Maidstone’s FA Cup windfall won’t deter co-owners Terry Casey and Oliver Ash from seeking new investment to take the club to another level.
The Stones have earned £231,375 in prize money after reaching the fourth round of the competition. They also have their share of gate receipts from six ties plus overseas TV revenue from the Stevenage game.
There’s a load more cash coming Maidstone’s way after drawing Ipswich Town away in the next round, with the Championship big guns averaging gates of almost 29,000, while there’s a good chance of UK television coverage.
Casey and Ash have been open to investment for several years and came close to selling the club a year ago. They’re loving every minute of the FA Cup run but their position remains unchanged. “We want someone to come into this football club, invest a lot of money and get us into the Football League,” said Casey. “Oliver and I can’t do it but a new investor might be able to. “The Stevenage game has been televised in 60 countries, apparently, so maybe some rich people in America might be looking and thinking ‘I’ll buy that club and take them into the Championship’ or something. “Our position has never changed, almost from day one, because we can only generate so much money and profit. “It’s almost a shame we have to replace the pitch this year because we would have had quite a lot of money in the coffers to do some other work around the ground.” The FA Cup money has been a huge bonus for Maidstone, particularly with £200,000 required to replace their ageing 3G pitch which will be ripped up this summer after eight years’ use.