A CROWDFUNDING page has been set up to recoup some of the money lost at the closed turnstiles ahead of yet another County FA Cup clash.

Newport County AFC are to face off with Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.

However, the Amber Army has been absent from Rodney Parade for some time due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Such a massive fixture would, in a normal season, be a lucrative one for the League Two side - with a packed out stadium almost guaranteed.

This season though, the club looked to miss out on potential gate and concession receipts from the game.

Enter the Amber Army.

After a previous campaign raised more than £3,000 for the club, another fundraising page has been set up to raise an FA Cup windfall in lieu of a sell-out crowd.

Fans are being urged to donate what they would have spent on a ticket, a pint after the game or on their day out at another potential giant-killing.

The page has been set up by County fan Jamie Roberts, who said: "Given the amount of money this upcoming match against Brighton and Hove Albion would have brought in, a couple of quid from every fan that would have gone through the turnstiles will help our club enormously.

"We have yet another Premier League team coming to Rodney Parade, but this time without the fans present. Think how much you would have spent buying a round of pints in Bar Amber, or a hot dog under the terrace. If we can all chip in with a few quid then it can go a long way for our club.

"As a fan owned club, I feel we have a responsibility to help in every little way that we can. Be it financially, through volunteering or just spreading the word about County. If you can't help in a financial sense then please do your best to spread the word about this project.

"All the money raised from this will go straight to the club, helping to keep County going as strong as possible in these tough financial times."

Mr Roberts said that the lack of fans would not the County players from doing their job.

However, he conceded that it "definitely won't give us that extra advantage of having the fans on top of the players in such a tight ground".

"I'm going for a sneaky 2-1 win to the County," he said.

To add your support to the fundraising campaign, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/ncafcbrighton

With County establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the FA Cup in recent seasons, fans have queued for hours to secure tickets for clashes with the big boys.

Top-flight sides such as Leicester City, Manchester City and Spurs have all made the trip to Rodney Parade in the last few years.