The doubling of the Emirates FA Cup prize fund is a ‘God-send’ for non-league clubs, said Yaxley chairman Malcolm Clements.
The ‘Mighty Cuckoos’ are preparing for a preliminary round clash with Daventry Town on Saturday.
A win would hand them £2,890 in prize money, to add to the £2,250 they picked up for their victory over Swaffham Town in the last round.
Clements said: “Increasing the prize money will really, really help because a lot of clubs like ourselves really struggle for investment.
“So the doubling of the prize fund really is a God-send for us. Now it’s just about winning matches and taking advantage of it.
“I’ve put the players on an FA Cup bonus so that gives them that little bit more incentive to dig a bit deeper. But I’ve only managed to do that because of the extra money.”
And should his side advance, Clements has already earmarked where the money will go.
He has a list of improvements for the club’s Leading Drove ground which includes the construction of an additional 50-seater stand, the installation of new turnstiles and resurfacing the club car park.
“There are several bits of the ground that need doing so any extra prize money would be very useful to us,” said Clements.
“Things are starting to come together and if we can go far in the Cup this season it will be absolutely fantastic.”
The increased prize fund means winning clubs will receive more than ever before.
Should any side progress from the extra preliminary round all the way to the first round of the competition they will be awarded a total of £60,190.
And all 368 clubs at the Cup’s earliest stage were guaranteed a payment, regardless of their result. Clubs that lost in the extra preliminary round last season wouldn’t have received a penny.
But this year losing clubs received £750, making a real difference across the football pyramid.
Andy Ambler, The FA’s director of professional game relations, said: “We’re very pleased that the Emirates FA Cup prize fund for this season’s competition has doubled to over £30.2m, with £4m of this guaranteed to be distributed to non-league clubs.
“We’re confident this increased level of investment will have a positive and meaningful impact at every level of football in England, and I wish all clubs competing in this year’s Emirates FA Cup the very best of luck.”
Cheddar FC are another club to benefit from the extra prize money after they won their first-ever FA Cup tie in their 125-year history, edging Bridgwater Town 3-2 in the extra preliminary round.
Chairman Matt Postins said: “The prize money available is really important to a club like ours as it allows us to make meaningful and impactful upgrades to benefit players, fans and the wider community.
“The fact that there is now double the amount on offer at each round gives us an additional incentive to try and progress as far as we can.”
