Soccer: Armed police guarding FA Cup final after Manchester bomb

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

London • Soccer fans are arriving for the FA Cup final with armed police on the streets outside at Wembley Stadium as Britain stages its biggest sporting event since the Manchester suicide bombing.

The 22 victims will be remembered in the London stadium before Arsenal and Chelsea contest the soccer showpiece. Prince William will lead the tributes, laying a wreath along with Manchester mayor Andy Burnham on the Wembley pitch before kickoff on Saturday.

There were additional bag checks going into Wembley, with long lines forming for the main entrance used by fans in the corporate areas.

Although security at Wembley was intensified after the Manchester Arena attack, there would have been a heavy police presence anyway given the game is a London derby.