Barnsley aiming to double money by going up

A second-tier return would bank the Reds a cash bonanza of between £5m to £6m due to central monies and solidarity payments to Championship clubs as part of the new £5.1bn Premier League TV rights deal which starts next season, confirmed chief executive Mansford.

It is a mouth-watering prize for the Oakwell outfit if they prevail against Millwall at Wembley in Sunday’s League One play-off final, with increases in average home crowds and the presence of a number of clubs with big away followings, including the likes of Leeds United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa also likely to add to their income if promotion is secured.

Mansford said: “That (£5m to £6m) is money you can kind of put your hat on. Depending on your own ticket sales and size of away following, it could be a bit more.

“So it (promotion) is a huge prize for a club like ours and the ‘financials’ between League One and the Championship are getting ever bigger.

“You could have a first game against Newcastle or (Aston) Villa who bring as many fans as you can accommodate. That is big.

“There is the new TV deal, which kicks in next year which the Football League have secured five per cent of and the Championship clubs get a huge share of. For a club like ours, going up would really change the financial state of the club.

“It would mean that our turnover, even this year with two Wembley appearances, would double with maybe a touch more on top. That gives you some indication of what is at stake.”

Regardless of what division Barnsley find themselves in after Sunday, player recruitment is well underway for 2016-17, with the Reds having already brought in three players with Barnet’s Andy Yiadom and National League strikers Stefan Payne and Kayden Jackson arriving and Mansford says each have been brought in with the future in mind.

He added: “We have brought in three bright young players. Andy is 24 and we have tracked him for two years and he is right in his prime and he fits our DNA and has been a captain and has got that leadership quality, while Payne and Jackson are making headlines in the Conference for their goalscoring and pace. They are deals we would have done regardless of the league and players we have tracked for some time.”