Lewes Women’s players are calling for equal prize money to men's teams in the FA Cup ahead of their quarter final tie against Manchester United.

Lewes FC Women, who play in the Women’s Championship, said the prize money they have received for their cup run so far is “incomparable” to men’s teams who reach the same stage of the competition.

The club would earn £25,000 in total compared to the £450,000 awarded to the four quarter-final winners of the men’s tournament.

Lewes Women made history when they reached the quarter-final for the first time after a 6-1 win over Cardiff City in February.

Manchester United are currently second in the Women’s Super League, the top division, and have only lost one in their last ten matches ahead of their visit to Lewes' home ground, the Dripping Pan, on Sunday.

The Argus: Lewes Women currently sit seventh in the Women's Championship, the second tier of women's footballLewes Women currently sit seventh in the Women's Championship, the second tier of women's football (Image: James Boyes)

Lewes FC are concerned over the prize money gap between men and women’s football increasing, despite the increase in funding to the women’s game this year.

Their letter read: “The women’s FA Cup prize fund increased to £3 million this year, but the men’s increased by close to £4 million.

“Every season, female players up and down the football pyramid invest more time and personal resources into football.

“There are demands of the growing game which are reflected in the constantly improving standard and product of women’s football. We are proud to drive the game forward, but we ask for fair reward.”

The Argus: Full back Ellie Mason celebrates scoringFull back Ellie Mason celebrates scoring (Image: James Boyes)

This year’s women’s FA Cup winner will get £100,000 compared to the £2 million the men’s winning club will secure.

Lewes FC has been calling for equal FA Cup prize money since 2019 and welcomed the FA’s increase to prize money this season.

It is urging former England international Karen Carney to use her government-commissioned review of women’s football to “positively change women’s football for our generation and the next” by addressing “gender inequality in English football’s greatest prize”.

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Carney is continuing to gather evidence and gathered an expert panel including former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, former Brighton Women’s manager Hope Powell and head of the NFL in Europe, Brett Gosper, to offer guidance.

The commission was issued in September last year and part of it is looking into prize money in women’s football. It is also looking into the financial health of the game and its financial sustainability in the long term.

Lewes FC became the first club in the world to assign equal playing budgets to its men’s and women’s teams back in 2017.

The club received a Premier League grant of £750,000 in 2020 to support women’s football.

The grant saw the Dripping Pan pitch relaid with a state of the art grass-hybrid playing surface with built in sprinklers.

The letter added: “Sharing the total combined prize fund equally between men and women has the power to be transformative in the women’s game.

“It would allow clubs to invest more funds in player wages, facilities, equipment, medical care, staffing, travel costs, and everything the women’s football pyramid needs to thrive, and grow.

“Put simply, it will allow us to focus on football.

"Keep the magic - just make it equal."

The letter was signed by the whole Lewes Women’s squad.

They host Manchester United this Sunday at 12.30pm

The Red Devils bowed out in the fifth round last year following a 4-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Lewes Women beat London Bees 5-0 in the third round of the cup on January 8.

They then beat Ipswich Town 1-0, as well as an emphatic 6-1 win over Cardiff City on February 26.