QPR and Derby strike deal to give Wembley gate receipts worth £1.5m to Championship play-off final loser

Winner of Championship play-off final to donate gate receipts to loser

Gate receipts estimated to be around £6m total with £1.5m per team

Winner of game between QPR and Derby could earn as much as £130m

Whoever wins the Championship play-off final will hand over about £1.5million to the loser as part of an agreement between Derby County and Queens Park Rangers.



The two clubs have decided that their entire share of the matchday revenue should be awarded to the one who misses out on promotion and Barclays Premier League riches.



When the minimum prize for going up equates to more than £130m the conciliatory figure looks a drop in the ocean but it is regarded as a good-will gesture and minor insurance policy.

Generous gesture: Steve McClaren and Harry Redknapp's sides have agreed a deal for the loser of Saturday's Championship play-off final to receive the winner's gate receipt

Targetman: Charlie Austin's goals helped QPR reach the Championship play-off final at Wembley Boost: Harry Redknapp and Steve McClaren will both be desperate to return to the Premier League Rise: Steve McClaren began the season as a coach under Harry Redknapp at QPR

Hot property: Will Hughes celebrates after scoring for Derby in their play-off semi-final win against Brighton

The exact sum will not be known until after Saturday’s match at Wembley, but it is expected that gate receipts and cash for drinks, food and merchandise will raise a net income of approximately £6m.



The Football League take a 50 per cent cut for staging the event – distributing the money between all 72 clubs – meaning the finalists would share £3m evenly.



But instead the loser will get it all with the victor transferring £1.5m. It seems a small price to pay for a place in football’s Promised Land.

