FC United general manager Andy Walsh says the ground and the club’s Community Share Scheme are more important than their lucrative FA Cup run.
The Evo-Stik Premier League team, who bowed out of the cup in the second-round replay against Brighton, pocketed two fees from live television appearances, plus a percentage from decent crowds at Rochdale and Brighton and a new attendance record of around 7,000 at Gigg Lane for the replay.
It is thought the TV coverage of the Rochdale first-round tie earned them £67,000.
The money will come in handy after planning permission for FC United’s own £3.5m home at Ten Acres Lane, in Newton Heath, was granted last month.
Walsh said: "The FA Cup has been fantastic for us, but the ground, and the Community Share Scheme we intend to use in order to pay for it, are far more significant.
"I would say it is the biggest thing that has happened to this club since it was formed, and has the potential to be adopted by a much broader base.
"Already we have had other clubs expressing an interest in how it works and as time goes on, I am sure the interest will grow."
Walsh said: "Supporter-owned clubs are the way forward. It has happened at Chester, Exeter and countless others besides.
"We arrived at our situation in a slightly different way but the concept is still the same.
"Brighton nearly went out of business during the Bill Archer era and no-one would look at Portsmouth over the past few years and think their ownership structure was stable.
"Supporter interests have been ignored for far too long and it is time the football authorities did something about it."
The Rebels launched a community shares scheme earlier this year aimed at raising £1.5m of the sum needed to build the new stadium.
The scheme allows fans and businesses to invest between £200 and £20,000 into the club.
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