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This weekend the fifth round of the FA Cup will hand out a good amount of prize money. But for the non-league clubs out of the draw, where would that money have been spent?
Just the 16 teams remain in this weekend’s FA Cup fifth round, and there will be no representation from below the Championship.
Six teams from the third and fourth divisions, including League Two Doncaster, were in the fourth round while the last of the 32 non-league teams was eliminated in the third round, when the Premier League teams entered the draw.
For clubs lower down in the pyramid, FA Cup prize money can be life-changing, letting them settle debts, invest and enjoy a less turbulent future.
In recent seasons Newport have been a big beneficiary of an extended FA Cup run, Sutton United were promoted to the Football League in 2021 for the first time having reached the FA Cup fifth round four years prior, and in 2017 Lincoln City – then in the fifth tier – defied the odds to reach the last eight. This year even National League Tamworth took Tottenham Hotspur to extra time at the Lamb Ground.
FA Cup crucial
The FA Cup is full of stories of clubs lower in the pyramid benefitting from the prize money earned, even if replays have been chalked off the calendar.
Lincoln chief executive Liam Scully told City AM: “The money the FA Cup provides clubs throughout the football ecosystem can be game changing – we have experienced this first-hand as our own run in the competition was a catalyst for growth and the journey we are now on.”
Added non-league Dorking Wanderers co-founder Marc White: “We’ve seen some glorious examples in the FA Cup this year, like Tamworth, who took Spurs to extra time. And my personal opinion is that the FA Cup is a brilliant opportunity to put way more money into the men’s and ladies’ game than it currently does.
“When you look at the profits of the Premier League clubs and then look at the prize money of the FA Cup, they probably look at it as chicken feed. But to a non-league club or a National League team, that type of money is huge.”
Losers of this weekend’s fifth round ties picked up £120,000 for winning their fourth round ties, while winners will add £225,000 to the kitty. It is worth considering broadcast revenue gains, too.
That £225,000 figure jumps by a further £450,000 should you win your quarter-final before the semi-finals sees £1m handed out to eventual finalists and £500,000 for final four losers.
The eventual winners, meanwhile, pick up £2m. But where would that money go for Premier League teams compared with those on a shoestring budget?
FA Cup prize money
| Round | Winner prize money | Loser prize money |
|---|---|---|
| First round | £45,000 | £15,000 |
| Second round | £75,000 | £20,000 |
| Third round | £115,000 | £25,000 |
| Fourth round | £120,000 | None |
| Fifth round | £225,000 | None |
| Quarter-finals | £450,000 | None |
| Semi-finals | £1,000,000 | £500,000 |
| Final | £2,000,000 | £1,000,000 |
Better apportionment
White, who has led Dorking to 12 promotions in 25 years, says that infrastructure is key lower down the pyramid, stating “it is really difficult to develop facilities with participation growing more than ever due to girls’ and ladies’ football.”
He adds that “the want and desire for additional facilities has never been greater” with a need to improve “tired looking football grounds and trying to multiply artificial pitches for more use”.
Scully echoes the sentiment. “The timing too is important,” he said. “This is usually a period where early season ticket revenue contributes to cash flow and this kind of money can be used to invest into the team, make adjustments to infrastructure or help address other areas which need attention.”
White concludes that the prize money has improved in recent years but the authorities could go further to ensure the FA Cup is a competition that benefits teams further down the pyramid for much longer than just a couple of months.
“The FA Cup money should be spread out a lot more. The winners get £2m, so if it is Man City that’s probably their bus fare home,” he jokes.
“I feel like the apportionment of that should be further down the pyramid. They have improved it in recent years but it needs to improve further.”
