How much money Chesterfield made from Chelsea FA Cup tie

The Spireites were drawn away to the European champions in the third round of the competition on January 8.

As many as 6,000 Town fans made the trip to Stamford Bridge for the much-anticipated match which was broadcast live on the BBC red button service.

Town had to qualify for the FA Cup and they beat Curzon Ashton, Southend United and Salford City before being pitted against the Premier League giants.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel surprised everyone on the day by naming a star-studded team full of internationals including Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Mateo Kovacic and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

And predictably their class told as they raced into a four-nil lead after 39 minutes.

But the Spireites battled well in the second-half, eventually losing 5-1, with Akwasi Asante scoring a memorable late consolation, to send the travelling Spireites wild.

Overall it was a brilliant day, including the opportunity for the Spireites academy youngsters to play against their Chelsea counterparts at the world-class Cobham training facility.

Before the game there had been a lot of talk about how much money Chesterfield could make from the tie, with estimates ranging from around £350,000 to £1million depending on ticket prices and if the game was broadcast on TV.

The club held its AGM at the Technique last week and one fan could not resist asking how much they banked.

Chairman Mike Goodwin responded: “We made round about £450,000.”

Chelsea are still in the competition and face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals next month.