FA Cup Final day 2026 - viewed through the Rainy City lens

FA Cup Final day 2026 – viewed through the Rainy City lens

As another football season draws to a close it was another trip to the national stadium at Wembley. This time it was to watch Manchester City take on Chelsea in the 145th edition of the world’s oldest national football competition.

I was there for the semi final a few weeks ago and the League Cup Final before that – check the links out for words and pictures.

Bigger than the game itself

Wembley has this habit of making the occasion feel bigger than the match itself.

It’s not the all‑day national event it was in the 1960s and 70s when I was growing up, but undeniably it still sits firmly in the sporting calendar as something grand, something we’re all supposed to feel.

Win or lose, Wembley is a good day out. But it seems the FA never misses a chance to remind us how ‘special’ it is — the world’s oldest, greatest cup competition and all that. Maybe that’s true. It’s also very clearly a revenue machine for both the FA and its national stadium – and to be honest it feels like that.

Cash cow?

And that’s where it jars.

It’s hard to treat Wembley as a sacred venue when it’s used at every possible opportunity to generate income.

Semi‑finals being played there instead of at a neutral ground is the clearest example. It doesn’t feel like tradition; it feels more like a sacred cash‑cow strategy dressed up as heritage.

Even the official Wembley car parks couldn’t resist getting in on the act. Between the League Cup Final and the FA Cup semi‑finals, they quietly bumped the prices up — and if you’re wondering whether it was just inflation at work… no. It was a full 25% hike. A premium for the privilege of parking on the ‘special occasion’.

But all that aside …

As I said, a trip to Wembley is always a good day out — and this year’s Chelsea v City showdown was no different.

Wembley on a match day is one of my favourite places to wander, people watch and grab a few photos. That’s really what this post is about. I’ve split the pictures into four simple themes: around the ground, law and order, workers, and finally fans.

These are the things that fascinate me, the bits I don’t think I will ever get tired of.

It’s never just about the team or the tactics.

For me, it’s as much about the people, the movement, the noise, and those small moments that make an FA Cup Final feel like it exists in its own little world — even if only for a few hours.