Ipswich Town are making plans for a trip to the seaside after it was confirmed their FA Cup clash with Morecambe will be staged at Christie Park.

The Nationwide Conference club, who drew Town after ousting Cambridge United, always wanted to hold the third round tie at their 6,000-capacity ground.

But the venue for the contest hinged on talks with police, council officials and safety bosses, who have all now given their approval.

Ipswich had offered to switch the tie to Portman Road if Christie Park was deemed unfit, or if Morecambe wanted to cash in by attracting a bigger audience.

Town are likely to receive an allocation of 1,000 tickets for the match on January 6. That is the number of tickets offered to Cambridge for last weekend's second round tie.

Further ticket details will be announced shortly.

Meanwhile, Town are offering the 600 of their fans who attended the abandoned Worthington Cup tie at Manchester City free entry to the re-arranged match.

Referee Graham Poll halted play 21 minutes into Tuesday's quarter-final clash at Maine Road because of a waterlogged pitch. City had equalised seconds earlier to make the score 1-1.

The match has been rescheduled for Tuesday (kick-off 7.45pm) and Ipswich fans who produce their original ticket stub will receive free entry to the ground.

For those fans who travelled on transport organised by the club, Town have pledged to provide free coach travel from Portman Road to the match.

Those supporters must contact the ticket office on 01473 400555.

The eventual winners will meet Birmingham City at home in the first leg of the semi-finals, to be played on Wednesday, January 10.

The second leg will then be staged on Wednesday, January 24.

Town will be without Fabian Wilnis for Saturday's Premiership clash with Southampton at Portman Road.

The Dutch defender faces a one-match suspension after picking up five yellow cards this season.

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