Lowest ranked club K/ Harriers to earn £1.3million from FA Cup
Kidderminster Harriers are set to take on West Ham in the pick of the FA Cup’s Fourth Round ties this weekend and they will be buoyed but the fact they are set to land £1.3million.
The National League North outfit rank more than 100 places below Saturday’s Premier League opposition in the English football pyramid and have embarked on an epic journey to get to this stage.
The sixth-tier side have already won six matches within this season’s competition, progressing from the 2nd Qualifying Round to the Fourth Round Proper.
And heading into the clash with the Hammers at the Aggborough Stadium, Harriers’ heroic exploits are set to land the club and its local community a whopping windfall.
An FA-commissioned financial and economic report into Kiddy’s astonishing run has revealed the extent of the club’s earnings.
According to the calculations of football finance experts Dr Rob Wilson and Dr Daniel Plumley from Sheffield Hallam University, Kidderminster Harriers have earned in excess of £500,000 from prize money and broadcast fees alone.
The FA Cup run has generated almost £800,000 for the local economy as a result of visitor spending, with the West Ham fixture amassing almost £300,000 alone.
The additional economic activity, generated by the FA Cup for Kidderminster Harriers and its local community, is the region of £1.27m.
Addressing the findings, Dr Rob Wilson noted: “The data clearly shows the transformational boost that Emirates FA Cup success can have on a club and a community.
“Kidderminster, much like Marine in 2021, Lincoln City in 2017 and countless other clubs over the years, show why the competition is as important as ever for clubs at all levels of the football pyramid in its 150th anniversary season.”
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Set to be broadcast live to more than 150 countries around the world, the impact of Saturday’s match on the Worcestershire town, best known for its carpet industry, cannot be understated.
“We are preparing for one of the biggest clubs in the country coming to town, and it is massive for the community and the local area,” Harriers manager Russ Penn acknowledged.