Southend United head to Brentford in FA Cup knowing win would earn club £300,000 (From Echo)

Southend United head to Brentford in FA Cup knowing win would earn club £300,000

11:00am Tuesday 15th January 2013 in Blues By Chris Phillips

SOUTHEND United travel to Brentford for tonight’s FA Cup third round replay, knowing victory could earn the club at least £300,000.

The winners of this evening’s tie at Griffin Park will host European Champions Chelsea in the next round and will receive an automatic £67,500 for getting through.

On top of that, the fourth round tie will be shown live on ESPN, earning the club an additional £135,850.

And gate receipts from a close to capacity crowd would also take potential earnings to £300,000.

But Blues boss Paul Sturrock remains focused on the football not the finances.

“We’re aware of what this means financially for the game but we have to concentrate on the football and making sure we’re very thoughtful and solid,” said Sturrock.

“In our away games just recently I think we’ve been playing like we’re at home and it’s left gaps in the wrong areas which our opponents have been exploiting.

“We had a long chat about that and a few other things at the training ground yesterday morning and I’m hoping we can use this game tonight to get back on track again and put in a good performance.”

Blues, who drew 2-2 with Brentford when the two teams first met at Roots Hall 10 days ago, head in to the game on the back of five games without a win in normal time.

And boss Sturrock knows it will be hard to end that run at Griffin Park.

“Brentford are an excellent side who fully deserve to be where they are in League One,” said the Scotsman.

“Going forward they are a huge threat so we must show them respect.

“They haven’t lost at home since August so everything is heaped against us it seems at this moment in time.

But if we play the game we know we can away from home then we do still have a chance of getting through.”