THE draw for the FA Cup semi-finals made on Monday presents a travelling nightmare for Northern soccer fans.

The weekend of April 16-17 will see more than 100,000 supporters converging on Cardiff via the already congested M5, almost certainly on the same day.

Although the two ties - Newcastle versus Manchester United, and Arsenal against Blackburn Rovers - have yet to be scheduled, rival fans will all be heading to Cardiff down a traffic funnel, with many making the journey on the Saturday.

The decision to use Cardiff rather than switch games to a more accessible venue was discounted a couple of week's ago after Bolton Evening News Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock approached the FA.

He was told: "It's a done deal."

And on Tuesday Manchester United fans were told there is no chance their side's FA Cup semi-final against Newcastle will be moved away from the Millennium Stadium.

The Independent Manchester United Supporters Association urged fans to boycott the match.

But Football Association spokesman Adrian Bevington said:

"We announced that Cardiff would host both semi-finals back in September.

"It will allow about 30,000 fans from each club to attend the games."

Bevington added that a final announcement over precise dates and kick-off would not be made until Newcastle had completed their Uefa Cup tie with Olympiakos.

If the Magpies secure a place in the quarter-finals of the European competition then their FA Cup match will be played on Sunday because their Uefa Cup encounter is scheduled for the previous Thursday.