ACCRINGTON Stanley raised eyebrows after deciding to sell lucrative match tickets against Man Utd, a cup tie the club did not qualify to play in.

The League Two side were 90 minutes away from a dream third-round FA Cup tie against United, but were knocked out in a replayed second-round game against Yeovil Town.

But while United’s superstars took to the pitch against Yeovil on Sunday afternoon, Stanley took to Twitter to offer ‘commemorative’ tickets for £20 each.

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Users on the social media site immediately hit back, mocking the club for its ‘bizarre’ idea.

But the club said it hoped it would be a fun way to raise around £5,000 to strengthen the team.

Stanley fan Jon Bentley said: “Let’s be honest, it would have been a great April Fool. Now it is just time to claim the website was hacked.”

Roy McDonald compared the idea to the hit darts gameshow once fronted by Jim Bowen: “Just like Bullseye... Look at what you could’ve won.”

Club chairman Peter Marsden said the club’s aim for international publicity through its “tongue-in-cheek’ offer had worked.

He said: “We have already sold 40 per cent of the tickets to a man in Brazil.

“What could be more worthwhile than pushing the team towards the play-offs? This could be the springboard to success.

“[The tickets will only raise] a small amount but sometimes these small amounts make all the difference.

“We are the smallest club in League Two and money is always in need.

“It’s supposed to be tongue-in-cheek with a serious message behind it.”

Mr Marsden said the timing of the offer, which was tweeted during Yeovil’s 2-0 defeat against United, was ‘exactly on purpose’.

He said: “We had one chance to trigger people’s consciousness. If we had left it one day or one week, it would have been less resonant.”

A third round clash with Man Utd would have netted Stanley £150,000, according to the club’s former managing director.

Rob Heys was in charge of the club’s finances during a cup run that helped pay for the Reds to go professional 11 years ago.

He said yesterday: “I can understand what the people at the club are trying to do and it’s a shame it has got the negative reaction it has.

“The timing was pretty bad because we were all sat watching the television as it came through on Twitter.”

“United had just ran out against Yeovil and you can’t help thinking I wish it had been us.”

“It was done with the right intentions, but perhaps there’s better ways to bring in money.”

The club said the 250 ‘special edition commemorative tickets’ were to mark the club’s FA Cup run.

“Those who purchase the commemorative tickets will have their name on a Roll of Honour in the club programme and on the website,” the club said.

A spokesman for Man United and the Football Association (FA) declined to comment.