STOP PRESS

1pm Thursday May 13 - Sky has just announced "FA Cup LIVE and in HD on SKY Sport 2 from 1am (kick-off at 2am) Sunday morning!"
THANKS EVERYONE!
Nick
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The FA Cup Final takes place on May 15th 2010 between Chelsea and Portsmouth. None of the New Zealand TV broadcasters has purchased the rights to show the game live. Sky put in a bid but it was rejected. http://bit.ly/bOfb0K

According to TVNZ, their broadcast of last year's final gathered only 20,000 viewers although I wonder whether they factored in the 5 of us sitting in my front room in our tradtional FA Cup gathering.

I know the FA Cup is not a big deal any more, that Chelsea are a side funded by a Russian billionaire and Portsmouth are bankrupt due to over-spending. I know the final is nearly always a dull game, either a 0-0 between top teams or more likely this time, a boring one-sided match. I know the Wembley turf is only slightly better than a farmer's paddock.  

But ..... I grew up in England when the FA Cup final was one of the only games shown live. The programme would start 3 hours before the game and by kick-off, you felt like you knew all the players and their favourite meal (always steak). Abide With Me always made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck - and it still does.

I saw my first FA Cup final on TV in 1970 as a 6 year old and I haven't missed one since. Please let me see the 2010 FA Cup Final. I promise to have a big crowd in front of my TV amd I promise not to fall asleep if the game gets boring.

Sign this petition to say that you want to see the FA Cup Final live on TV.

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