FA make Newcastle United official decision as Eddie Howe gets St James' Park wish after rule change

Will Finnie will be referee for the match, assisted by Lee Betts and Mark Dwyer with Scott Simpson as fourth official. It will be Finnie’s first game refereeing Newcastle in his career as he regularly officiates matches across all three levels of the EFL, stepping up into the Championship this season.

There will be no VAR for the fixture at St James’ Park following a rule change introduced by the Football Association. Previously, VAR would be used in the competition ‘whenever possible’. As St James’ Park is already equipped for VAR technology, the system would have been in place in previous seasons.

However, new a new ruling states that VAR will only be used in this season’s FA Cup from the fifth round onwards in order to ‘ensure a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.’

Newcastle’s last match without VAR was the 3-1 Carabao Cup quarter-final win against Brentford at St James’ Park.

And Magpies head coach Eddie Howe welcomes the lack of VAR and raw emotion that returns to matches as a result.

“It's interesting because the Brentford game in the last round [of the Carabao Cup], I enjoyed not having VAR in that moment because we scored goals and once you see the linesman's flag stay down you know it's a goal!” Howe told The Gazette. “You're not second-guessing because the first thing I think now when we score is 'is there a reason for that goal not to stand?'

“That takes away the enjoyment of the moment really, that's the world I live in. So when you don't have it and you score, it's a different feeling. But then if you don't have it and you concede, I might be thinking the other way. I'm of the initial thought that I like the initial raw emotion you get when you score without VAR.”

Newcastle will be hoping to avoid another FA Cup upset having been beaten by lower-league opposition in the third round of the competition in 2022 and 2023 under Howe previously. Bromley currently sit 12th in League Two having been promoted from the National League last season.

The Ravens are managed by former Newcastle goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman.