Semi-professional Scarborough are set for the biggest pay day in the club's 125-year history after winning through to the FA Cup 4th round and a glamour tie against big spending Premier League giants Chelsea.
It is a deal which will, remarkably in one game, financially safeguard the team for two years.
The English Nationwide Conference side beat Southend United 1-0 in a third round replay match last night to set up a home tie against Chelsea who also needed a replay to beat Watford.
The fourth round tie at Scarborough's 6,500-seater McCain Stadium, also known as The Theatre of Chips, looks set to keep the Conference team going for the next two years according to club chairman Malcolm Reynolds who has successfully seen the East Coast side out of a perilous financial period which saw it briefly go into administration.
It is unknown at this time whether Scarborough will attempt to increase the capacity of the ground with temporary seating for the Cup tie although Chelsea fans are likely to be allocated 2,000 tickets with the balance of the stadium's capacity reserved for Boro supporters.
Scarborough will pick up £50,000 in prize money for reaching the fourth round for the first time in the club's history and will be guaranteed £265,000 from Sky Sports who will broadcast the Chelsea tie live on Saturday, January 4.
The money generated by the tie will help towards the funding for a new stadium for the club for which Reynolds recently secured planning approval.
Commented Scarborough manager Russell Slade: "It is unbelievable. I have been relaxed about it and I have not thought too much about the financial rewards, but now we have sealed the Chelsea match it is a great feeling."
The financial boost for Scarborough is however a fraction of the multi-million pound investment made by Russian millionaire Roman Abramovich in the Chelsea side with transfer fees totalling well over £110million in the last six months.
