90,000 tickets for the match being printed, the chosen fans' photos will become a unique part of football history.
To launch the competition The FA has recruited renowned Instagram photographer Emmanuel Cole.
He will attend Leyton Orient v Staines Town in the first round on Saturday 7 November to capture his own unique take on the Emirates FA Cup. Cole took the famous trophy to Leyton, east London, this week in preparation for this weekend’s tie.
The FA will also be offering other Instagrammers the chance to be officially accredited for Emirates FA Cup ties at each stage of this season’s competition.
Arsenal have won The FA Cup for the past two years
Cole said: “The Emirates FA Cup is one of this country’s finest traditions.
“From a photographic perspective, it is full of incredibly rich content - the twists and turns, the players’ glory and despair and the fans emotions all come together to showcase the unique adventures of the competition.
“For a fan to have their photo featured on the ticket design for this season’s Final is an amazing opportunity to showcase the competition’s importance to the fans.”
Cole will be joined by representatives from The FA in judging photos submitted by fans on a round-by-round basis.
To enter, fans attending Emirates FA Cup ties simply need to upload their photos to Instagram and tag #EmiratesFACup.
The Emirates FA Cup Final will take place on Saturday 21 May 2016.
