The financial boost of FA Cup to date - and it could be about to get so much better

Hereford chairman Chris Ammonds, top left

The financial problems facing Hereford have come to light over recent weeks, but the FA Cup will help the club which is on course to make a profit this season.

It'll be the first profit for years after combined losses of more than £600k, and it can't come quick enough with shareholders' funds dropping as low as £5,000 earlier this year.

Chairman Chris Ammonds conceded it is a serious situation and there's lots of hard work going on to fix it (click to read more). The football budget was cut over the summer, thought to be by around £100,000 and there have been smaller changes such as stopping the match day chat (later revived thanks to a supporter) and printing of a matchday progreamme.

While the board might have expected a couple of wins in the FA Cup, reaching the first round would never have been budgeted for.

And while gate receipts are split after expenses, having all three games so far at home means a financial boost from things like bar takings too. There will also be the extra money which should trickle through from HUST for the Half Time 50/50 and Golden Goal.

To date, Hereford will have secured £18,375 in prize money - but that figure will blow up if there's another FA Cup win in the side.

The 40 first round proper winners will bag £41,000, and the 20 who get through the second round proper winners will get £67,000. Then the Premier League and Championship sides join and it breaks the £100k barrier.

Unlike the qualifying rounds though, there will be no prize money for the losers.

While a third round tie is highly unlikely, even the most optimistic supporter would concede that, the Bulls could have a money-spinning tie when the draw for the first round is made tomorrow.

They could be travelling to a club like Derby County, Bolton Wanderers or Bradford City which all have an average attendance so far this season of more than 15,000.

Financially, the only change for Hereford now will be that the entrance fees don't need to be agreed by both clubs, now it's the sole decision of the hosts.

There will still be an equal split of the gate receipts though.

That's always after VAT, the travelling and possibly accommodation expenses of the visiting club, the fees and expenses of the match officials, and other allowed match expenses such as gate attendants, turnstile operators, stewards, police charges, floodlighting, first aid helpers and any costs relating to clearing the ground of snow and water provided the Visiting Club is consulted beforehand on the approximate costs).

Even on Saturday when the club charged normal league prices, a decision already explained and justified at length by the chairman Chris Ammonds (click to read more), more than 2,800 watched the win.

Even if you say the average price of a ticket sold was £13, taking into account children who pay a lot less than adults, that's £36,400 taken through the turnstiles (well, online and the ticket office, but you get the point).

Even after expenses and the split, that'll be money that wasn't in the budget.