The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy is unlikely to bring Gillingham a cash windfall.

Gillingham face Bristol City in the first leg of the southern area final at Priestfield on Tuesday night.

The winners of the two-legged tie will head to Wembley for a final against the northern area winners.

But despite hopes of cashing in on the competition, Gills chairman Paul Scally doesn’t believe the club will get rich on the tournament.

Mr Scally said: “Barry Fry told me once that Peterborough made £500,000 out of the competition when they won it. I am struggling to see how that happened.

“Even if we went to Wembley, I don’t think we would make that much.”

Gillingham’s first three games in the competition were away from home and only 3,103 fans attended the area semi-final at Priestfield against Leyton Orient.

Despite the lack of finances on offer, the lure of a Wembley final is driving the Gills on.

Mr Scally said: “It is still a competition that we are pleased to be in and every game is a bonus. It certainly won’t make us rich overnight but it will give fans a lot of pleasure.

“We haven’t had an easy run. Bristol City and Preston (in the northern final against Walsall) are obviously the favourites so we have to make sure we put one over Bristol City, which we are more than capable of doing.

“We are the underdogs, we have nothing to lose and we will take the game to them.”