WHEN Dean Windass fired home his Wembley winner back in the 2008 Championship play-off final, it was labelled as the £60m goal.
But now Hull City stand to earn at least £120m in extra revenue if they win automatic promotion to the Premier League, according to financial consultants Deloitte.
The Tigers will secure a top-two finish and join Championship winners Cardiff in the top flight if they beat Barnsley today.
It would end a three-year absence from the Premier League for City, during which time the financial goalposts have moved massively.
With an enhanced three-year TV deal about to begin at the start of next season, Adam Bull, a senior consultant in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, admits the financial rewards for all promoted teams are substantial.
"In a week which has seen the Premier League title decided and four of the biggest teams in the world compete in the Champions League semi-finals, the most lucrative 90 minutes of football could well be played in South Yorkshire this weekend," he said.
"The three Championship clubs which are promoted this season can expect a revenue increase of more than £60m in 2013-14.
"The vast majority of this uplift, approximately £55m, will be from broadcast income as the Premier League enters the first year of its greatly enhanced three-year TV deals.
"Based on existing distribution methods, even if a club is relegated after one season in the Premier League, it will be entitled to parachute payments over the following four seasons of around £60m."
With many promoted teams tipped to go straight back down after just one season, Bull believes the trick to avoiding a swift return is to invest the extra revenue wisely.
He said: "The newly-promoted clubs are often the bookies' favourites to be relegated, but over the past decade more than half (17 out of 30) of those promoted clubs have successfully retained their Premier League status in that crucial first season. History shows it can be done.
"The continued increase in the value of promotion to the Premier League provides newly-promoted clubs with the chance to make strategic investment on and off the pitch.
"Inevitably, the short-term priority is usually investment in the playing side of the business, but clubs need to also look to the medium and long term."More on Hull City's big day
• Team news for Barnsley v Hull City at Oakwell
• Just one more win: Bruce confident Hull City will deliver at Barnsley
• Hull City promotion would be Bruce's crowning glory after proving quality
• Hull City's Corry Evans ready for long-awaited crack at Premier League
• Ian Ashbee: Hull City must be patient at Barnsley
• Hull City will be rewarded with £120m windfall in Premier League
