A STORM has broken out on social media about a decision by TV bosses to reject Bradford City’s next FA Cup showdown for live broadcast.

And Bantams’ joint chairman Mark Lawn has joined the furore with a stinging rebuke for the BBC and BT Sport executives responsible - revealing it has cost the giantkillers almost £250,000.

He accused the TV companies of “shooting themselves in the foot” by not showing the club’s fifth round clash against either Sunderland or Fulham.

City’s 4-2 win against Premier League leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last Saturday was voted the biggest FA Cup upset of all time by Match of the Day viewers.

But its next tie is one of only three of the eight Fifth Round matches that will not be shown live.

Angry Bantams fans took to Twitter to condemn the live TV snub using the hashtag #nomagic.

One, Andy Holland, said: “Utter disgrace that Bradford City not being shown on TV after the weekend’s giant-killing exploits.This is why we love the cup.”

Another, Mark Wright, said: “Valentine’s weekend, but where’s the romance of the cup or the love for the giant killers?”

And Louise Hayton tweeted: “BT Sport and BBC will become yawnsville Valentine’s weekend, but Valley Parade will be bouncing.”

Mr Lawn said: “BBC and BT Sport have let themselves down with this.

“They’ve really shot themselves in the foot.

“We’ve scored the most goals of any club in the FA Cup this season, we’ve just pulled off the biggest shock in history, and they don’t come and get us.

“The whole world is looking at us at the moment and the TV broadcasters don’t put us on.

“You’ve got to wonder if the people who decide these things actually know about football.”

The BBC responded by saying that its ‘Football Focus’ show could be broadcast live from Valley Parade, while BT Sport described its fixture selection as a “complex process involving multiple parties”.

Meanwhile, the district’s MPs also criticised the snub, with one branding the decision a “disgrace” given the Bantam’s historic win at Chelsea in the last round.

George Galloway, the Respect MP for Bradford West, said the decision to overlook City for live coverage was “disgraceful”, adding he had tabled a Parliamentary motion urging the Sports Minister to intervene and overturn the TV scheduling.

“I can only echo what Mark Lawn has said, this is a shocking decision which makes no commercial sense,” he said.

“It’s a game that is begging out to be covered, a really appetising match which has the possibility of producing another shock.

“What are the BBC and BT Sport thinking about?”

Gerry Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, and a former sports minister, said ignoring the game “went against the spirit of the competition.”

“Everyone I’ve met this week, from all walks of life, have said last week’s result was a fairy story,” he said.

“It really enhanced the reputation of the cup, and it is a real shame that Bradford’s giant-killers aren’t going to be seen live.”

Philip Davies, Conservative MP for Shipley, described the decision as “bitterly disappointing.”

“These decisions are always subjective, and we may be somewhat biased, but the Bradford team have really captured the imagination of the public and I would have thought there’d have been a lot of interest in seeing them in the next round,” he said.

“It just means if people want to watch the game they will have to get a ticket, which should guarantee a great atmosphere and a full house.”

According to the FA, City’s tie is scheduled for Saturday, February 14 at 3pm, but that may be subject to change on police grounds, given that Leeds United host Millwall at the same time that day.

A BBC spokesman said: “Providing Bradford City’s game is played on Saturday afternoon, we will present Football Focus from Valley Parade to showcase the club’s preparations, and provide extended highlights on Match of the Day.

“TV match selections have to be decided before the outcome of replays, and for that reason, we have selected what we believe to be the best fixtures, given all the potential scenarios.”

A spokesman for BT Sport said: “We aim to cover the teams and stories that appeal to as wide a number of fans as possible while staying true to the traditions of the competition.”

The fifth-round ties due to be shown live on TV are West Brom v West Ham, Crystal Palace v Liverpool or Bolton, Aston Villa v Leicester, Arsenal v Middlesbrough, and Preston or Sheffield United v Cambridge or Manchester United.