£1m boost for Millwall chief

Millwall have already made around £2m from their Cup run and a place in the Final against Manchester United next month will add at least £1m more.

Providing United qualify for the Champions League through the Premiership, Paphitis's club will also be in the UEFA Cup next season, even if they lose at the Millennium Stadium.

That could earn them anything up to £3m depending on how long they stay in the competition and what they can sell their TV rights for. The extra income has already made the club secure for one more year and Paphitis will celebrate by honouring a comment he made to Wise earlier in the season.

The chairman told his manager that the suggestion Millwall would get into Europe was so ridiculous he would streak through London if they achieved it.

Today he said: "I am looking forward to doing it. We are going to auction off the media rights to the highest bidder and give the money to a charity chosen by the team.

"I don't think I will have to do any training for it because it will be over in a flash. I just hope the weather is warm."

Paphitis believes the triumph can help build a new image for a club, who have been maligned in the past for the violent reputation of a minority of their fans.

He said: "Football is a difficult business and Millwall are a more difficult club than many because of the things we have to deal with in terms of other people's perspectives.

"I hope people do not look back at old news now because this is the chance to create a whole new history. This should open us up to a whole new market of fans, maybe kids who watched on television.

"The majority of the time our fans have been maligned but they were magnificent for the semi-final."

Some of the FA Cup money will go towards bringing in new players and keeping the best ones Millwall already have, but Wise will still be looking for bargains in the transfer market.

Paphitis said: "At the rate we are going we are in danger of making a profit warning. But we will continue with the same sensible budgets which have helped us get where we are."

Millwall face Cardiff at The New Den on Wednesday without three players who were injured yesterday. Wise had stitches in his knee, captain Kevin Muscat damaged ligaments and Paul Ifill hurt his groin in the 1-0 win.

But Wilkins is confident the players who were brought on yesterday - Marvin Elliott, Peter Sweeney and Andy Roberts - can make sure the trio are not missed. He said: "To ask the young lads to go straight into that atmosphere is a big deal but they coped really well and that bodes well."

Wise will find out the full extent of his and the others' injuries in the next 24 hours.