Manchester United will take the field against Ledbury Town FC in a friendly charity match in memory of three members of the same family killed in a road accident.

The date of the game, at Ledbury's home ground, has still to be decided but the United board has written to club chairman Chris Stephens confirming that the game will take place.

Mr Stephens was a friend of Martin McCoig-Lees, who died with his wife Denise and youngest child Ryan, nine, in the M56 tragedy in Manchester last July.

It was Mr Stephens who wrote to Manchester United following the accident and asked the board to consider a fundraising friendly.

Mr Stephens, who said it would probably be an all-ticket game, added: "I knew Martin very well and he was a big fan of football. I thought this would be a nice gesture.

"We're not looking for publicity for Ledbury but to help the McCoig-Lees family."

Mr McCoig-Lees' sons, Richard, aged 15, and Matthew, 19, will be asked to nominate charities in memory of their father, mother and younger brother.

The boys' grandfather, John, speaking from the family's newspaper shop this week, said: "It's wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I'm sure Martin would have been very pleased about this.

"He was such an avid fan of Manchester United and went to every home game. Everything in the shop is red and white. He even went to see them play abroad, in Spain and Italy. It's marvellous what Chris has done."

Mr Stephens said he would not speculate on the make-up of the Manchester United side for the Ledbury game, but added that a reserve side could contain major stars if they were coming back from injury.

He added: "We might even beat them. You never know. It's all on the day."

The McCoig-Lees family confirmed last week that the family newspaper business is to close on Saturday, October 11, to allow the boys to continue their education and their grandparents, John and Margaret Kennedy, to retire.