Money has been no object for Manchester City ever since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan bought the club in 2008.

The Guardian reported in September of last year that Mansour has spent more than £1.3 billion directly investing into the club, helping to turn them into a domestic and European force.

As a result, City’s spending has been nothing short of ridiculous.

Pep Guardiola has splashed out more than £500 million on new players since he became the manager in 2016, a figure the majority of his peers could only dream of being made available to them.

So the incredible backing that City have makes the developing situation with a volunteer-run football club all the more strange.

Man City’s under-18s travelled to Somerset in December for an FA Youth Cup game against Clevedon Town, who play in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division. That’s nine tiers below the Premier League.

For Clevedon, it was an opportunity to earn a nice sum of money to fund new floodlights.

Man City leave non-league club upset

But City have left the cash-strapped club rather disappointed by asking for more than £3,000 owed to them in ticket sales and luxury coach travel.

Under FA rules, away teams receives half of the gate receipts for cup games and has their travel paid for. And City requested the £2,200 owed in ticket sales and £1,068 for the coach.

This has surprised Clevedon chairman Brian Rose, who hoped City would donate the money back to their lowly opponents.

“I pointed out to them [Manchester City] we were trying to raise money for floodlights,” Rose has been quoted as saying by the Bristol Post.

“They enjoyed the evening, they won, but from our point of view, we thought we would make more out of it. But Man City thought otherwise.

“We knew it was probably not going to happen, we just thought they might have wanted to help a little club like ours.

“Obviously the powers that be didn’t think of it that way. That’s football today.”

Clevedon earned £8,000 in gate receipts and sales from the encounter - which City won 4-0 - but Rose expected more.

“The tie did generate needed money. I guess we just hoped we could have got a bit more,” he added.

Man City, who declined to comment, sent Clevedon Town a signed shirt, but you can understand why The Seasiders feel a little aggrieved.

The Bristol Post's report adds that they profited £5,000 from the match, partly thanks to sales of programmes, merchandise and food and drink.

It adds to the £5,000 the club has already saved for new floodlights. They still need £20,000.