Cup Income will help avoid Salary Cap at Hereford

The six figure extra income Hereford United should receive from the FA Cup game against Leeds United will help the Bulls avoid any possible salary cap problems this season.

In essence clubs are not allowed to spend more than a certain percentage of their turnover on players wages. With attendances at Edgar Street so far this season below expectations, the extra revenue from the Cup game will be most welcome.

Assuming a gate of 7,000, the gate revenue from this game will be around £90,000. Whilst this has to be shared with Leeds after reasonable costs, Hereford should bank around £40,000. A full house of around 7,700 would be even better.

Added to that figure of £40,000 will be programme sales, extra shop sales (assuming the club promotes the shop adequately), and of course the spin-off by giving vouchers for supporters to use for Cup tickets at this coming Saturday's game. Another £10,000 could be banked from these sources.

With Hereford receiving £75,000 from Sky, the total extra income could be as much as £125,000. Against that will be some extra expenses, possibly including the cost of a few police in the ground and extra stewards, but these extra expenses may not be more than £10,000. Stewards are usually paid £30 per game. So a net income of £115,000 is possible from this cup-tie.

£115,000 is equivalent to about an extra £5,000 income for every home League game or about 500 supporters.

Graham Turner recently said that his players are being paid higher wages than last year. The extra income from the Cup game should ensure Hereford United doesn't have to worry unduly about exceeding the salary cap this season.

And a replay, should it be needed, at Elland Road would be the icing on the cake.

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