West Brom vs Wolves unusual kick-off time for FA Cup clash explained
All eyes will be on The Hawthorns on Sunday as fierce rivals West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers face off in the fourth round of the FA Cup, but the match itself will get underway earlier than some might have anticipated.
The two Black Country sides are due to meet for the first time since a 1-1 Premier League draw back in May 2021. Albion dropped down to the Championship at the end of that season, and remain there to this day, but are flying high and pushing for promotion.
It is one of four matches in the competition due to take place on Sunday, with others including Manchester United's trip to Newport County and Liverpool's meeting with Norwich City. However, fans of West Brom and Wolves will need to be in their seats for an 11.45 kick-off. The timing is unusual but not unprecedented. Here, Mirror Football explains the reasons for the change.
An increased police presence is expected for the local derby, and this has factored into the decision to change the kick-off time. "The local derby between WBA and Wolves will be attended by a large number of supporters of both teams and we want to ensure everyone enjoys the match," a West Midlands Police spokesperson said.
"There will be large numbers of supporters meeting up and travelling from various locations across the Black Country and further afield to The Hawthorns, and we are working to make sure this happens smoothly and with as little disruption as possible to transport pubs and bars, and local residents. We will have a substantial policing presence and are working with both clubs to manage this."
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The match will be broadcast live on ITV1, with the same channel showing Liverpool v Norwich, a 2.30pm kick-off. Newport v Man Utd, which kicks off at 4.30, will be shown on BBC One.
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Carlos Corberan's West Brom are flying high in the Championship (PA)“This game means a lot to us," Albion boss Carlos Corberan said. "It means a lot to our fans and what is important to them, is always important for us. To represent West Bromwich Albion in this special game, it means a lot to us all. We’re all really looking forward to it.
“From the first moment when the draw was made and we had the possibility to play Wolves, it was easy to see how important the game is for both clubs and how important it is for our fans.
“I’ve been walking in the streets so many times when our supporters have come up to me and told me that we need to win this game, so we know how special and how important it is going to be for them."
Wolves manager Gary O'Neil is looking to lead his team to victory (AFP via Getty Images)Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has similarly stressed the importance of the game. “We’re really looking forward to the game," he said. "We had our first session looking forward to it today as a group and we got some work done on what it should look like tactically and what it will feel like emotionally to the fans, who have been incredible to us this season and have given us fantastic backing. So, we’re starting to get the lads ready for what it might look like tactically and part of a game which is very important to the area.”
Wolves will welcome back Rayan Ait-Nouri for the game, with the defender available after Algeria's elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations. They will still be without some first-teamers, though, with Boubacar Traore at AFCON and top scorer Hwang Hee-chan at the Asian Cup.
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