FA Cup to go live on Facebook

Non-league sides Ascot United and Wembley FC will create a small slice of footballing history on Friday when their FA Cup preliminary round tie is screened live on Facebook, it was confirmed Wednesday.

For the first time in history, Facebook is "televising" an entire match from the world's oldest knockout competition live via the social networking site.

The groundbreaking web stream is being organised by Budweiser, the FA Cup's new title sponsors.

"As a long-standing supporter of football globally, Budweiser is committed to bringing the world's most prestigious knockout competition closer to the fans," Budweiser marketing director Ian Newell said in a statement.

"What better way to demonstrate this than by broadcasting the very first kick to a global audience via Facebook.

"This is the first time a FA Cup tournament fixture has been broadcast live on the social network, which is great news for football fans and clubs alike."

(c) 2011 AFP