FA Cup semi-final: Married football rivals travel 3,000 miles for tie

Shaun Littler and Caroline Oatway met in an MSN chatroom in 2004

A married couple have flown more than 3,000 miles together to attend the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley - only to sit at opposite ends of the stadium.

Sheffield United fan Shaun Littler and his wife Caroline Oatway, a Manchester City supporter, moved from the UK to Boston, Massachusetts, last year.

Luckily, their trip to the UK to visit family coincided with the game.

Ms Oatway, 32, said: "As soon as the draw was made, I was like, this is going to be absolute hell".

The sports journalist, who works for New York City Football Club, said: "I said I wished we'd recorded our reactions" when they realised the Blades would meet the Blues.

Her husband, also 32, is from Handsworth, Sheffield, and will travel to the match with a group of family and friends.

The couple moved from Manchester to the United States last year

He said: "I'm going with my mum, my stepdad and my dad, and my brother Ryan, his wife Kerry and my six-year-old nephew Jackson.

"It's his first time seeing a match away from Bramall Lane, so it's going to be really special for him."

Ms Oatway will travel with fellow City fans, including one of Shaun's best friends.

She said: "Shaun was talking about getting a minibus that would have been full of Sheffield United fans, so I said I'm not travelling with you because I'll get it in the neck.

"I said you're going to be a nightmare - and he said my family will be fine with you - I said it's not your family, it's you!"

Mr Littler, who works in financial recruitment, said they would meet up for a drink before the game, and again afterwards, but joked it would be a "long flight home" whichever side won.

The semi-final will take place at Wembley on Saturday

Talking about the game, he said: "Really, we've got no chance, maybe a slim chance if we are being realistic... but football is a game of 90 minutes, City have two tough games either side of us, so we will just have to see.

"They have never beaten us in the FA Cup in their history, and the last few times we have played them, we have never been destroyed!"

The couple met in an MSN messenger chatroom in 2004, before meeting in person at Bramall Lane two years later, and marrying in 2017.

Manchester City will face Championship side Sheffield United at 16:45 BST on 22 April.

It will be Sheffield United's first FA Cup semi-final since 2014.

In the other semi-final, Brighton will play 12-time FA Cup winners Manchester United the following day.

The final will take place at Wembley on 3 June.