ACCRINGTON Stanley chairman Eric Whalley is desperate for a bit of FA Cup success this year to boost the club’s finances.

Stanley have always faced a hand-to-mouth existence in their bid to rise through the leagues and their failure to reach the FA Cup second round for the past four seasons has not helped.

Victory in the first round at home to League One club Tranmere, who have already knocked Stanley out of the Johnstone Paints Trophy this season, would earn them £20,000 in prize money and also lead to potentially lucrative ties in future rounds.

Whalley said: “It’s a very important game. We say every year that we need to do well but we’ve not won a game since 2003.

“We need to win a couple of games in this competition.

“We just need a bit of luck and get a televised game, because Setanta are throwing quite a bit of money at it this year.

“But the game against Tranmere is quite winnable.”

Stanley recently turned down a £50,000 bid for Paul Mullin and chief executive Rob Heys says Rochdale will have to make ‘a significant improvement’ on their offer if they are to land the striker in January.

But, to Whalley’s disappointment, the Reds have received no interest for any of their other squad members and will have to rely on loan signings for the rest of the season.

Just reaching 16th in League Two has been a feat, though, and a national study undertaken by the New Football Pools recently placed Stanley an impressive 10th out of the 92 Football League clubs in terms of achievement on the field compared to the size of the club since 1992. Blackburn were 31st with Burnley 35th.

Whalley said: “We’ve got the worst stadium and the lowest crowds in the Football League, so we’ve done well to get where we are. This is our third season in the Football League.

“We just need someone to support us.

“People always say they look out for our result, but that’s no good. We need them at the ground.

“But I’d say that Accy Stanley have got where we are on footballing merit, and we’re looking to push on.

“We’ve got the stand on the far side of the ground going up by the end of May, although we’ve been refused dispensation from the league on that.

“We’ve got to put in 1,000 seats even though we’ve no bums to sit on them. It’s ludicrous.

“And the team that finishes bottom in the Premier League gets £35m.

"The different in budget is immoral really.”