£540k and counting – the stunning prize money Pompey have banked in EFL Trophy
IT’S a competition that the Fratton faithful don't have much of an appetite for.
And when it comes to Pompey's list of priorities, it's also down the pecking order.
But after Tuesday night's victory at Cheltenham Town, the Blues remain on track to reach a third EFL Trophy final in as many seasons.
Despite Kenny Jackett making 11 changes, Pompey cruised to a 3-0 win at Whaddon Road and moved into the third round of the now-named Papa John’s Trophy.
The Blues, of course, remain holders of the silverware, having defeated Sunderland in front of a sold-out Wembley in March 2019.
And Pompey still have the 2020 final with Salford City to play after it was postponed in April amid the coronavirus crisis.
GIven Jackett’s record in the tournament, you wouldn’t bet against the Blues going all the way again this season.
The Pompey boss’ record in the tournament is staggering – as is the sheer amount of prize money that has been added to the Fratton Park coffers.
Since taking charge of Pompey in June 2017, Jackett has overseen 24 EFL Trophy matches.
And on prize money and participation fees alone, the Blues have earned a whopping £540,000.
Each team who enters the competition automatically receives a £20,000 windfall.
But there are bonuses for every win – from the group stages right up to Wembley.
In Jackett’s first season, Pompey crashed out in the third round to a Chelsea under-21s team featuring the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ethan Ampadu. Yet the Blues still netted
£65,000 for their troubles.
When Pompey hoisted the silverware aloft, they garnered a cool £260,000.
A date for last campaign's final against Salford City is still to be arranged.
Yet £155,000 has already been coined, while the winner will earn a further £100,000 and the runner-up will receive £50,000.
This term, Pompey’s earnings in the competition are so far up to £60,000. There were £10,000 gains from group-stage wins over Colchester United and Southend United then £20,000 for beating Cheltenham.
What’s more, ticket sales and TV revenue haven’t even been considered into these calculations.
When Sunderland were defeated by Pompey on penalties in the 2019 final, director Charlie Methven claimed the Black Cats banked around £1m in total. That suggests the Blues accrued a similar figure.
Pompey fans are still awaiting news on whether they will be able to attend the Salford match whenever it is rearranged.
The Blues have astoundingly sold more than 51,000 tickets – which surpasses the 42,000 who attended the Sunderland clash.
The EFL want supporters to be in attendance, hence why there’s still no date in the diary.
If the clash against the
Ammies does somehow go ahead as originally scheduled, the Blues will again net circa seven figures for the 2019-20 season.
– WILL ROONEY