Lewes FC want redistribution of FA Cup Prize money

Lewes FC has launched a campaign calling for the redistribution of FA Cup prize money to lower-league clubs and the women’s game. 
They told Latest TV it will help clubs outside of the Premier League that are struggling financially due to Covid-19.

Lewes FC‘s ‘For All’ campaign asks for FA Cup prize money to be shifted away from Premier League teams to clubs in financial need.

FA Cup prize money has been halved this season with the FA due to make big financial losses, according to The Times.

Lewes FC, The Dripping Pan.

Lewes are calling for teams in the final three rounds to pass up on the prize money.
In the past five years, only Premier League clubs have made it to this stage of the competition.

“Nearly £14 million of the prize money, nearly half, goes to those three rounds…Let’s just cut that money because the Premier League clubs that win it, they don’t really need it.
The people that need it, who are in financial crisis, are lower league clubs and women’s clubs, the ones particularly not associated with Premier League clubs, which is most,” Lewes Director Charlie Dobres told Latest TV.

The club are also calling on the government to contribute £14 million to take the total prize money back to around £30 million.

“If Premier League clubs will forgo the £14million in the last few rounds, and if the government will match that with £14 million and the FA, as the third party will agree to allocate that money,
then all of a sudden and very simply you have an incredible mechanism to get money into smaller clubs and women’s clubs who desperately need it.”

Lewes Women FC in Training.

Lewes FC also faces the uncertainty of limited crowd attendance for games.

The government have announced a phased return for fans. From August 31st, grounds can welcome crowds at 30% of capacity.

Charlie said, “The average attendance for our men’s and women’s, which are now up to about the same level, is about the 600 mark.
We’re not talking tens of thousands like in the Premier League. But nevertheless that’s a line of revenue which has been reliable for us for the last few seasons.”

“So if we can’t get 600 but we can get 300 or 400, then you can already see that at best, is half the revenue.”

Lewes FC is calling upon football fans to contact their local clubs to inform them about their campaign.

For more details of the campaign click here.

Report by Olivia Marshall, Latest TV.