LONDON: Emirates Airlines is poised to become title sponsor of the FA Cup, football’s oldest surviving competition.

The Football Association has refused so far to comment on reports that it is close to signing a £30m, three-year deal which would convert the tournament’s formal title into the Emirates FA Cup.

In the past the FA always insisted on the linguistic side-step of “in association with” or “sponsored by” in relation to their previous commercial deals with Littlewoods, Axa, E.ON and Budweiser.

#######