Plymouth Argyle: Chelsea FA Cup tie set to see Pilgrims top £1m in earnings

Plymouth Argyle's FA Cup draw away at Chelsea could see them earn in excess of £1m in this season's competition.

Argyle have earned £288,000 in domestic and overseas television rights from their three games so far.

They could earn up to £800,000 in gate revenue for their trip to the European champions and may get more TV money.

"The financial rewards if you get such a tie as we've got now got are quite nice," Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip told BBC Sport.

Argyle's 1-0 extra-time win at Championship side Birmingham City on Saturday saw them make the fourth round for the second successive year - they were beaten at then-Premier League side Sheffield United behind closed doors 12 months ago.

But a tie away at Chelsea, who earn around £2m per match, will be the club's biggest away game since they drew 0-0 at Liverpool in third round in 2017.

"We take great pride at Argyle in that we do have a plan, we're continually monitoring that plan and I would be foolish not to say that the more money you have to operate the plan is very, very helpful," added Dewsnip.

League One is still the priority

Newly-appointed Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher has won three of his five games since taking charge last month

Under chairman Simon Hallett, Argyle's aim is to become a sustainable Championship club.

The Pilgrims returned to League One last season and led the third tier in November after a 16-game unbeaten run.

The club are currently sixth in the third tier, three points clear in the final play-off place and seven points off the automatic promotion spots.

"Chelsea is the least important fixture of the rest of the season isn't it really. It might be the most exciting, but it's the least important," Dewsnip added.

"I hope that puts into perspective what our aims and ambitions are for the rest of this season. We want to be as high up that league table as we possibly can.

"Do we want to try and beat Chelsea? Absolutely, we'll be giving it our best that's for sure. But the league is very much top of our aims for this season.

"If you're a footballer you surely strive to be the best you can be and play against the best you can play against.

"They're the European champions, so what an opportunity for all the players in our squad to fight like crazy to get into Steven Schumacher's starting 11 and to show everybody what they can do if they get that opportunity."

Another Bradford City?

Bradford City's 4-2 fourth round win at Chelsea in 2015 is one of the biggest FA Cup upsets in recent times

The odds will be very much against Argyle against a Chelsea side full of internationals that won the Champions League last season and are second in the Premier League.

But Dewsnip recalled Bradford City's 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge at the same stage of the competition seven years ago when the then-League One side beat a Chelsea team with the likes of Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Mohamed Salah, Kurt Zouma and current Blues skipper Cesar Azpilicueta in it.

"It's the FA Cup, anything can happen," said Dewsnip.

"Steven, Keith, the rest of the staff, will do their research, their homework, the same as other games. They'll put together a game plan which gives us the best chance of performing and ultimately winning.

"The reality is we're not playing against a team in League One, with respect, we're playing the champions of Europe, a pretty stiff test.

"The nice thing is, I guess, is probably nobody outside of us and our supporters will be expecting anything other than a Chelsea victory.

"I seem to remember Bradford City winning at Chelsea not too long ago, so I guess it can happen.

"In my lifetime there have been some amazing shocks in the FA Cup, so why not another one?"