THE £4,000 winnings on offer in Saturday's FA Trophy third round tie are enough to leave Guiseley AFC Chairman Phil Rogerson praying for victory.

For Guiseley, like many clubs in their position, the winnings will help tide them over. It is not a sum big enough to be life changing for the UniBond club merely a sum big enough to keep the wolf from the door.

In a strange sort of way Guiseley's FA Trophy and UniBond League Challenge Cup success this season has proved costly.

It has been unfortunate that many of the ties have fallen on dates when the club would have had home league games to provide their bread and butter income.

Since November however Guiseley have gone long periods without a home game and are scheduled to go more weeks without a home gate to maintain the cash flow.

The cup games will raise some income but gate money is shared with their opponents. In a period from their last home league game on December 6 against Gateshead until their next scheduled home league game - a re-arrangement on January 27 they will have had to fork out for nine coaches to travel to first team away games. These do not come cheap at around £250 a time.

Guiseley did have a re-played FA Trophy tie with Rossendale but after the first attempt was abandoned due to fog after 35 minutes entry to the second game was at half price and anything surplus to match expenses had to be shared with their visitors.

"Home gates are essential to keep our cash flow going and unfortunately due to the vagaries of the fixture list and our success in a couple of cup competitions home games have been few and far between of late," said Rogerson.

In a week when UniBond Premier Division side Frickley Athletic, managed by former Guiseley assistant Phil Sharpe, announced they were making a 25 per cent cut in wages Rogerson is left to reflect on the fact that in December his club had only one home league game and in January they were left with only the FA Trophy tie against Worksop on Saturday as a home game.

That was until the league re-arranged a league game against Belper Town to be played at Nethermoor Park on January 27 but again that is a Tuesday night and mid-week matches these days are recognised as merely break even nights and not fund raisers.

"We have been unlucky in that the cup ties have clashed with what were scheduled home league games and without this re-arrangement with Belper we would not have had a home league fixture in six weeks. That really hits the cash flow," said Rogerson.

"In that light Saturday's FA Trophy tie takes on greater financial significance. We are looking to get a bumper crowd in for that one when we will hopefully have Simon Parke back in action.

"He is a real crowd pleaser but unfortunately he has been injured since he came back to us. He has played in just five games and scored four goals so he makes a big impact when he is available.

"He was always a big favourite with the crowd when he was with us previously and his time in the Conference has only served to make him a better player," said Rogerson.

Not wanting to put too much presure on the players Rogerson cannot escape from the fact that a win on Saturday is vital for club finances.

"Any club at our level needs this sort of financial boost. Until this run of weeks without home games the way we would have looked at it would have been that if we won the game and subsequently the prize money then it would have been a bonus.

"Now it is more or less something we are relying on because of the lack of home games. It has assumed greater importance in our present position and the prize money is needed for us to keep ticking over.

"It has now become a very important game from a financial point of view."

A true football fan at heart Rogerson although wanting to get his hands on the money sees the greater benefit to the club from a victory.

"It would be a great boost to morale within the club, not just to the players but to everyone concerned with running the club and supporting the club," he said.

"Hopefully we will get a big crowd on Saturday. I would hope that we could attract around 300 locals and then whatever Worksop bring with them on top of that. It is a big game for the club," he added.

Whilst hoping to count the pennies themselves Guiseley have not forgotten others and their charitable side will be shown when a collection will be taken at half-time for Arthritis Research.

"We like to do our bit for charity - last year we were happy to be able to donate substantial sums to three local charities following our success in the FA Cup.

"Any other organisations who would like to collect at half-time in our home games are welcome to contact me," said Rogerson.

When Guiseley line up for this Trophy tie on Saturday they will hope to have Parke back in harness. The big striker initially came to the club with a groin injury but has since been out of action with a thigh injury. He played against his old club Southport in the League Cup triumph but had to go off injured and has not played since.

In the meantime Guiseley have been looking to their midfield for goals although in the last couple of games striker Scott Jackson has hit a purple patch netting at both Workington and Farsley.

Leading scorer is Dave Henry with 15 while Mark Stuart is close behind on 13.

Saturday's game has a 3 pm kicks-off.