There had been speculation since the draw on Sunday evening that the match would attract live coverage from either the BBC or Sky.

The tie will kick-off at 1.15 pm on Sunday 2nd December and be screened live on Match Of The Day.

It will provide a financial windfall for the Stags and is the first time the club will have featured in a live TV game on the BBC.

Their other live League and FA Cup matches have been screened only on Sky - including a bizarre FA Cup tie at home to Preston in 1991 whch was abandoned because of fog.

The club will receive £75,000 for their live appearance, together with prize money for reaching this stage of the competition.

Saturday's win over Lewes in the First Round earned the Stags £16,000. And a win over Harrogate would mean a further £24,000 bonus.

It is not yet known if the tie being switched from the Saturday to Sunday means that the Division II match on the following Tuesday, at home to Bradford, will be played or re-arranged.

Incoming Stags chairman James Derry said: "It is absolutely fantatsic news, a very significant windfall for the club.

"It means we could get the best part of 125,000 when you take into the live TV fee, prizemoney and gate receipts.

"Let's hope the takeover of the club will be completed by then.

"It is great news for the fans, players and everyone connected with the club.

"It gives the players the chance to show the whole nation how we can play good, attractive football, as we have been doing lately."

Harrogate Railway are the lowest ranked club left in the competition, lying 13th in the Unibond Division I North - but when playing in an even lower division in 2002 they reached the same stage of the FA Cup and were beaten at home by Bristol City in front of 3,500 fans and the Sky TV cameras.

As Chad.co.uk reported on Sunday, their small Station View ground at Starbeck is on a slope and the Stags will have be aware that all the ingredients are there for a cup upset.

No decision has been made yet about capacity or tickets for the match. The ground has a 3,500 maximum, but safety officials are meting this week to set a limit for the cup tie. Average home attaendances in Unibond matches are just over 100.

However, five of Harrogate Railway's six FA Cup wins this season have come at home where attendances have been above the league average. To reach the Second Round they have defeated Esh Winning, Chester le Street, Leigh RMI, Matlock Town, neighbours Harrogate Town and, on Saturday, Droylsden - most playing at a higher standard than Railway.

Harrogate Railway secretary Dave Shepherd said: It's great news for the club and, of course, everyone is delighted with it.

"We just can't believe it's happening again down here. 2002 was a monster, monster year for us and we thought it would never happen again, but now it has."

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