GILLINGHAM'S FA Cup fourth round tie against Leeds could net the club a cool £500,000.

Sky Television’s decision to screen the match rather than Farnborough’s tie with Arsenal guarantees the club a £265,000 live television payment on top of the estimated £150,000 share from gate receipts.

With other commercial spin-offs, plus the £50,000 received from the Football Association prize fund for beating Sheffield Wednesday, Gillingham are well on the way to making £500,000 from the tie which will now kick-off at 12.30pm on Saturday, January 25.

Gillingham suddenly found themselves in demand when Farnborough’s tie against Arsenal lost its gloss for a potential Cup upset with Sky following the Hampshire club’s decision to switch to Highbury for reasons of ground safety.

With the club assured of a further Sky payment of £265,000 for the live screening of their Nationwide League, Division 1 home game against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, March 4, Gillingham’s cash coffers are singing sweetly at the start of 2003.

The money will almost certainly go towards the £400,000 needed to relay Priestfield’s problem pitch.