The man himself is quoted as saying:
"When I got the phone call the first thing I thought about was the honour," he reveals. "It's the pinnacle of any referee's career - domestically there is no greater honour.
"There's also a sense of responsibility that you carry for all referees. It is the showpiece match in the football calendar and it's a major day as far as the refereeing world is concerned, too.
"You feel a great deal of responsibility to do the best for yourself and every other referee. But I'm really looking forward to it.
"The FA Cup is such a great occasion. What I hope, and I'm sure everyone else does as well, is that when I blow the final whistle, the match is remembered as a game that befits the occasion of The FA Cup Final."
"When I got the phone call the first thing I thought about was the honour," he reveals. "It's the pinnacle of any referee's career - domestically there is no greater honour.
"There's also a sense of responsibility that you carry for all referees. It is the showpiece match in the football calendar and it's a major day as far as the refereeing world is concerned, too.
"You feel a great deal of responsibility to do the best for yourself and every other referee. But I'm really looking forward to it.
"The FA Cup is such a great occasion. What I hope, and I'm sure everyone else does as well, is that when I blow the final whistle, the match is remembered as a game that befits the occasion of The FA Cup Final."