Many of the non-league stars from the FA Cup will be back at their day jobs but their weekend exploits could help change their club’s fortunes permanently.
Lindon Meikle of Eastwood fame went back to his job in a retail store and Histon’s Matt Langston celebrated his winner against
Leeds by pounding the streets of St Albans as a postman.
Whilst the magic of the FA Cup is steeped in history the big incentive for small non-league clubs now is the huge financial rewards.
There was a defintie rebirth of the FA Cup last season, which saw
Portsmouth lift the trophy and that has seen them face AC Milan this season in the UEFA Cup. But for teams outside the top four divisions the real magic is in the pot of gold that awaits.
Barrow, like most clubs of their ilk, have long been dogged by finanicial restraints, but the Blue Square Premier club can see the fog lifting after their victory over
Brentford.
Financial rewards
They travel to
Middlesbrough for their first fixture against a top flight club since 1966 and there is ral hope that the club could land in the region of £200,000. If the game is selected as a live clash for television there is potentially a six figure sum looming and Barrow are sure to take a host of travelling fans to the Riverside Stadium.
Barrow director Tony Keen couldn’t stress quite how important this fixture was. He said: “It’s a dream, it’s incredible, Middlesbrough are a top, top Premiership club. It’s going to turn this club around for the next five to six years. It will allow us to do things we’ve got in our plans – but now bring them forward.
“Nuneaton went to Middlesbrough in 2006 and I think they made about £300,000 from the game. If we make something between £150,000 and £200,000, even more, we won’t be complaining!
“The fans deserve this. I think we could take at least 5,000 supporters up there. It could be like 1990 when we all went to Wembley. I can’t see Middlesbrough wanting to restrict us on the number of people we take because I don’t think they’ll get a huge turnout.”
Just nine years ago the club was saved from liquidation and this is further proof of their continuing revival.
