Baker has been Cheltenham Town chairman since 1997

Chairman Paul Baker has hinted that Cheltenham's FA Cup tie at Southampton could boost the club's playing budget.

The Robins have been drawn away to one of the biggest clubs in the competition at the second-round stage.

"It gives us a bit of breathing space on the cash-flow, which remains very tight," Baker told BBC Gloucestershire.

"It may enable us to do one or two things which fans will be pleased about - that's whetting the appetite, we'll just have to wait and see."

League attendances at the St Mary's Stadium have averaged over 20,000 so far this season, but only 10,410 turned up for Southampton's first-round win over Shrewsbury.

Baker is yet to put a figure on the amount Cheltenham could make, but is thrilled the club has already made £18,000 from winning its first-round tie.

"Year-on-year we budget to get knocked out in the first round of the FA Cup," Baker added.

"The prize money from Saturday's game [against Morecambe] is a real bonus to us, we haven't had that sort of bonus for a while.

"Obviously to go to Southampton and get a guarantee of decent gate receipts is a very real bonus."

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