FA Cup final: Global Crystal Palace fans travel to Wembley for date with Manchester City

Season ticket holder Jack Dunn, 30, managed to bag himself one ticket for the final – but when his 16-year-old brother Johnny said he also wanted to come, he knew what he had to do.

Johnny was born in England but emigrated with their dad, Gavin, to Adelaide, Australia in 2014 and hasn’t been back since.

In 2019, Gavin died suddenly in his sleep from a brain aneurysm. Johnny was only 10. This trip is the first time he’s ever flown alone.

“He’ s only ever been to one game when he was four and this is the first game since Dad died, so let’s hope he’s the lucky charm” says Jack.

He will take Johnny to Wembley to meet friends but, if he can’t source a ticket he’ll watch the match in a pub nearby: “I was sat in a queue for an hour to get that ticket – but giving it up is what you do for family. Hopefully Palace can win it for our dad.”

Johnny isn’t the only one flying in from down under. Nigel Moore is an IT consultant living in New Zealand.

He was born in Sutton, south London, and has travelled to England with his 13-year-old son Alfie, who is missing a week-and-a-half of school.

Their journey to London has taken 30 hours, with flights costing more than £2,000. Nigel has also spent £2,000 for three tickets from a resale website, after they missed out in the ballot, but says the expense will all be worth it.

“The thought of Palace winning and me not being there scares me more than than the positive thoughts seeing them win would give me,” Nigel said.

“From a family perspective it’s massive. It’s great having Alfie to come and see my cousins and brother, especially when you live so far away.

“I feel fortunate I’m in a position when I can try and ignore the cost of it to give Alfie something he’ll always remember.”