Barnsley have issued a rallying call to fans ahead of a final push towards promotion into the Championship which would net the club around £6million.
The sixth-placed Reds travel to promoted Wigan Athletic on Sunday, needing to match or better the results of Scunthorpe United and Gillingham – the two clubs just below them – to reach the play-offs.
"We saw a drop of around £5million after we were relegated in 2014 but now promotion would be worth nearer £6million," Barnsley chief executive Ben Mansford told the Chronicle.
"The new Premier League TV deal and the solidarity deal they have done with the Football League are big factors. Our home crowds would go up and the number of away fans at Oakwell would increase. Any play-off games would also bring in some money for the club."
Barnsley would probably have needed just a draw at Wigan – and taken Gillingham out of contention – had they not conceded a 98th-minute equaliser against relegated Colchester on Saturday. Owner Patrick Cryne then decided to lay on 35 free supporters' coaches to ensure a huge crowd at Wigan.
Mansford said: "We just felt that it was a must-win game and we wanted to take as many fans as Wigan would allow us to take. We sold more than 2,000 tickets and filled 35 coaches on Tuesday morning which shows what fantastic support we have. It's looking very likely that we will sell the nearly 5,000 tickets we have been given and we could have sold more. We can't ask for anything more from the supporters apart from to be as loud as they can for as long as they can."
Head coach Paul Heckingbottom won League One play-off finals as a player with both Sheffield Wednesday in 2005 and the Reds in 2006 and says the end-of-season games are special. He added: "It seems like we have been chasing this dream forever because of how far behind we were (they were last in December). Getting into the play-offs would be great for the fans and for the players because the experience is invaluable.
"I don't agree with the idea that, if you lose in the play-offs, it can have a knock-on effect next season. For the club it would be good financially. It would be a remarkable achievement."
Heckingbottom says the club would still have had great season – including the capture of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley last month – even if they were to miss out on the top six.
But he admits he would not be satisfied, adding: "From a personal point of view I would be deflated and gutted. I am not really one for looking back so I wouldn't be thinking that we had won our first major trophy for 100 years and got our first win at Wembley.
"But, from the club's point of view, it has been a fantastic season regardless. We have got the foundations in place and the belief that we are on the right track as a football club and the belief that, regardless of any set-backs or knocks that might come, if you stick to your plan you will eventually get there. But personally, I won't take any satisfaction out of that and I will just prepare for the next game."
