The value of the FA CUP

The Spireites have already scooped up £45,000  from winning their first and second round ties in this seasons FA Cup. If they can progress from the third round they will take away £67,500 in prize money alone. 

The income from the FA Cup third round could see off potential suitors of Eoin Doyle and Sam Morsy.

Heres' a case study of Leyton Orient (League One). Leyton Orient reached the Fifth Round Proper of the 2010/11 FA Cup where they took Arsenal to a replay. The run generated circa £1.4m in revenues contributing circa 30% of total club revenue for the year.

Leyton Orient’s 2010/11 FA Cup run saw them beat two Championship sides in Norwich City and Swansea City, both of whom went on to win promotion to the Premier League. They were subsequently knocked out by Arsenal in a Fifth Round Proper Replay at the Emirates Stadium in front of almost £60,000 fans.Progression through to the Fifth Round Proper of The FA Cup saw Orient generate over £200,000 in prize money, which accounted for 15% ofthe total revenues earned from the club’s FA Cup run.

The home match against Arsenal attracted an attendance of almost double the club’s average home league attendance for the season. This, together with the replay at the Emirates Stadium, earned the club circa £500,000 in gate receipt revenue, with an additional circa £200,000 in gate revenues generated from the earlier rounds. Total gate receipt revenues of circa £700,000 accounted for 50% of the club’s FA Cup income for 2010/11.

Here is another case study the club in question is Paul Cook, Leam Richardson and Romuald Boco's old team, Accrington Stanley (League Two). Accrington Stanley’s 2009/10 FA Cup run to the Fourth Round Proper provided additional revenue during a season in which they faced a winding up order from HMRC. The FA Cup competition, a run that generated circa £150,000 in prize money, TV payments and gate receipts.The club benefitted from prize money of £113,000 resulting from wins against Salisbury City, Barnet and Gillingham.

Chesterfield are ball number 53. The biggest teams in the hat tonight are;

2. Arsenal


13. Chelsea


16. Everton


23. Liverpool


24. Manchester City


25. Manchester United


28. Newcastle United


39. Tottenham Hotspur

Mansfield are 62, Rotherham 33 and Sheffield Wednesday 34.

Feel free to comment with who you would like to see in the next round and we will all be watching with baited breath tonight at 7pm. BBC2.