Footie players will hit the back of the net if they win their FA Cup showdown today - with a win bonus of £42 of fish.

Fishmonger Nathan Godley, 49, has promised Grimsby Town players the trawl if they pull off a cup upset at Brighton. The Mariners will become the first fourth-division side to reach the semi-finals of the prestigious competition if they win.

But local businessman Nathan has offered a 3kg crate of haddock per man if they can pull off a shock, a nod to the inflatable fish called Harry Haddock that fans have taken to matches during their historic cup run.

Grimsby fans threw inflatable haddocks onto the pitch during their resounding 2-1 victory over Southampton in the 5th round. It has become an iconic mascot during Town’s historic run to the quarter-finals.

An ocean of Harry the Haddocks will surely be released onto the pitch of the Amex Stadium if they are able to overcome Roberto De Zerbi’s impressive Brighton side. But while Paul Hurst admitted he is rather daunted by the sight of the Seasiders, he, and his players, are extremely excited about the occasion.

“I used the word miracle before the last game and we’re praying for another one,” he laughed during his recent press conference. “It’s a bit surreal, but at the same time I don’t think it has sunk in.

“It will only be the end of the season or in another 10 years when you look back and you look at other quarter-finals perhaps and you think ‘we were there’.” When asked about the prospect of taking on Brighton, he added, “it’s a little bit frightening in truth, having watched them. We’ve done a lot of work on them and you start to wonder how you set up against them.

“We’ve got an idea, but the reality is a lot of Premier League teams have and they’ve been second best on most occasions. Only this week it came out what Guardiola has been saying about their manager and their style of football.

“They might not have the worldwide name of a Man City, Man Utd or Liverpool, but watching them they’re unbelievable. It’s been a really interesting watch, maybe a bit scary now that we’re having to try and go up against that.”