Everything you need to know ahead of Sunderland vs Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley
What time does Sunderland vs Sheffield United kick-off at Wembley?
Scheduling for the EFL play-off finals typically involves input from broadcasters, clubs, local authorities, and stadium officials, with a view to balancing TV coverage, safety, and logistical planning for travelling supporters. Last season’s Championship final kicked off at 3:01pm, though previous years have also seen earlier start times.
Will VAR be in action during Sunderland vs Sheffield United at Wembley?
The Championship play-off final will also include the use of VAR, semi-automated offside technology and in-stadia announcements, the EFL have now confirmed. The use of VAR in the play-offs is decided on a season-by-season basis, but the system was in place for all three EFL play-off finals—Championship, League One and League Two—at Wembley last season. That has been the case since the 2021-22 campaign.
Who will referee Sunderland vs Sheffield United at Wembley?
The Football Association has confirmed that Chris Kavanagh will take charge of next Saturday’s Championship play-off final between Sunderland and Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium.
The experienced Premier League official will oversee one of the most high-stakes fixtures in English football, with a place in the top flight on the line. Kavanagh will be supported by assistant referees Lee Betts and Neil Davies, while Peter Bankes has been named as the fourth official. Wade Smith is listed as the reserve assistant referee. VAR duties will be handled by John Brooks, with Timothy Wood serving as AVAR.
Ticket information for Sunderland vs Sheffield United at Wembley
Sunderland were allocated 35,531 tickets for their Championship play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium, but have now sold out.
Tickets were released in phases, starting at 12pm on Wednesday, May 14, when 2024-25 season cardholders will be able to purchase one ticket each. Phase two began on Friday, May 16, with access granted to supporters who have either renewed or purchased a 2025-26 season card or who bought a six-game package during the current campaign. The club confirmed that all tickets must be purchased online, with no in-person or phone sales available. Ticket prices started at £37 for adults and range up to £105, with various concession rates available.
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Who will wear red and white at Wembley - Sunderland or Sheffield United?
Sheffield United will wear their traditional red and white stripes for the Championship play-off final at Wembley—meaning Sunderland will be required to change kits for the showpiece occasion.
The Blades earned the right to wear their home strip after finishing higher in the Championship table than the Black Cats, a standard protocol followed in EFL play-off finals. As a result, Sunderland are expected to wear their away or third kit under the Wembley arch, despite red and white stripes also being synonymous with the Black Cats as well as the Blades.
How to watch and follow Sunderland vs Sheffield United on TV, radio and online
The Sunderland Echo website and social media channels will also have full coverage of the Wembley final and the build-up, while fans not next to a television on the day have the option to tune into BBC Radio Newcastle’s coverage of the game with Nick Barnes and former Sunderland Wembley captain Gary Bennett.
Will SAOT be in action during Sunderland vs Sheffield United at Wembley?
There will be a notable addition to this month’s Championship play-off final between Sunderland and Sheffield United at Wembley, the use of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) for the first time in the competition.
According to the Premier League, SAOT will not change the accuracy of offside decisions, which it says has already been 100% this season. Instead, its main advantage is speed. The system is expected to cut down the time taken for offside checks, saving an average of 31 seconds per incident.
Unlike the current VAR process, match officials will no longer need to manually draw offside lines — except in rare "edge cases" where players obstruct the cameras’ view of key actions. One such delay was seen during the Bournemouth vs Wolves FA Cup tie on March 1, where the system struggled with visual obstructions.
The images generated by SAOT will be available to broadcasters and displayed on stadium big screens. A red line will indicate an offside decision, while a green line will indicate an onside call. A white vertical "wall" will represent the offside line itself, with a blue “pulse” marking the defender’s relevant body part. If an attacker is offside, the offending body part will be shown breaking through the wall in red.
Up to 30 cameras have been installed in each Premier League stadium to support the technology, capturing footage at 100 frames per second. These cameras track the ball and up to 10,000 “mesh” data points on each player’s body. This allows the system to assess offside positions with pinpoint accuracy, automatically flagging potential offsides to the VAR and SAOT operators. This same technology will now be used at Wembley for the Championship play-off final.
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