The grim financial reality of football’s lower leagues: How League One Accrington Stanley made just £2.99 profit from hosting their FA Cup second round tie with Barnet
- Accrington’s managing director tweeted a financial breakdown from the tie
- It showed 1,532 paying spectators contributed £9,771.66 after VAT was taken off
- But Stanley then had to pay for stewarding, floodlights and medical costs
- They also had to stump up over £5,000 for Barnet’s travel and hotel expenses
- That left a grand total profit of just £5.99 – which had to be split with Barnet
Accrington Stanley’s managing director has revealed how the League One club came away with a paltry £2.99 profit from an FA Cup tie this season.
In a stark illustration of the reality of lower league life, David Burgess tweeted a breakdown of money made and money paid out for Stanley’s second-round tie against Barnet in November.
It showed that 1,532 paying spectators passed through the turnstiles of Accrington’s Wham Stadium that afternoon for the visit of the National League side, bringing receipts of £11,016.
Accrington Stanley’s managing director has revealed they made a profit of just £2.99 from an FA Cup second round tie against Barnet back in November
David Burgess tweeted a breakdown of Stanley’s income and expenses from the cup tie
In addition, Stanley made £710 from 71 guests paying £10 each for executive packages in their 1968 Lounge.
That takes the total to £11,726, or when VAT is deducted £9,771.66.
The second page showed the payments Stanley had to take out from that amount. Gatemen and stewards were paid £4,154.37, there was £75 for use of floodlights and £400 to ensure medical provision.
Under the rules and regulations of the FA Cup, away teams are entitled to claim expenses from the host club for both travel and hotel accommodation.
Barnet did so, with £2,300 allocated for their travelling expenses and £2,836.30 for hotel rooms for their players and staff.
The first page showed how much Accrington made from gate receipts for the FA Cup tie
But the second page showed how travel and hotel expenses for Barnet, plus other costs, decimated all income. Plus, the £5.99 left over had to be shared with Barnet
That left a ‘balance for distribution’ amounting to a mere £5.99.
The rules state that prior to the third round of the FA Cup, net gate receipts are divided equally between the two clubs.
So that meant Barnet were entitled to half of that £5.99 – not to mention £5,139.30 in expenses – leaving Accrington with a final profit of just £2.99.
Burgess tweeted: ‘For clarity – the FA Cup R2 gate receipts… @ASFCofficial came away with a grand total of £2.99 after all expenses – ticket prices £10 or less & no police charges…’
Speaking to Sportsmail, Burgess said: ‘I travel to our away games on the coach with the players and when you’re on there for four-and-a-half hours, it is tiring.
‘I’m not normally one for sticking up for the players but I understand why Barnet wanted to come and stay overnight to give themselves the best chance of winning.’
Accrington players applaud fans after they drew 1-1 with Boreham Wood in the third round
Fortunately, thanks to Ethan Hamilton’s 84th-minute winner in the match, they received £67,000 in prize money.
Their reward was an away tie at another National League club, Boreham Wood, in the third round which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The replay at the Wham Stadium was scheduled for Tuesday night but has been postponed because of an unplayable pitch. The game will now be played on January 24.
Accrington will face a similar situation when they play Bolton Wanderers in the semi-final of the Papa John’s Trophy on February 22.
Burgess said
Stanley are 19th in League One, a point above the relegation zone, and have the second-lowest average attendance at 3,276, with only Forest Green’s 3,042 lower this season.