Maidstone United co-owner Oliver Ash estimates FA Cup income will hit £800,000 with gate receipts from Coventry City tie

Oliver Ash has estimated Maidstone’s FA Cup run to be worth £800,000.

That’s the figure the Stones co-owner is working with following their history-making journey to the last 16.

United won more than £350,000 in prize money while their share of gate receipts and TV revenue make up the total.

But after losing more than £200,000 last season - the first loss posted under the ownership of Ash and Terry Casey - and with further significant costs, there will be no spare cash for a legacy project, such as a new stand.

Essential expenditure includes a replacement 3G pitch this summer which comes in at more than £200,000.

Maidstone beat three Football League clubs en route to round five before losing at Coventry where their split from a 27,000 gate will complete their FA Cup income.

“The receipts from Coventry will push that up to about £800,000,” said Ash.

“There’s plenty of costs to come off that.

“We’ve already said we have to cover the deficit from last season, we’ve got the new pitch to lay, there’s tax to pay, player bonuses, so unfortunately there isn’t enough left over for us realistically to start building new stands.

“I would love to build a west stand but when we costed that seven or eight years ago it was about £800,000.

“Now, with inflation, a simple west stand, that doesn’t actually increase capacity, it just puts seats instead of standing, would probably cost £1.2-£1.3million and we simply can’t afford that.

“Even if we could borrow to fund something like that, it would put debt into the club, which we want to avoid doing, so we’re not going to do that project.”

Ash said before the Coventry tie that Maidstone’s FA Cup income would not be life-changing and he stands by those comments.

He added: “It’s not