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FC United of Manchester have hit at out at the BBC after they were asked to rearrange an FA Cup tie so it could be streamed through an app.

The fan-owned club face West Midlands side Sporting Khalsa in a Fourth round qualifying tie on Saturday.

The away match is due to start at the traditional time of 3pm.

However the club were approached by the broadcaster and asked to move it forward to noon, or 12:45pm so they could trial a “brand new BBC Mobile Match of The Day Live experience."

The new idea from the BBC, includes presenters talking to fans, speaking to managers in the dugout and being able to access players on the substitutes' bench.

(Image: Eddie Garvey)

And the M.E.N understands it would have breached the law which prevents any live coverage of games between kicking-off between 3pm and 5pm on a Saturday afternoon.

However the club say they were dismayed at the thought of thousands of match-going fans being inconvenienced.

In a strongly worded statement on their website, the board said: "This latest idea included disruption to the pre-match preparations of club volunteers and the competing teams, interruptions to substitutes warming up and interference with the team managers’ match management.

"The board gave a resounding no to this request.

"FC United is not intrinsically opposed to the re-arrangement of a fixture time, provided that it meets with the approval of and benefits the respective clubs and their supporters.

"But as a public service broadcaster the BBC should be taking a lead by promoting the game without causing additional disruption to match going supporters instead of trying to ape or outdo some of the worst excesses of their competitors.

"If BBC viewers would like to understand the fans’ experience at a football game there are numerous real life games at every level throughout the country and the easiest way for TV viewers to access the real fans’ experience is to go along to a match.

"For a more in depth experience they could volunteer like many non-league fans do week in and week out."

FC were formed in 2005 by fans disillusioned at the Glazer family's ownership of Manchester United and are now the largest fan club owned club in the country.

They moved into a new £6.5m home at Broadhurst Park in Moston earlier this year.

A BBC spokesman said: "Our aim was, and remains, to showcase the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup in a unique and innovative way, taking the audience closer to a game and behind the scenes of a match - also starting our coverage of the world's oldest cup competition earlier than ever before.

"We will only do this with the full backing of both clubs involved in any tie broadcast."