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That's a fantastic and precise bit of knowledge! You've perfectly connected the hymn to its cultural touchstone (the FA Cup Final) and its most famous composer. For those who don't know, hearing 'Abide With Me' sung by a packed Wembley Stadium right before the match is one of the most spine-tingling traditions in all of sports.

6d. Media affairs torrid under head of programming that was careless!
PHOTO OPS

10a. Path with entrance to the rear, remote
OUTER

16d. These days, not much in some vacuous old tale
SNOW WHITE

Parses for the above please.

6 P HOT OOPS!
10 ROUTE with the R moved to the end
16 NOW (these days) WHIT (not much) inside SomE

Thanks for this chrisE

15a. American brass cleaner welcoming American polish
SOUSAPHONE

26a. After a review, I declared myself the official physicist
FERMI

25a. Butterfly is full colour
BRIMSTONE

19d. Anonymous old poem book lifted illness misery
BEOWULF

Parses for the above please

15 a bit weak SOP (cleaner?) outside USA, then HONE (polish)

26 read backwards it's I'M REF (official)

25 BRIMS (is full) TONE (colour) It's the name of a butterfly species

19 B(ook) (standard abbreviation) then FLU WOE backwards

Cheers again.

Re 15 it's SOAP outside US

That makes more sense

14a. Forward movement mostly not relying on gills?
LUNGE

...I get it...LUNG + E, but where does the E come from?

8d. Fakeish-sounding soft leather
CHAMOIS

... I get it...CHAM sounds like SHAM, but where does the OIS come from?

22a. Very small wedding buffet
MATCHBOX

12a. This would be the making of one
TWELFTHS


Parses for the above please.

14 LUNGE(d)

8 In England it's pronounced "shammy" (incorrectly, of course!)

22 MATCH - wedding, BOX - buffet (as in hit)

12 ?, unless the clue number is significant