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Abi Byrne to referee Women’s FA Cup Final

Abi Byrne will take charge of this season’s Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final, alongside a team of six match officials.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will contest the Final in front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Sunday 12 May (2pm BST).

Cambridgeshire-based referee Byrne will lead out the teams in what will be her second FA Cup Final after previously overseeing the 2019 Final between Manchester City and Chelsea. She will be assisted on the day by Sophie Dennington and Nicoleta Bria, while Kirsty Dowle will be the fourth official and Levi Gray is the reserve assistant referee.

There will be two video assistant referees on duty for the Final, with David Coote appointed as VAR and Natalie Aspinall as assistant VAR.

Byrne was first promoted into the elite level of refereeing in 2015 and has operated in the Barclays Women’s Super League since 2016 as well as being on the FIFA Women’s list of referees.

As well as the 2019 FA Cup Final, Abi was also selected to referee England v World XI in the 2023 Soccer Aid match.

Speaking about her appointment, Abi said: "It’s an honour to be selected to referee the 2024 FA Women’s Cup Final. Having been involved before, I know it’s a traditional and prestigious event to be a part of and the pinnacle of women’s football in this country!

"I’m really pleased to be supported by a superb team of officials around me. We strive to perform well in every game and we will set out to deliver a strong team performance on the day.

"It’ll be a proud moment walking out to a sold-out Wembley, including many people who have had an invaluable impact on my career so far - family, friends and colleagues."

Referee: Abi Byrne (Cambridgeshire FA)

Assistant referees: Sophie Dennington (Berks & Bucks FA) & Nicoleta Bria (Cambridgeshire FA)

Fourth official: Kirsty Dowle (Kent FA)

Reserve assistant referee: Levi Gray (Army FA)

Video assistant referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire FA)

Assistant VAR: Natalie Aspinall (Lancashire FA)