FA cup minnows Stourbridge FC aiming for £1m pay day

The Glassboys will net an extra £27,000 just for beating thier opponents Eastleigh in the second round clash tomorrow (SAT).

Stourbridge would face the real chance of a glamour tie against Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea if they make the third round draw.

Club chairman Andy Pountney says winning the tie and drawing a Premier League giant could earn Stourbridge around £1 million.

Cash will help the club, playing in the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier Premier Division, with ambitious revamp plans.

Bosses want to expand facilities and erect new spectator areas if the club seal promotion towards the National League, one rung below the Football League.

These include introducing seating to the Shed End of the War Memorial Athletic Ground, in Amblecote High Street.

There would also be a 250-seat stand created at the Church End alongside a terrace for 900 fans.

Mr Pountney said it is a good time to be a Glassboys fan and was excited for tomorrow's FA Cup showdown.

"It is good for all the people who have supported us and the sponsors who have stuck by us," he said.

"It is important for the regular fans and regular sponsors and they have been rewarded by this great run."

He said a dream third round tie such as Manchester United away could earn the club a seven figure sum.

"It is a massive game for the club and a great opportunity," he said.

"It is potentially massive for the club. We have never done it before, it would be a great achievement."

The sell out match will see the ground's capacity quadruple its average crowd from 500 to over 2,000 supporters.

Catering will be doubled in size and neighbourhood policing teams will be in attendance to make sure the game passes peacefully.

Victory over Eastleigh would earn the Glassboys £27,000 in prize money on top of the £30,000 their run to the second round has already brought in.

It will be the third time since 2011 that Gary Hackett's side have appeared in the second round of the famous competition.

In the last round they travelled more than 200 miles to beat a Dover side 2-1 who were sitting in third place of the National League, non-league's top flight.

Club manager Mr Hackett said: "We waited 130 years the get into the first round for the first time and once you have a taste of it, you want more.

"The atmosphere is always fantastic at Stourbridge and it's amazing how fast tickets have sold out."