EX-EVERTON star Paul Rideout has criticised the “disgraceful” decision to play the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley late on Sunday afternoon.

The match kicks off at 4pm; the previous day Arsenal and Chelsea start at 5.15pm at the same venue.

Rideout, who scored the only goal as Everton beat United in the 1995 FA Cup Final, believes staging matches at Wembley erodes the traditions of the competition and sells supporters short.

Rideout said: “The fact they are playing at Wembley on a Sunday is a disgrace, making all the fans travel down there. I don’t think it should be played at Wembley – it takes away the pleasure of getting there and playing a one-off game.

“People have got work the next day and it is an expensive time.

“The only up-side of playing at Wembley is a lot more fans can get tickets.”

Rideout’s cup-winning Everton side played their semi-final at Elland Road, beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-1, and he prefers the idea of neutral venues other than the national stadium for the last-four clashes.

He said: “The special thing for me was you play a semi-final somewhere else. We had a great atmosphere there (Elland Road) and we had tremendous support which made a difference to us.

“But going to Wembley and playing a semi-final is not right.”

Because of his coaching commitments in the USA, Rideout will have to watch Sunday’s match on television.

He added: “I’ll be praying they win because it is the one club out of all I have had that I truly follow.”