“It can be season defining a good cup run especially with a live broadcast this can set you up for a number of seasons if it is done in the correct way” said Eastleigh vice chairman Tom Coffey.

The FA Cups financial impact
The FA Cup fourth-round qualifiers kick off this weekend. Wins here ensure qualification to the first round proper. This also rewards clubs with a £9,375 prize, while a win in the first round proper is worth five times that amount at a luxurious £45,000.
Eastleigh’s vice-chairman revealed: “Every year the FA Cup is one that we look out for it’s one that we are very excited about. I suppose in my 10–11 years here, it’s one where we’ve had relative success.”
Coffey would be right. Eastleigh have had some massive ties against League One and Championship outfits. The Spitfires stunned League One side Swindon Town 3-1 away from home at the County Ground in 2016 following a replay in the first round proper after a 1-1 draw at the Silverlake Stadium.
They were eventually knocked out by Championship side Brentford, who are now considered Premier League regulars just 10 years on!
Eastleigh’s past success
Just a few years later in 2023, Eastleigh knocked out League one side Reading courtesy of a brace from striker Paul McCallum.

This game was actually chosen for live broadcast on ITV. “This can actually set you up financially for the next few years,” explained Coffey.
“It is a game-changer for football clubs. You can also end up with a lot more people coming to games who may not have come before. Having a big game like that can always attract a different demographic or someone who has not been there before.”
The vice-chairman said it can make new fans for life whilst also putting the club on the map which is extremely important.
Following the win against Reading and then a win against Halifax Town, the Spitfires were drawn against League Two Newport County in the FA Cup third round.
The Hampshire team travelled to Wales and managed to leave Rodney Parade with a 1-1 draw, securing a replay at the Silverlake 10 days later.
A tie against the biggest team in the world?
In the meantime, the fourth-round draw was made, the winner of Eastleigh vs Newport County would host Manchester United.
Upon seeing this draw, Coffey stated: “I definitely wasn’t thinking about a payout from the financial perspective, as ultimately a home fixture has its limitations a sellout is a sellout.”
“We didn’t want to get too carried away as we knew there was a job to be done against Newport, but it brought a lot of media attention with the idea of a non-league club playing probably the biggest club in the world.”
The vice-chairman revealed that he put a lot of work into this fixture behind the scenes albeit this was sadly not needed as Newport secured a 3-1 victory.

The scrapping of FA Cup replays
Sadly, the season after this, the FA decided to scrap the concept of replays, with ties now going straight to penalties.
This can cause a financial dampener for non-league clubs such as Eastleigh. “It’s one that we just have to accept and go with,” Coffey said.
“We had that opportunity and excitement with the draw against Newport and the replay that happened here and the potential of having Manchester United created a real excitement that really took the game to another level.”
Home tie or an away tie?
From a financial standpoint, having a big away tie generates more money and will bring more income into a non-league club in comparison to a home game. However, Coffey doesn’t necessarily prefer that situation.
“I think in an FA Cup game, you would always fancy a chance no matter how small that chance might be at home to cause an upset. And that’s not me saying that we would have gone on to beat Manchester United; it’s more about what that occasion could have been and the long-term effects it could have had as well.”
The FA Cup journey begins

Scott Bartlett’s Spitfires take on Hampton and Richmond away at The Beveree Stadium in hopes to gain qualification to the FA Cup first round proper and start their journey in the 2025/26 FA Cup campaign.
Last season Eastleigh fell at the first hurdle after a 1-0 home defeat to National League rivals Southend United.
But this year they will hope to at least get to the first round proper to at least ensure the £9,375 prize fund.
Eastleigh come into the unbeaten in their last four games including a 2-1 win against Southend who knocked them out the campaign last season.
Since Bartlett took charge of the dressing room Eastleigh are beginning to see more positive results as well as more exciting performances.
Hampton and Richmond play their football in the National League South, where Bartlett spent his time with Weston Supermare before joining the Spitfires in September.
Due to the Beavers being in the sixth tier of English football, they have already played second and third round FA Cup qualifying rounds.
In the second qualifying round they beat AFC Croydon Athletic 4-2 at the Stadium they host Eastleigh at this weekend.
In the third round they beat Welsh National League north side Merthyr Town in a 1-0 win.
Before their last league game which ended in a 3-2 loss to Slough town the Southwest London club were eight games unbeaten.
Now they look to host National League side Eastleigh which promises to be an exciting fixture!