FA Cup Final Sells Out Of This World

Ahead of this weekend’s sold out FA Cup Final, the Football Association has sent the last remaining tickets into space, with the recipient that finds the prize heading to Wembley for Arsenal vs Aston Villa on Saturday.

Launch took place on Wednesday morning from the centre circle of Wembley Stadium before the balloon travelled out of the Earth’s atmosphere and burst at a height of 29km.

The FA’s Twitter feed then provided fans with live updates as to the location of the balloon using GPS signals. The tickets eventually touched down in Broad Oak, near Hastings, following a three hour trip.

As a result, a 19-year-old Arsenal fan from Broad Oak will now be heading to Wembley after his grandmother discovered the tickets whilst taking her dog for a morning walk.

George Lamb, the winning fan, said: “When I woke up this morning the idea of going to the FA Cup Final hadn’t crossed my mind. Now, thanks to my grandma finding the tickets, I’m going on the ultimate adventure to Wembley on Saturday, although I’m sure the tickets’ adventure to space is certainly a close second! This will be my first time to Wembley and I’ve got butterflies at the prospect of it.”

The FA worked with flight experts SentIntoSpace.com on the project, following approval from the Civil Aviation Authority.

The mission to space was part of the Football Association’s celebration of the adventure of the Cup during this season’s competition. As well as sending tickets to space, the adventure has also seen the famous trophy travel to the South Pole and swim with sharks at the National Sea Life Centre.

Lucy Roberts-Hartley, marketing manager for The FA Cup, said: “This season’s competition has truly been one to remember – on and off the pitch. The Cup has travelled to the South Pole and on the pitch we’ve seen some of the most memorable matches in FA Cup history.

“Sending the final pair of tickets into space is a great way to finish the off-pitch adventure, we hope George enjoys an out-of-this-world match on Saturday.”