Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho to buy Marine raffle ticket
English eight-tier side have lost out on around £100,000 in lost revenue for Sunday's FA Cup third-round clash
January 9, 2021
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho says he plans to buy a ticket for the raffle organised by FA Cup opponents Marine even though he will most likely be unable to claim the prize of managing the eighth-tier side in a friendly.
Cash-strapped Marine's hopes of generating revenue through the turnstiles have been scuppered by the Merseyside region being placed in Tier 3 of Britain's Covid-19 restrictions, forcing the game to be played without supporters at the club's 3,185-capacity Rossett Park stadium.
The Northern Premier League Division One North West club expected 500 fans to attend but are staring at £100,000 ($135,630) in lost revenue, while a sponsor pulled out of a £20,000 advertising package when the game went behind closed doors.
However, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has stepped in to sponsor Marine's dugouts and pre-match warm-up tops through his JC23 Foundation charity.
Marine are also raising funds by selling virtual tickets at £10 each which will go into a raffle with the winner getting the chance to manage the side during the next pre-season.
We have now reached 10,000 tickets sold for our match v @SpursOfficial. The emotion now for what the football world has done in our name is overwhelming. There is no better feeling than when football comes together. THANK YOU!
— Marine Football Club (@MarineAFC) January 9, 2021
Portuguese coach Mourinho is set to dip his hand in his pocket to help out, with Marine saying on Saturday they had sold more than 10,000 virtual tickets for the third-round clash.
"I am buying," Mourinho told reporters. "If I win, I cannot do it [manage Marine] because we have our pre-season.
"I don't think I will have conditions to do that. But the meaning of it makes me say 'yes' to buying."
Concerns have been raised over the condition of the pitch at Marine but Mourinho is confident his side will cope.
"I would say the opposite of what people normally say. People normally say top players need great pitches to play. I would say top players, technically high level, they can play on any pitch," he added.
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Updated: January 9, 2021 04:19 PM
