AFC Wimbledon chief executive Erik Samuelson will not be at the FA Cup game this weekend, preferring instead to take his grand-daughter to the playground swings.

Samuelson, who has kept his intentions secret until now, told the Wimbledon Guardian he “could not bear the thought of being there” and that he would not even be watching the game on television.

Other board members are going to the game as “fans” after they collectively snubbed any hospitality offered by the directors of MK Dons.

But, on reflection, Samuelson said his heart sank at the very thought of walking into Stadium mk.

“I have been asked the question about my attending the game over and over again and I want to put an end to the speculation,” he said.

“I will not be attending the match. In the end I just could not bear the thought of being there, and getting involved with all the shenanigans surrounding the match.”

He added: “This is not intended as any criticism of those who have decided to go, it is a personal decision to us all and when I stopped to think about it, my heart sank.”

On the day, Samuelson says he will be turning off his mobile phone for the duration of the game and taking his grand-daughter to the playground.

“I don’t even want to watch the game. I’d rather be a granddad for 90 minutes. It is a great way to spend your time.

“Once I turn my phone back on I think I’ll know straight away what has happened – if there are loads of messages, we’ve won, if there are none – well ok.”

Having spoken with boss Neal Ardley, Samuelson is convinced his absence will not have an effect on the team.

He said: “Neal is fine with my decision, and I very much doubt that if Byron Harrison is running in one-on-one on the goalkeeper he will suddenly think I am not there and mess it up.”

Samuelson added: "No one could ever accuse me of not supporting the team, I have done that all my life. I just cannot bear to go."

Follow our Dons reporter Tim Ashton on Twitter - @zachmerton