MANSFIELD Town are in line for a bumper windfall of more than £150,000 when they host Liverpool in the FA Cup.
And the boost of a good cup run could be vital in the club's quest for promotion, according to Stags fans.
The Blue Square Bet Premier club beat Lincoln on Wednesday night to set up a dream tie against the Premier League side, which will see all eyes turn to the One Call Stadium on January 6.
The Third Round game will be shown live on ESPN – and Stags fan Martin Shaw will be among those hoping for a good performance.
The 48-year-old said: "The last time we played Liverpool was in the League Cup in 1970.
"We drew 0-0 at home and then lost 3-2 at Anfield. To be honest, I think I would be happy seeing the same set of results again.
"The money will be a great boost to the club, and chairman John Radford must be delighted.
"There's a real buzz around the town since the Lincoln game and hopefully that can give us a boost in the league as well.
"The focus will be on promotion, but the cup run won't be a distraction for us. If anything, it will even help our form."
Mansfield Mayor Tony Egginton said that he was delighted with the Stags' victory over Lincoln.
He said: "Unfortunately, I had to watch the game on TV as I was at a meeting which went on past kick-off.
"The worst thing was that I wasn't chairing the meeting to hurry it up a little bit, because it was one of those games everyone wanted to watch.
"Earlier in the day I had predicted it would be 3-2 to Mansfield, but I'm not going to complain that I was out by a couple of goals.
"The crowd were fantastic at the One Call – it wasn't the best of games, but it was the result that mattered the most.
"And now we'll have players like Gerrard and Suarez here in Mansfield, which is fantastic. I'm hoping for a draw here and a replay at Anfield which will be a great money-spinner for the club."
Mr Egginton said he believed a giant-killing wasn't out of the question.
He added: "The Stags will be getting a lot of support – I think everyone except Liverpool fans will be wanting to see us win.
"We always tend to come good around Christmas anyway, and you never know how it will turn out on the day."
Mansfield will get £135,850 in television money for the game, plus gate receipts from a full house of 7,500.
If the Stags pull off a win, they stand to get an extra £67,500 in prize money.
George Cowcher, chief executive of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is terrific news for Mansfield and will provide a timely boost at a crucial time in the economic recovery.
"Not only will it result in thousands more people coming into the town to watch the game spending their money in local pubs, shops and restaurants, but the profile that the town will get from the game being televised is something you can't put a price on."
