Take your pick: Cambridge players were free to swap their shirts at full timeWikimedia: Steve Collis

Amidst the magic and wonder of the cup tie, a top London law firm did their bit to contribute to one of the greatest nights in Cambridge United’s history.

Having heard that the U's would be prevented from swapping their shirts with their opposite numbers, Alexander JLO Solicitors moved to the aid of the Cambridge cup heroes by offering to cover the cost of any player wishing to gain a memento from what must certainly be one of the high points of their careers.

Richard Money, the Cambridge United manager, had previously told his players to forget about swapping shirts with the Manchester United stars, as the club would not be able to finance replacing them.

"We're not wealthy enough to give any of our shirts away," he said. "We only have two strips, so if they give their shirt away they're going to have to replace it.”

The kind gesture came to light in the run-up to Cambridge’s sensational performance in the cup, managing to secure a 0-0 draw with the Red Devils, who lie a whopping 76 places above them.

Swapping shirts at the end of a game has long been a tradition in football as a way of remembering an opponent you've played against, or an important fixture in a player's career.

The senior partner at Alexander JLO Solicitors, Peter Johnson, told the Daily Express: “We congratulate Cambridge United for their sterling performance in the Cup. I fondly remember standing on the terraces in the 1970's."

“We were sorry to read that financial pressures might prevent the players from swapping shirts with the Man U players. I immediately contacted the Daily Express to let it be known that we would cover the cost of any player out of pocket – we felt they richly deserved a memento from the game."

The Company are due to open a new office here in Cambridge, and were clearly keen to help the local side out before their move to the city.

Johnson added that they were “looking forward to renewing our association with the City when we open our new Cambridge office next week."