MATCHWATCH : Newport County (h)

[stealthpapes]

though I'm not sure I could watch another 90 minutes of Wareham failing to trap a ball.

[Snowflake Royal]

Are we that desperate for minor glory?

err, I am?

EFL Trophy would be a banger. No downside to losing, loads of upside. In 2001, we swamped Cardiff in blue and white vs Walsall. So yeah, I expect fans to come out of the woodwork.

FA cup better, agree, but also (a) more random in terms of quality we could face and (b) likely harder.

Yeah. It's not like we have so many trophies it makes sense to turn any down. We are exceptionally unlikely to go up, we sure as shit aren't getting to an FA Cup Semi in this state.

Let's push the envelope where we can. It's been a dreadful ten years, how about a nice deep run in the lower league cup.

[Crowbar6753]

To be fair, if, and I accept that's a big if, but if we got to the final we could take 30,000+ to Wembley and that would be a decent pay day.

Do you really think that would happen if we played somebody like Morecambe or Crewe?
Are we that desperate for minor glory?

This isn't like the Simod Cup where we had beaten top level clubs such as Chelsea and Coventry and were due to play League Cup finalists Luton.

IMHO the club would make more money from further progress in the FA Cup and that should be the immediate priority.

Hi SCR, the last 9 finals (2 finals were behind closed doors, Covid) have actually had some pretty decent attendance figures:

42,000 Peterbro v Wycombe
30,600 Rotherham v Sutton
85,000 (Record) Portsmouth v Sunderland
42,000 Lincoln v Shrewsbury
74,400 Coventry v Oxford
59,500 Barnsley v Oxford
72,300 Walsall v Bristol.C

That's an average of around 58,000.
The last two have been played between fairly smaller supported clubs hence the lower crowd. I would like to think that the draw of a Wembley visit against a half decent team and we would take 25,000+ to Wembley. Even if you take the average attendance of 58,000 that equates to nearly 1.8 million in gate receipts (based on a 30 pound ticket, so may be higher!). Not sure how much of that figure is shared between the clubs but nothing to be sniffed at.

[South Coast Royal]

To be fair, if, and I accept that's a big if, but if we got to the final we could take 30,000+ to Wembley and that would be a decent pay day.

Do you really think that would happen if we played somebody like Morecambe or Crewe?
Are we that desperate for minor glory?

This isn't like the Simod Cup where we had beaten top level clubs such as Chelsea and Coventry and were due to play League Cup finalists Luton.

IMHO the club would make more money from further progress in the FA Cup and that should be the immediate priority.

Hi SCR, the last 9 finals (2 finals were behind closed doors, Covid) have actually had some pretty decent attendance figures:

42,000 Peterbro v Wycombe
30,600 Rotherham v Sutton
85,000 (Record) Portsmouth v Sunderland
42,000 Lincoln v Shrewsbury
74,400 Coventry v Oxford
59,500 Barnsley v Oxford
72,300 Walsall v Bristol.C

That's an average of around 58,000.
The last two have been played between fairly smaller supported clubs hence the lower crowd. I would like to think that the draw of a Wembley visit against a half decent team and we would take 25,000+ to Wembley. Even if you take the average attendance of 58,000 that equates to nearly 1.8 million in gate receipts (based on a 30 pound ticket, so may be higher!). Not sure how much of that figure is shared between the clubs but nothing to be sniffed at.

Fair enough .
I do suspect that the clubs don't get too much from the gate receipts but if it were as much as say £600,000 (including £50,000 or £100,000 depending upon the result) it is a tidy sum even if these earlier rounds may well have meant games being played at a loss.
By then hopefully we have a new owner and the pennies don't need to be watched quite so carefully as now.

For this 2nd round FA Cup there is a £50,000 differential between winning and losing which, at the moment is a lot of money to a club in our position.
We win and then winners in round 3 get £115,000 but more importantly gate receipts would be decent whoever and wherever we play.

So, do we put everything on the line for a number of games for our small squad that will only prove profitable if we get to the semi-final and much more so if we make the final or do we try to go as far as we can in the FA Cup knowing that just one win against significantly lower standard opposition will bring in significant funds during the next couple of months at least?

These are obviously decisions to be made by the club ( assuming that somebody is actually now making decisions) but I remain in the camp of treating the FA Cup very seriously and just giving it a go with the kids for the U21 trophy and hoping for the best and not too many injuries.

[Clyde1998]

Do you really think that would happen if we played somebody like Morecambe or Crewe?
Are we that desperate for minor glory?

This isn't like the Simod Cup where we had beaten top level clubs such as Chelsea and Coventry and were due to play League Cup finalists Luton.

IMHO the club would make more money from further progress in the FA Cup and that should be the immediate priority.

Hi SCR, the last 9 finals (2 finals were behind closed doors, Covid) have actually had some pretty decent attendance figures:

42,000 Peterbro v Wycombe
30,600 Rotherham v Sutton
85,000 (Record) Portsmouth v Sunderland
42,000 Lincoln v Shrewsbury
74,400 Coventry v Oxford
59,500 Barnsley v Oxford
72,300 Walsall v Bristol.C

That's an average of around 58,000.
The last two have been played between fairly smaller supported clubs hence the lower crowd. I would like to think that the draw of a Wembley visit against a half decent team and we would take 25,000+ to Wembley. Even if you take the average attendance of 58,000 that equates to nearly 1.8 million in gate receipts (based on a 30 pound ticket, so may be higher!). Not sure how much of that figure is shared between the clubs but nothing to be sniffed at.

Fair enough .
I do suspect that the clubs don't get too much from the gate receipts but if it were as much as say £600,000 (including £50,000 or £100,000 depending upon the result) it is a tidy sum even if these earlier rounds may well have meant games being played at a loss.
By then hopefully we have a new owner and the pennies don't need to be watched quite so carefully as now.

For this 2nd round FA Cup there is a £50,000 differential between winning and losing which, at the moment is a lot of money to a club in our position.
We win and then winners in round 3 get £115,000 but more importantly gate receipts would be decent whoever and wherever we play.

So, do we put everything on the line for a number of games for our small squad that will only prove profitable if we get to the semi-final and much more so if we make the final or do we try to go as far as we can in the FA Cup knowing that just one win against significantly lower standard opposition will bring in significant funds during the next couple of months at least?

These are obviously decisions to be made by the club ( assuming that somebody is actually now making decisions) but I remain in the camp of treating the FA Cup very seriously and just giving it a go with the kids for the U21 trophy and hoping for the best and not too many injuries.

Clubs get 45% of the Wembley money from the League Trophy final (after costs) - which would be worth about £1m per club with a crowd of 58,000 with an average of £40 tickets.

I believe it's the same breakdown for all cup matches - so £1m per club would be similar to drawing Man Utd, Arsenal or Tottenham away in the FA Cup (assuming similar prices and crowds). IIRC, clubs get 25% of the play-off final ticket money.

Based on last season's EFL Trophy prize money:

• Participating - £20k
• Group stage - £10k for winning a match / £5k for drawing a match
• First knockout - £20k
• Second knockout - £40k
• Quarter-final - £50k
• Semi-final - £0
• Final - £100k for winning / £50k for losing

Us going on to win the Trophy from here would net us £250k in prize money plus whatever ticket revenue we earn throughout the tournament - call it £1m. So that would be £1.25m total (notwithstanding any additional revenue from sponsors or merchandising).

However, only reaching the semi-final would only get us £150k in prize money (call it £200k with ticket revenue added). Basically, it's only seriously financially beneficial if we reach the final because of the Wembley ticket split.

FA Cup prize money is:

• Round 1 - £45k for winning / £15k for losing
• Round 2 - £75k / £20k
• Round 3 - £115k / £25k
• Round 4 - £120k
• Round 5 - £225k
• Quarter-final - £450k
• Semi-final - £1m / £500k
• Final - £2m / £1m

Losing in the third round would get us £145k in prize money, plus whatever ticket revenue is added. Call it £200k total this season to be very conservative - which would be the same as reaching the semis of the Trophy. It's likely it would be higher, especially if we drew a Premier League or bigger Championship side (especially away).

There's a better chance of us getting more money from progressing in the FA Cup rather than progressing in the Trophy. Financially, the club's priority would be promotion > FA Cup > League Cup = League Trophy.

Of course, as a supporter, I'd want to win a competition - which is much more likely in the Trophy.

[RG30]

When is the draw?

[Clyde1998]

When is the draw?

No date has been set, although the final group game - Bradford vs Rotherham will be played on Tuesday and will determine who's seeded. I imagine the draw will be in the days following.

[Sutekh]

When is the draw?

No date has been set, although the final group game - Bradford vs Rotherham will be played on Tuesday and will determine who's seeded. I imagine the draw will be in the days following.

The draw usually takes place at the end of November so I'd say it'd be w/c 25th November.

Next round should be:

w/c December 9

and will be away at one of these 7 clubs; Walsall, Wycombe, Charlton, Peterborough, Colchester, Burton or Exeter

Prize money

Reading have earned £10,000 for each of their wins over West Ham U21 and Newport and each side is given £20,000 for participating in the competition, so that's £40k so far.

Sides who reach the last 32 and progress earn £20,000 more and then £40,000 if they win their last 16 tie. As much as £50,000 is up for grabs for the victors of the quarter finals and then you receive £100,000 if you win the final at Wembley - £50,000 more is sent to the runner up of the competition. If they were to win the thing from here, Reading will accumulate up to £255,000 in prize money.

[windermereROYAL]

Posh, Wycombe Charlton or Walsall away, we`ll know on Friday evening, nobody said it would be easy.

[Sutekh]

Posh, Wycombe Charlton or Walsall away, we`ll know on Friday evening, nobody said it would be easy.

Failing to avoid defeat at Cheltenham really cost the club a decent shot at progression in this competition.

[Clyde1998]

Posh, Wycombe Charlton or Walsall away, we`ll know on Friday evening, nobody said it would be easy.

Failing to avoid defeat at Cheltenham really cost the club a decent shot at progression in this competition.

Assuming we'd directly have swapped with Cheltenham, we would've played one of Birmingham, Wimbledon, Cambridge or Stevenage at home - probably six or half a dozen in terms of the teams, but certainly would've been an improvement due to playing at home (unless we drew Birmingham).

Seems bizarre to have played an U21 team (plus Button) at Cheltenham, including the bench, only to play five first team players and bring a further three off the bench against Newport. I understand the postponement allowed us to play the U21s, but it really gives mixed messages about what we want to do in this competition. If we wanted to progress in the competition, we would've had at least two or three first team players on the bench at Cheltenham to give us the opportunity to get back into the game if required.