Text at top (next game etc)

Next Game: Banbury Away On Friday March 29th Kick-Off 3.00pm

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Shrewsbury Reveal £3M Loss Last Season

Shrewsbury Town lost £3M last season.

At the end of June last year they had just £81,184 in the bank. One year earlier there was over £1.5M in the account. 

Wages rose to £5.2M, up £800,000. 

"It is with regret that we have to confirm losses of £3m, with losses of £600k also being restated in the 2022 accounts, this is following total loss of more than £3m over the previous three seasons," said the club in a statement.

Of interest chief executive Brian Caldwell left the club in early May followed by manager Steve Cotterill a month later.

It appears that the board feels the financial situation is stabilising.

Banbury Bring In Light

Banbury have brought in 19 year old defender Ethan Light from Leyton Orient.

He will stay with the Puritans until the end of the season and is expected to be in the squad to face Hereford tomorrow.

Light has spent much of the season on loan at Hendon.

"I absolutely loved my time at Hendon and I’m grateful for the opportunities that I was given there," said Light.

"I’m now really excited to get going at Banbury United and test myself at a new level."

 

D'Ath Joins Bulls

Oxford Mail Picture

Lawson D'Ath has joined Hereford on loan from Banbury. However he will not be able to play against his parent club tomorrow.

31 year old D'Ath is a midfielder who started his career at Reading.

"Lawson is someone we have tracked for a while now," said manager Paul Caddis.

"He is a player with real quality, who will add something different to our options in the middle of the pitch with his forward thinking and passing abilities."

Banbury have posted:

'Today, the Club bids farewell to captain, Lawson D’Ath, who is transferred to Hereford FC. (He will not play for Hereford tomorrow.) 

Lawson has been a lynchpin of the side since being recruited by Mark Jones last summer, scoring goals against Rushall Olympic and Scarborough Athletic. 

His experience and mentorship as captain have been valuable to our young side and we wish our local Oxfordshire boy the best for the next stage of his football journey. 

Thank you, Lawson.

A Brighter Future For Torquay?

Torquay United has been in trouble for some time but now it looks like their Supporters Trust have some proposals which could, if agreed, mean a brighter future for the National South League club.

This from the Torquay United Supporters Trust

'The last five weeks have been an incredibly stressful time for all supporters as we face the very real possibility that our beloved football club could cease to exist.  

As far as we are aware, the option of somebody being prepared to single-handedly shoulder huge losses going forward is not on the table.  But after a period of intense work behind the scenes, TUST is pleased to announce an exciting proposal which it believes will lead to a bright, sustainable future for the club if our bid is successful.

Since Clarke Osborne’s announcement of his withdrawal from the club on 22nd February, we have been in discussions with several potential owners.  We are now working in partnership with a consortium of passionate businessmen who are all long-standing supporters. Together, we are of the opinion that it is possible to rescue the football club. 

With this in mind we have submitted a bid, as a TUST-led consortium, to take on the ownership of Torquay United. The objective of the partnership is to create a successful and sustainable fan-owned club with a sound, sensible financial foundation.

Initially, the club would become partially fan-owned, with TUST being the vehicle for this fan ownership, and the remaining shareholding being held by a group of investors who are experienced business professionals or successful entrepreneurs. 

It is our hope and ambition that by the start of next season, the fans would own half of the club.  It is important to note that the long-term vision of both the investors and TUST is that the club ultimately becomes 100% fan-owned.

TUST have access to the Forever Yellow Fund, which currently stands at £60,000, some of which will form part of the required funding for us to “buy into” the club alongside the investors. 

As fans we will need to raise further funding over the next few weeks, approximately £150,000 as a minimum, to fulfil our obligations as part of the partnership to stabilise and reset the football club. We envisage that this will happen through a Community Share Issue but will confirm the details of this in the coming few days. 

The consortium believes the fund-raising target is both realistic and achievable, given the precedent set by other clubs who have found themselves in our position. Examples include Hereford FC, whose supporters’ trust raised £289,000 for 50% of their club in 2022, as well as Newport County, who raised £195,000 in under four weeks in 2015.

The business and investor group working alongside TUST is led by Michael Westcott, a life-long fan and season ticket holder with strong family ties to the club.  He is joined by fellow fans Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, Simon Robinson, Andrew Beaulieu and Tom Allen.  Joe Lovell has also joined the working group to help develop the strategic plans to secure the immediate future of the club. The group will draw upon their considerable business and commercial experience and a variety of skills and expertise to ensure that we can move forward in a sustainable and community-led fashion.

The consortium members would be contributing a considerable sum to kickstart the project.  We should stress that the people involved are genuine fans and are not in this for their egos, personal gain or any reason other than a desire to save the club and build a brighter future.  Indeed, they have no expectation of a return on their investment. The consortium group is by no means a closed shop, and so should anyone reading this also be willing to help, please contact TUST and we will introduce you to the group. 

Implementing a sustainable model 

Fundamental to plan is a belief that the existing cost structure of the Club is unsustainable at National League South level.  

The consortium has identified several areas where services and engagement with both supporters and the local business community can be significantly improved. We strongly believe that the promise of “a club owned by us all” provides a great incentive to leverage the benefits of human capital through the work that volunteers can do. 

Our friends at Exeter City and other community-owned clubs have seen the rewards from this in practice. In addition, with the knowledge and business experience of the investors, the group are developing a new commercial plan for immediate implementation to improve commercial revenue streams to strengthen the financial position of the club while improving the match-day experience for all. 

To achieve the long-term plan, it will be necessary for changes to be made as to how the club operates and is managed both on and off the field.  The new Board and its advisors will work to agree a realistic budget for next season and to deliver the group’s business plan over successive seasons in the medium-term. 

At this stage the above is only a high-level summary of the TUST led consortium’s vision.  But all involved believe that it can deliver a major upturn in the club’s future and lead to a stronger, sustainable, fan-owned and community focused football club.

We will, of course, be providing more detail if our bid progresses to the next stage and will consult TUST members before making a final commitment to this proposal. The TUST board are confident that it offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will be supported by the vast majority of you.  

Finally, it must be noted that if our bid is successful the completion of this proposed acquisition of Torquay United is subject to the satisfactory completion of full-scope due diligence and approval of football authorities including the National League and the Football Association.'

Hereford Women In HFA Semi Final On Tuesday


Junior Bulls Quiz Night


THROWBACK THURSDAY | Hereford United 1-0 Carlisle United - 28th March 1992

Peter Heritage scores the winning goal.


Hereford 1 Judge 2 Lowndes 3 Downs 4 Theodosiou 5 Devine 6 Titterton 7 Fry 8 Narbett 9 Heritage 10 Brain 11 R Jones Sub Caffrey Carlisle 1 O'Hanlon 2 Graham 3 Gallimore 4 Thomas 5 Jeffels 6 Barnsley 7 Walsh 8 Holmes 9 Watson 10 Walling 11 Thorpe Sub Proudlock Attendance 1,810

Will It Be A Good Friday?

With other play-off contenders winning in midweek, Hereford FC know they’ll have to pick up three points on Good Friday as they travel to Oxfordshire to take on a Banbury side that has seemingly come to a grinding halt for the season, resigned to relegation along with Gloucester and Bishops Stortford.

The pickle they’re in isn’t surprising given that they’ve lost their last nine games, with their last win coming two months ago. Astonishingly, they’ve managed to score just 13 goals at home this season in 19 games. For context, divisional whipping boys Bishops Stortford have managed 18.

So, the Puritans are showing every sign of being punch drunk and on the ropes, and anyone or anything showing every sign of being that would not find Jid Okeke coming towards them at pace dribbling a football to be an agreeable prospect. The youngster is capable of doing things at this level that most others aren’t, and seems to be realising it more with every game - not in an arrogant way, just in a highly effective one. Farsley defenders did attempt to slow him down in the second half last Saturday in the only way they were able to, robustly and nowhere near the ball, and that may well happen increasingly as word gets around. Hopefully he’ll be too quick and tricky to get caught and hurt by any of it.

Tope Obadeyi’s performance on Saturday was that of a player from a higher level, and absolutely not that of a player with a broken toe. His history of playing for England at all levels up to under-20, of Football League and Scottish top-tier experience, and three appearances in the Premier League for Bolton at the start of his career, all made sense when admiring the quality of his play against an admittedly limited and presumably travel-frazzled Farsley side. Throw in the fact that he finished last season for Gloucester like an express train and his role in the last few games of the season could be hugely significant. He won’t be featuring here though – Banbury are his parent club and therefore he plays no part.

Yusifu Ceesay’s injury is being described by Paul Caddis as a ‘bit of a sore knee’, which sounds a lot more promising than ‘knee injury’, a description that would probably signal the end of his season. He may train this week and squeeze onto the bench at Banbury.

However, with Lassana Mendes out injured for a couple of weeks and Obadeyi parent-clubbed (or whatever the correct phrase might be), the luxury of easing the winger back to full pace off the bench may not be available to Caddis. He may have to start.

Alex Babos hit double figures for the season with his goal last Saturday. It would be sweet for him I’m sure to add to the tally against his old club. It would also be nice to see him double that in a white shirt in 2024/25, by which I don’t mean Derby realising they missed a gem in letting him go and swooping in the summer to take him back.

It was encouraging to see Jordan Lyden back on Saturday, and equally encouraging to see him withdrawn in the second half for reasons not relating to a part of his body letting him down. It’s been frustrating that his role over the season has been so stop-start, and most frustrating for the player himself I’m sure, but two or three influential performances before the end of the season, the Scunthorpe and Boston games spring to mind for instance, would make it all worthwhile.

The Puritans were thrashed 4-1 last Saturday at Curzon Ashton and then 3-0 at home to South Shields on Tuesday.

Ex-Bull Simeon Maye left the club last week. 19-year-old striker Ben Beresford came in recently on loan from Birmingham as the club tries desperately to find a way to stem the tide that seems to be pushing them inexorably towards the dreaded drop.

Their cause hasn’t been helped by having to bring in another 19-year-old, goalie James Dadge, on a work experience loan from Northampton Town to replace injured first-choice keeper Jack Harding. The youngster’s confidence won’t have been helped by shipping those three goals against South Shields on his debut, and the Bulls should look to exploit any early jitters.

It was perhaps fitting given the seemingly doomed situation the club finds itself in that the South Shields game was sponsored by a funeral director.

This is the second in a clutch of three must-win games. The first was won in 23 minutes last Saturday. It would be good for the nerves if this could be put to bed in a similar way, before the final one against Buxton on Easter Monday. It would then also be good if the next three were all won too.

But back to the here and now, the Whites couldn’t wish for a better opportunity this side of Bishops Stortford.

COYW

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Bookmakers Back Bulls To Win At Banbury

Ryan McLean Scored For Hereford At Banbury Last Season

The bookmakers are offering prices of around 8/11 for a Hereford victory at Banbury on Friday.

Last Saturday Hereford defeated Farsley Celtic (19th) 4-1.

Banbury's last game was on Tuesday. They lost 3-0 at home to South Shields (6th). 

Currently Hereford are 11th in the table with 62 points from 41 games. Banbury are 22nd with 37 points from 39 games.

Hereford's away record is won 7, drawn 3 and lost 10.

Banbury's home record is won 4, drawn 4 and lost 11.

Hereford's goal difference is -1, Banbury's is -35.

Recent form:

Hereford WLDLW

Banbury LLLLL

Banbury 7/2  Draw 29/10  Hereford 8/11

News Round Up

Hereford supporters going to Banbury on Friday have been allocated The Bell on Middleton Road for pre-kickoff drinks.

36 year old defender Nathaniel Knight-Percival has joined Tamworth from Kidderminster on loan.

Former Hereford United striker Jarrod Bowen thought he had scored for England in their friendly last night against Belgium but it was disallowed. 'That is just my luck' he said afterwards.

Jordan James, son of former Hereford United defender Tony James, played the whole game for Wales against Poland last night. 

Scunthorpe manager Jimmy Dean was red carded after the funal whistle at Spennymoor last night. Hereford travel to Scunthorpe on April 6th. 

Banbury bolster their ranks ahead of Hereford Good Friday clash

Hereford supporters at Banbury United last season

Banbury United have bolstered their ranks as they make four signings ahead of Hereford's visit on Good Friday.

The Bulls will be searching for their second win on the bounce as they try to secure a play-off place.

With just five games left of Hereford's season, they lie two points outside of the play-offs and four of the 10 sides above them still have a game in hand. They could have up to 800 supporters backing them at Friday's game.

Before last night's 3-0 home defeat against South Shields, Banbury moved to bring goalkeeper James Dadge on a work experience loan from Northampton Town. He was brought in to replace injured first-choice keeper Jack Harding.

The Puritans said 19-year-old Dadge has had two spells at St Ives in the past year, while also having been out on loan at Harborough Town.

Ahead of Saturday's 4-1 defeat on the road at Curzon Ashton, Banbury also made two signings.

The first saw striker Ben Beresford join on loan from Birmingham City until the end of the season and he scored on his debut.

The club said the under-21s player signed his first professional contract with the Blues this summer, penning a two-year deal, with a year option, having completed his scholarship.

In November he went out on loan to Gloucester City and made 21 appearances, scoring seven goals.

The club also completed the loan signing of Wycombe Wanderers midfielder Christie Ward. He joins current loanee defender Luca Woodhouse whose loan has also been extended until the end of the season.

Ward, 20, has played twice for the Wanderers this season, with both appearances coming in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, helping the side on their way to the final.

Former Chelsea and Northern Ireland striker Kevin Wilson is currently at the helm at Banbury. The 62-year-old was born in Banbury and replaced Mark Jones.

More details: Signed Jarrod Bowen shirt to help fundraiser for first club

The signed Jarrod Bowen shirt will be part of a raffle to raise money for Leominster Town Football Club

A signed West Ham United shirt of Jarrod Bowen's is one of the prizes on offer as a Leominster man tries to raise funds for the town's football club.

Details have now been confirmed for a disco, auction and raffle in aid of Leominster Town Football Club.

With the club in desperate need of new changing rooms, James Lines is one of the people the night to help raise money.

The signed West Ham shirt from Jarrod Bowen, who is from in the town and was part of the club as a youngster, will "make a little boy's or girl's dreams come true by winning it", Mr Lines told Bulls News.

Bowen, 27, now plays for West Ham United after scoring his first senior goal at Edgar Street for Hereford United in the Conference. Before joining the London club, he spent time at Hull City and has told BBC Sport he now wants to be back in the England side "more than ever".

The special night will be held at Leominster Sports and Social Club in South Street on Friday 10th May. Doors open at 7.30pm, last entry is at 9pm and the event will run until midnight.

The auction and raffle will be at 9.30pm, with the £7 ticket fee including one raffle ticket.

If anyone is interested in entry/raffle tickets or putting in a silent bid please get in contact with Mel Bird, who is also advertising ticket sales.

Other signed shirts on offer include Leeds United, Tranmere Rovers and Hereford, with the latter donated by Hereford FC groundsman Ben Bowen after this season's FA Trophy match against Gateshead.

When the shirt was first donated, Mr Lines said: "Jarrod Bowen really does inspire all young footballers around Herefordshire to keep that dream alive, to become a Premier League superstar!"

Mr Lines will also be taking part in a tour of all Premier League football stadiums from March 18 to 21 on his fundraising mission.

He told Your Herefordshire: “Leominster Football Club are in desperate need of their own changing rooms, so I thought of the idea of visiting every Premier League ground. My idea is, If a local company sponsors a club I will hold up a sign outside the stadium to help advertise their business.

"The pictures can then be shared on the surrounding local towns'/villages' social media networks and pages. I really want to promote what services Leominster has to offer.

Demolition of cracked, overgrown and dilapidated Blackfriars End given green light

Pictures show the current state of the Blackfriars End. Picture: Barnsley Marshall/Herefordshire Council

The demolition of the Blackfriars End has been given the green light by Herefordshire Council planners.

Herefordshire Council had asked for permission from its planners to demolish the dilapidated stand, groundsman store, toilets, United in the Community building, entrance stalls and the redundant former Blackfriars public toilets.

In drawings submitted with plans, the iconic floodlight pylons will be retained for the time being.

Documents also said the stand and buildings are not safe to use and beyond economical repair. It is part of the council's masterplan to redevelop the site, incorporating accommodation for students, as well as a stand for the club's 'basic needs'.

Work is set to take place this summer. The expected start date is June 3 and work should be finished by August 30, according to the application. Separately, the council is currently looking for a contractor.

Now the council's planning department has approved the method of the proposed demolition and restoration of the site as per the details submitted.

Planning officer Elsie Morgan said in her report that the demolition is not urgently necessary in the interests of safety or health but the scheme is compliant with the relevant criteria.

The method of demolition and restoration of the site have been appropriately explained and justified to the satisfaction of the local planning authority, she said.

READ MORE: Pictures show what new Blackfriars End stand and student homes could be like

Asbestos will need to be removed by a licensed contractor and the site cleared and levelled, including the toilets at the rear of the terrace used by Blocks C and D.

The existing boundary wall and access gates off Blackfriars Street and Edgar Street will remain, and the council hopes to recycle more than 95 per cent of all waste.

temporary hoarding will be built to segregate from the rest of the football ground, but existing emergency vehicle access to the football pitch from Blackfriars Street will be maintained. The water tanks used for the pitch's sprinkler system should also be retained.

Pictures submitted with the application also show the extent of the cracked terrace of the Blackfriars End, as well as various walls around the stand. Areas are also overgrown, with other walls leaning.

It is not included in the current lease and has not been used as a stand in the eight years since the club reformed.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Tonight's National North League Results

Four results from the National North League this evening.

Banbury 0 South Shields 3

Peterborough Sports 1 Warrington 3

Southport 4 Bishop Stortford 1

Spennymoor 1 Scunthorpe 0

Results have not gone Hereford's way. The Bulls drop one place to 11th, but are just two points outside a play-off place.

7 - Alfreton 40/64

8 - Spennymoor 40/64

9 - Curzon Ashton 41/64

10 - Chester 41/62

11 - Hereford 41/62

12 - Warrington 41/61

Hereford's remaining games: 

Friday, March 29: Banbury United (a) – 3pm

Monday, April 1: Buxton (h) – 3pm

Saturday, April 6: Scunthorpe United (a) – 3pm

Saturday, April 13: Warrington Town (a) – 3pm

Saturday, April 20: Boston United (h) – 3pm

 

Caddis Pleased With McHale's First 90 Minutes

 

Hereford manager Paul Caddis brought in Dom McHale on loan from Scarborough just in time for Saturday's game against Farsley Celtic.

The well travelled mid-fielder had a good game.

"I spoke to the manager at Scarborough and he had absolutely no problems with Dom," said Caddis.

"Tope knows him really well.

"We've only seen him for 90 minutes but I was really pleased with his performance, really pleased with his attitude, with his work ethic, his quality at times, he's got magnificent feet.

"He's not played a lot of football of late, he's been coming off the bench.

"We're hoping to get him as sharp as we possibly can."

Banbury Tickets Still Available

Tickets for Friday's game at Banbury United remain on sale.

Supporters have until 9.30am on Friday to purchase tickets unless they've sold out beforehand.

Hereford were originally allocated 400 tickets for the game, this figure was then doubled to 800.

Last season 320 Hereford supporters watched the away game at Banbury.

 

National North League Play-Off Details

This from the National League:

Vanarama National League North 

We are delighted to confirm TNT Sports will again cover the Vanarama National League North Promotion Final on Saturday 4 May, kick-off at 3.30pm.

All other play-off matches in the North and South will be available on National League TV.

Eliminator A - (5th v 6th) – Tuesday 23 April - 7.45pm
Eliminator B – (4th v 7th) – Wednesday 24 April – 7.45pm  

Semi-Final - (2nd v Eliminator A Winner) – Saturday 27 April – 3pm  

Semi-Final – (3rd v Eliminator B Winner) – Sunday 28 April – 3pm  

Promotion Final – Saturday 4 May – 3.30pm

 

Four National North League Games This Evening

Four National North League fixtures are set to take place this evening.

Of note Banbury are playing, whereas Hereford are not. The two clubs meet on Friday at Banbury.

Banbury v South Shields

Peterborough Sports v Warrington

Southport v Bishop Stortford

Spennymoor v Scunthorpe

Should Spennymoor defeat Scunthorpe then they will go above Hereford in the table.

Monday, March 25, 2024

We've Got A Tough Game On Friday Said Caddis


After Saturday's victory over Farsley Celtic it's back on the road for Hereford with a trip to Banbury on Friday.

"We've got a tough game on Friday," said Caddis.

"We will respect Banbury.

"We'll go there and try and get three points.

"We've got to try and win as many games as we possibly can.

"It's five more games and we're still in the mix. We're still there, we're still fighting and we will be until the death.

"I know everyone will look at it and think they are struggling and all the rest of it.

"It's our full intention to go and be positive, start the game bright, and go and try and get three points."

Caddis took off Jordan Lyden mid-way through the second half. He had been booked early in the first half.

"I took him off because he's not played a lot of football. We had the opportunity to get him off the pitch and almost protect him for the run in. He was on a booking as well."

Lassana Mendes and Paul Downing will definitely miss Banbury.

"He (Mendes) is probably going to miss a couple of weeks. He sprained his ankle at training last Thursday night.

"Ceesay has still got a bit of a sore knee and we've still got Paul Downing out.

"Downing we're not sure, he's got a hamstring injury, may be a couple of weeks, may be longer. The season is running out.

"Ceesay has a bit of tightness inside his knee, we'll see how he is but we're hopeful we can get him back on the pitch on Tuesday at training."

Hereford Shareholders To Receive Update From Club Chairman

Hereford shareholders have been invited to an informal meeting next week.

As well as receiving a financial update from director Peter Churchus, they will also be adressed by club chairman Chris Ammonds on his first season in the post. 

Amidst the various topics expected to be raised will be the demolition of the Blackfriars End and the continuing campaign to change the name of the club back to Hereford United.

Around The Ground Last Saturday

A selection of pictures from around Edgar Street last Saturday.


Youngsters From Hay St Marys FC







Hereford Allocated 350 Tickets For Away Game At Warrington

Hereford supporters have been allocated just 350 tickets for the away fixture at Warrington on April 13th.

Anyone wanting a ticket is advised to purchase in good time as it's currently uncertain if Hereford will receive any further tickets.

To purchase tickets please go to: https://www.warringtontownfc.co.uk/tickets/

Jid Okeke In National North Team Of The Week

 

On loan winger Jid Okeke has been selected to be in the National North Team of the week.

Okeke scored one of Hereford's four goals against Farsley Celtic last Saturday and assisted in one of the others.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Bulls News Prediction League: standings after match 52

The Bulls News Prediction League has been updated after Saturday's 4-1 win at home against Farsley Celtic.

All 79 competitors who submitted predictions for this game correctly went for a win.

Bring Back United, BEE TEAM, PeachBoy, Dhall, Staffsbull, Gareth Thompson, A Bull and Sisyphus all pick up seven points for predicting the 4-1 scoreline.

That's good news for Dhall in particular who sees their lead at the top extend from six to 13 points. They've now been leading the pack for 10 games.

It could all change quickly though as the next game, at Banbury United on Friday, is double points.

Be sure to email your username and prediction to bnpredictions@outlook.com by 2pm on Saturday. Kick off is at 3pm.

See the updated table below, or by clicking read more.

Hereford United: Our Shared Past - Our Collective Future


This from The Bring Back United Group:

In conversation, we realise our differences. A variety of ‘first home games’, versus Darlington, Bristol City, Forest Green…take your pick. ‘First away game?’ Leicester in ‘99, Shrewsbury, Rushden. Taken along by our parents, our uncles, grandparents, passing the thing they love, that we love, from one generation to the next. The thing that links us? That binds us? “United”. 

Since Hereford United formed in 1924 the club has been through many highs and lows, with many of those highs being associated with the FA Cup, the most famous being Hereford United’s FA Cup 3rd Round 2-1 victory over Newcastle United in 1972, immortalised by Ronnie Radford’s rocket to make the game all square. References to Hereford United’s greatest day rightly remain prominent at Edgar Street to this day, with the latest generation of Hereford fans able to hear the previous generations reminisce over Hereford United memories of the past, including in Radford’s bar. 

It is our aim to give both current & future generations of Hereford fans the chance to create, and eventually reminisce over, Hereford United memories of their own, ensuring the Hereford United name remains alive a century on from the formation of the football club. 

Like most lower league clubs, we as a club have faced many financial difficulties over the years, with financial prudence remaining a key challenge for the current board of directors. In 2014 we unfortunately reached a crisis point at the club, leading to the demise of Hereford United as a legal entity, leaving us to reform and to restart in the Midland Football League, under a newly created limited company. 

One of the Football Association’s key stipulations as the club reformed in 2015 was that the Hereford United name could not be used for the following 5 years. This period has now elapsed, and as a result we are calling for the restoration of our rightful name, Hereford United. With that would come  the retirement of ‘Hereford FC’, with the recognition that it was a necessary chapter in the club’s long and illustrious history, but one that should now be brought to a close. This, we believe, reflects the view of a significant majority of fans. 

We would like to work with all relevant parties to make this happen. On the theme of financial prudence, we are keen to address the anticipated ‘financial burden’ a name change back to Hereford United would bring, and stress that any name change should not impact the football club’s cash flow, or take any funds away from the playing budget, or any other areas of the club. 

To summarise, previous estimates suggested a figure of £30,000+ to complete the name change & associated tasks: we strongly disagree with this, and our analysis currently shows a cost of around a third of the published figure. This analysis has been submitted to the club for their feedback & continues to be worked on meticulously, to ensure that they are accurately represented to fans. We have waited long enough to restore our rightful identity, but are not here to try and force through a name change with outstanding question marks or in a way that would put the club at risk. 

With a clear costing and with the agreement of the board, we propose that a specific fundraiser could be carried out to meet any costs associated with the name change. We believe that the desire to see the return of “United” is more than sufficient for the requisite funds to be raised easily. 

With the fans covering any costs associated with a return to Hereford United, we will have unlocked a real commercial opportunity for the club. This would lead to an increase in merchandise sales, as fans look to get their hands on authentic Hereford United items once again.

A few fans have argued that by donating to one cause, it takes from another. In this case, putting into a fundraiser for a name change may mean ‘taking’ from, say, a squad builder. We feel as a one-off fundraiser, fans would not reduce their squad builder contribution, but contribute separately further funds to the name change fundraising. It has been asked “Why not just put any name change donations into the squad builder instead?”, but do you put all of your disposable income into any charity you currently donate to? The same applies here, we all give money for different causes throughout our lives, and donating to one cause does not necessarily mean stopping a contribution to an existing cause. 

We’ve all been in similar situations; the beach in Tenerife maybe, or the North London kebab shop, perhaps taking the train home after a match and you’re asked “what’s that shirt mate?”. “Hereford” you respond. “Ah nice one…Ronnie Radford, Hereford United”. It’s Hereford United that are famous; our club, our past and our future.

We are standing at a crossroads in the history of this football club and we can be, we should be, known as the generation who brought back that famous name. 

You may have noticed we recently ran a free to access indicative poll to gauge the opinion within the fanbase regarding if they would be in favour of the club reverting the name back to Hereford United.

The poll ran for 1 month with 844 participants, with 76.3% of all participants polling in favour of a name change reverting back to Hereford United. 

We are also keen to engage further with all fans, keeping an open forum approach to all discussions. Therefore we welcome any fan with questions or suggestions to get in touch here; BringBackUnited@gmail.com 

Q&As will be published via social media platforms. We have also created a set of FAQs which we have collated to date via fan discussion, and these are also due to be published via social media platforms. 

We have felt a lot of support & excitement generated over the last month associated with a potential name change, and also trepidation from others, who are still feeling the sting from the past.  We hope the above starts to alleviate concerns. 

Q: Hereford United Supporters Trust have already had a vote, why do it again?

A: The previous vote saw a very low turnout in the fan vote (183 participants). The vote was also done during a period where the club overall had it's lowest fan engagement, demonstrated by the attendances at the time.

We have recently run a free-to-access poll to gauge fan opinion on the subject, and with a larger data set (844 participants), there was a 76.3% majority in favour of a name change to Hereford United. 

Q: How is a vote triggered?

A: This can be triggered by shareholders of Hereford FC Limited. Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) is the largest shareholder with 50% of shares. We plan to trigger a vote of the HUST membership once we have completed a thorough cost analysis and discussed this with the boards of both Hereford FC and HUST. 

Q: How would a name change vote become successful?

A: 75% of the votes cast need to vote in favour (i.e. if some people abstain, less votes are needed for the motion to pass. Therefore in any scenario it is required that HUST shares are used to vote for a name change. We strongly encourage all fans to therefore sign up to HUST to ensure this happens. We will release a short sign-up guide in the coming weeks. 

Q: Why weren't these costings disputed at the time?

A: The proposed costings from the football club were released at the same time as the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) provided the voting link for the name change. Whilst they were queried by fans, there was insufficient time to analyse the costings & raise any resulting queries. 

To successfully revert the football club name to HUFC, there would need to be a shareholder vote within the football club, where 75% of votes cast need to vote in favour of a name change. 

The complete list of shareholders & no. of shares they own are included below. (Source: Companies House).



Bring Back United Group

 


Highlights Hereford v Farsley Celtic

 

Highlights of yesterday's National North League fixture between Hereford and Farsley Celtic are online.

To watch please go to: https://www.herefordfc.co.uk/highlights-hereford-4-1-farsley-celtic/

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Second Half Pictures From Hereford v Farsley Celtic

A selection of pictures from the second half of this afternoon's game between Hereford and Farsley Celtic.












Match report: Bulls' confidence boosted in 4-1 win over crumbling Farsley Celtic

Kieran Phillips scoring Hereford's third goal of the afternoon

Hereford have claimed a much-needed win to keep any hopes of the play-offs alive after Farsley Celtic crumbled in the first half and conceded four goals.

A late consolation goal from the visitors - who arrived at Edgar Street late and delayed kick-off by half an hour - meant the game ended 4-1, but Hereford could’ve scored goals in the second half too.

Paul Caddis, banned again from the touchline, made four changes to the side that lost 2-0 at Brackley last weekend. Dom McHale was handed his debut, with Jordan Lyden and Tope Obadeyi returning from injury and Kieran Phillips starting ahead of Andy Williams and Jason Cowley.

Lyden quickly made himself known to the referee after kick-off, fouling theatrical Clayton Donaldson and earning himself a yellow card. From the free kick, Chris Atkinson headed towards Curtis Pond but it proved an easy save for the Bulls’ keeper.

But Bulls fans who thought ‘oh here we go again’ were proved wrong in the eighth minute when Hereford took the lead. Debutant winger McHale was upended in the box after getting onto the end of Jid Okeke’s ball and referee Ashley Clarke immediately pointed to the spot. With McHale and Obadeyi both wanting to take the spot kick, the latter did and duly dispatched it past visiting keeper Harry Allen.





Pond was once again called into action, this time racing off his line to snatch possession from Donaldson’s feet as he tried to latch onto the end of a ball over the top.

But Caddis’s side kept the pressure up and any early danger from Farsley soon subsided. Alex Babos doubled his side’s lead in the 19th minute with a well-worked goal, Obadeyi sent Lewis Hudson on his way down the left, with the ball working its way to the midfielder who made no mistake.








Five minutes later, the Lilywhites were three goals ahead. After passing the ball around in defence, it was sent over to Obadeyi on the left who burs forward. He then sent a low ball to Kieran Phillips lurking in a sparsely populated area and drilling home.





The Bulls should’ve been awarded another spot-kick as Babos’s cross was blatantly handled, by the man in black quickly dismissed the calls. The pressure continued as McHale tried to set Phillips up for his second, but Allen was alert to the danger.

McHale continued to look lively, squirming his way into the box as half-time approached. But instead of laying the ball off, he opted to carry on and eventually was dispossessed by one of a handful of Farsley defenders.

Goal number four came in the three minutes of stoppage time a the end of the first half, as Jid Okeke beat his man before finding the bottom corner of the net.







Half time: Hereford 4 - Farsley Celtic 0

Into the second half and Hereford remained in control, with early pressure seeing Alex Babos causing problems for the flailing Farsley.

Okeke was also proving a pest, with the visitors conceding a corner as they tried to deal with one of his several probing crosses. McHale, no doubt wanting his name on the scoresheet and adding to the tally, blazed an effort over the bar from Babos’s corner.

With Teixeira on for Lyden, a quick chance followed for the Bulls as McHale burst into the box and found Phillips, but the Kidderminster forward couldn’t control his shot which sailed over the bar.

In front of the Blackfriars End, Atkinson had an effort from range but Pond, looking bright this afternoon, claimed the ball with relative ease.

After a slightly quieter spell, but with Farsley still under the cosh, Obadeyi and McHale were replaced by Williams and Cowley. The latter almost made an instant impact, when in his trademark pesky style fought for the ball and set up Aaron Skinner who couldn’t find the target from 18 yards.

Phillips had a late effort sail into the keeper’s arms before the visitors pulled a goal back in stoppage time. Ryan Watson’s goal was only a consolation, but a rifled effort from outside the box took a deflection as it sailed past Pond and into the top corner.


A late corner saw Kyle Howkins, who had had a solid game alongside Nathan Cameron in defence, head powerfully towards goal but Allen was equal to the effort.

All in all, a good afternoon for Hereford. A strong win like that should inspire and breed confidence going into another two games which may be marked as must-wins against sides further down the National League North table.

Full time: Hereford 4 - Farsley Celtic 1

Attendance: 2,639 (17 away)

Sponsors’ man of the match: Tope Obadeyi

Hereford: Pond, Skinner, Howkins, Cameron, Hudson, Lyden (Teixeira 58), McHale (Cowley 77), Babos, Okeke, Obadeyi (Williams 63), Phillips.

Subs not used: Rooney, Southern.

Farsley Celtic: Allen, Atkinson, Smith, Evans (Watson 41), Misambo (Turner 46), Allan, Atkinson, Branson, Donaldson (Leverett 72), Steveson, Coulson.

Subs: Sheridan, Carroll.