91Èȱ¬

Hereford United have earned another vital cash bonus by having their latest FA Cup tie chosen for live TV coverage.

After having their first-round win over Shrewsbury televised, they have now had their second-round trip to Cheltenham chosen by ESPN to be put back to the Monday night (3 December, 19:45 GMT).

"We are going to get the thick end of £70,000," Bulls director Nick Nenadich told 91Èȱ¬ Hereford & Worcester.

"As everyone in Herefordshire must know, this seriously helps our plight."

The Bulls raked in an estimated £38,000 following the televised 3-1 win at home to Graham Turner's Shrewsbury Town on 3 November - a combination of prize money, gate money and TV money.

Now they stand to bank almost double that on TV money alone, on top of which their FA Cup run has provoked a significant upturn in league form, successive wins over promotion challengers Luton (in front of Edgar Street's second biggest league crowd of the campaign) and Wrexham having lifted them back up to ninth in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

"It's been incredibly difficult but Lady Luck keeps popping up," smiled Nenadich.

"If I put my hand on my heart I was thinking we probably won't get much out of the Shrewsbury game, while we'll struggle against Luton and Wrexham.

"But we have seen some amazing performances from the team. Those sort of things are the catalyst that provoke people to do things and get involved.

"I've got to be honest and say that I never thought we would achieve TV status again, but our chairman David Keyte has told me today he's heard from ESPN the Cheltenham game will be televised."

Hereford, who owe £110,000 to Revenue and Customs in back-dated taxes, now hope that this guaranteed £70,000 windfall will help stave off the threat of a winding-up order.

"The money we're going to get from that televised game would be a good lump sum towards that," said Nenadich. "I'm hoping the Revenue would be sensible and would say 'yes, we'll take that'.

"What it leaves us with now is trying to find somewhere nearer £40,000, rather than £110,000, which I feel is a bit more achievable and realistic in the Herefordshire environment."