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U's Begin Road To Wembley

Posted on: Tue 01 Sep 2009

The 2009/10 Johnstone's Paint Trophy kicks off on Tuesday night with a showpiece final at Wembley and a potential jackpot of £500,000 or more awaiting this season's victorious club.

All Round One matches take place on Tuesday 1st September and once again, there are significant financial rewards on offer to those clubs that progress in the competition.

Since the final returned to Wembley Stadium in 2008 all four finalists have pocketed more than £300,000 in gate receipts from their trip to the national stadium, in addition to the income earned in earlier rounds.

And with a prize pot of £400,000 on offer - of which the winners receive £100,000 - the total income for the winner could break the half million pound mark.

Under the competition's rules, clubs will be required to include in their starting line-up at least 6 of the 11 players that have started most often in first team games this season.

There will also be no extra-time in drawn matches, once again, with deadlocked games being decided by penalty shoot-outs at the end of 90 minutes.

That means no late finishes of matches, and as in recent seasons, special efforts are also being made to attract more young fans to matches with ticket offers.

Remember, U16s go free with a paying adult on Tuesday night at Priestfield - and adults cost just £10 to watch the boys in action.