Cambridge United's players have been warned that they will have to pay for any shirts swapped with Premier League giants Manchester United in Friday's FA Cup tie out of their own pocket.
The League Two club play host to Louis van Gaal's men at the R Costings Abbey Stadium, but their total annual wage bill of one million pounds is less than striker Wayne Rooney -- on over 250,000 pounds per week -- earns in a month.
As such, Cambridge can't afford to replace shirts swapped by their players for a souvenir after the game and coach Richard Money has issued a stern warning to those could try, especially at half-time.
"We're not wealthy enough to give any of our shirts away," he said. "If they give their shirt away they're going to have to replace it. Maybe the club will do it, I don't know, but I'm not going to do it.
"It would appear that in the Premier League they give their shirt away after every game -- sometimes at half-time. I don't understand why a top class player would want another top class player's shirt at half-time.
"If one of our players was trying to swap a shirt at half-time you could understand it, but they won't as they wouldn't have anything to wear in the second half."
Cambridge United = £0 Manchester United = £235.5million http://t.co/eGpcf1ZG31 pic.twitter.com/vxvmWErMoD
- MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) January 23, 2015
A new shirt would cost a Cambridge player -- like former Old Trafford winger Luke Chadwick -- 39.99 pounds at the club shop, while the club will earn around 250,000 pounds from the game being televised.
"We were determined not to increase the ticket prices," chief executive Jez George added. "We've charged 10 pounds for a kid to watch on the terraces. You think it is quick win to make a lot of money on the night but in the longer term it does more harm than good.
"Once Man United go out of town we're back to League Two and valuing those supporters again, so we mustn't try to exploit the situation. We want to make sure we get the fans to come back. The game needs to be about more than what happens on the night.
"This club has lost money for the last 10 years and has survived due to the generosity of individuals, who have the club at heart like the chairman, Dave Doggett, some directors and Paul Barry, our major shareholder.
"They do it for a genuine love for the club. After a lot of years of finding it really tough maybe this tie is a bit of luck that the club's deserved."