Hereford United F.C.
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Full name Hereford United Football Club
Nickname(s) The Whites, The Bulls
Founded 1924
Ground Edgar Street, Hereford
Capacity 7,873 (2,761 Seated)
(currently reduced from 8,843)
Chairman Graham Turner
Manager Graham Turner
League League Two
2006–07 League Two, 16th
Hereford United Football Club are an English football club based in the city of Hereford. They were founded in 1924 and currently play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Originally elected to the Football League in 1972 and reaching the old Second Division by 1976, the club spent the majority of their first League spell in the bottom division. They were relegated to the Conference on the final day of the 1996-97 season, but regained their Football League status at the end of the 2005-06 season after winning the 2006 Conference Playoff Final.[1]
Hereford have won relatively few honours in their history, with the 1976 Third Division Championship and the 1990 Welsh Cup among them. They became synonymous with giant-killing in the FA Cup after their memorable defeat of Newcastle United, in the 1971-72 FA Cup whilst still a Southern League team. They are nicknamed 'The Whites' and the 'The Bulls', after the local breed of cattle; and they have played their home matches at Edgar Street since their founding.
Graham Turner, currently the second longest-serving manager in the top four divisions of English football, has managed the club since 1995. He became chairman during the 1997-98 season and has held this dual-role ever since, steering the club away from near-extinction and back into the Football League.
History:
Hereford United was formed from the amalgamation of two local amateur clubs St Martins and RAOC (Rotherwas) in 1924; relatively late in comparison to many other clubs. Prior to 1924 the leading club in the area was Hereford City, with whom the newly formed Hereford United ground-shared in their early years. They entered the now defunct Birmingham Combination and their first match, on 30 August 1924, was a 3-2 home defeat to Atherstone United.
Their first four seasons saw many high-scoring games which was typical of the times, with attendances occasionally reaching the 3,000 mark. They then joined the Birmingham League for the 1928-29 season, after an unsuccessful application the year before. Notable early events included the sale of Bert Trentham to West Brom for £500, who went on to win the FA Cup and promotion to the First Division the following season. Hereford appointed a player-manager for the first time in 1930-31, in the shape of Alf Basnett who had spent several seasons in the First Division with Burnley. Two seasons later they reached the FA Cup First Round for the first time in their brief history, losing 2-1 to Accrington Stanley of the Third Division (North).
By 1939 the quality of opposition in the Birmingham League was greatly reduced as more clubs joined higher leagues, and attendances had dropped to an all-time low. Hereford successfully applied to join the Southern League for the 1939-40 season, following the example of local rivals Worcester City. In the process the club became a limited company, and the club also signed former Derby County and England international Eric Keen. However footballing matters were subsequently halted due to the outbreak of the Second World War.
In 1945-46 Hereford finished first in the Southern League but were demoted to second, after Chelmsford City were controversially awarded the title on the basis of points being awarded for fixtures they had failed to complete. In November 1952 Hereford v Leyton was chosen as BBC TV's first ever live-broadcast FA Cup match. In their 26 season stay in the Southern League, Hereford finished as runners-up on three occasions and won their regional division in 1959. They were also relegated in 1964, their lowest finishing position but bounced back a season later. The club also enjoyed some success by winning the Southern League Cup three times. In 1953-54 Hereford played Wigan Athletic in front of 24,526, which remains the record attendance for a match between two non-league clubs. Other highlights included equalling the record win by a non-league club over a league club, when they beat Queens Park Rangers 6-1 in the 1957-58 FA Cup Second Round. In the following round the attendance record at Edgar Street was set, with 18,114 seeing Sheffield Wednesday win 3-0.
John Charles, the former Wales, Leeds United and Juventus centre-forward, was signed in 1966 and later appointed as player-manager in 1967. His presence boosted attendances substantially, particularly for his debut match where he scored in a 5-1 win over Bedford Town. The Gentle Giant played a key role in Hereford's eventual rise into the Football League, building a team that became a force in the Southern League. His standing in the game was also used to canvass votes from clubs for election into the Football League.
The 1971-72 season saw the club finally gain election to the Football League. Charles had resigned in October 1971 and Colin Addison took his place, inheriting a team which also went on to defeat Newcastle United in arguably the greatest FA Cup shock of all time.[11] (see also Hereford United v Newcastle United 1972). Success followed in the Fourth Division when Hereford finished as runners-up in their first ever season in the Football League. Their rise continued in 1975-76 when they won the Third Division championship with Dixie McNeil being the top goalscorer in the entire Football League in the process.
However Hereford were to spend just one season in the Second Division, finishing bottom, although they nearly survived due to a late season renaissance. This earned them the distinction of being the first club to finish bottom of the Second Division, after winning the Third Division the previous season. They suffered another relegation the following season and were back in the Fourth Division where they were to remain for 19 years. There were many mediocre seasons with the club finishing in 17th position in five successive seasons during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The Merton Stand, before the kickoff against Stockport County on 3 February 2007, viewed from the Len Weston Stand.In 1990 Hereford won the Welsh Cup, defeating Wrexham 2-1 at Cardiff Arms Park, and reached the playoffs in the 1995-96 season, rising from 17th to 6th position in two months. They were beaten by Darlington and the following season saw the club struggle due to major financial problems which forced the sale of several key players. Brighton & Hove Albion were also experiencing similar difficulties and the two clubs met in a relegation decider at Edgar Street, on the final day of the season. With the clubs level on points, and the goals-scored rule in operation, Hereford needed to win to stay up while Brighton only needed a draw. Hereford were 1-0 up but Brighton equalised against the run of play and Hereford were relegated to the Conference after 25 years in the Football League.
Hereford's financial problems worsened in the 1997-98 season when two loans were secured by the board, which created a £1 million debt. The lease on Edgar Street was also handed over to developers, who had supplied the loans. Graham Turner, who had been appointed manager in 1995, purchased the majority shares in the club therefore becoming both chairman and manager. In the early years in the Conference there was little success, with three FA Cup runs in 1997-98, 1999-00 and 2001-02 being the highlights. The revenue gained from the cup runs was crucial to the club's survival, with a 1-0 win over Dover Athletic in 2001 identified as being the difference between survival and bankruptcy.
Hereford turned the corner in 2003-04 when they enjoyed a highly successful season on the pitch, coming to within one point of the Conference championship. They set the record for away goals scored (61), and equalled the records for goals scored (103) and consecutive wins (11). The highlight of the season was the 9-0 defeat of Dagenham & Redbridge live on Sky Sports, which equalled the record Conference win set by both Runcorn and Gateshead. Ultimately Hereford were to lose in the playoffs on penalties to Aldershot Town, after playing with 10 men for 100 minutes.
2004-05 saw the club again finish second and again lose in the playoffs, this time to Stevenage Borough. They finished as runners-up for the third season in succession in 2005-06 and finally regained their league status, after defeating Halifax Town 3-2 in the 2006 Playoff Final.
The club's first season back in the Football League saw them finish in 16th position, recording league wins over five of the top eight clubs. In particular the away wins at Swindon Town and Lincoln City have been cited by supporters as the highlights. In the cup competitions Championship side Coventry City were defeated in the Carling Cup, and League One side Port Vale in the FA Cup. The club also paid a transfer fee for the first time in 10 years when Ben Smith rejoined the club for £20,000. Steve Guinan, another favourite from the Conference years, also returned on loan and subsequently signed permanently in the summer of 2007.
Colours and crest
Hereford players sporting the away kit at Notts CountyHereford originally played in an all-white strip, but their traditional colours are white shirts and black shorts. This dates back to the end of the Second World War when they used material from blackout curtains to make shorts when they ran out of white material. However they have occasionally reverted to an all-white strip, most recently in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. Their away colours have varied over the years, with predominantly yellow colours being used in recent years. Hereford's kit is currently manufactured by Nike and the shirt sponsors are Sun Valley Foods; one of the city's biggest employers who have backed the club since 1991. A new three year deal was agreed in May 2007 which has extended the sponsorship to 19 years, one of the longest in British football history.
Prior to 1971 the club played in plain shirts with no crest. A depiction of a Herefordshire Bull was introduced for the 1971-72 season with H.U.F.C. lettering underneath. A supporter's club crest was also used during the 1970s. The shirt crest design has changed several times over the years, with the full club name being added above and below the Bull, which has remained largely untouched. The current crest was introduced in the early 1990s but was not featured on the shirts until 2003.
Stadium
Hereford United have played their home matches at Edgar Street since their formation in 1924. Originally they ground-shared with amateurs Hereford City and the ground is owned by Hereford City Council. Although now showing its age, the ground's history does have some notable landmarks; Hereford installed floodlights in March 1953, before such clubs as Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United !. In 1974 the ground was the only one outside the First Division with two cantilever-roof stands. In those days the ground's official name was Edgar Street Athletic Stadium; there was a running track around the pitch. This explains the curious curved "dead" areas behind each goal and in front of the terraces, and the extreme width of the pitch where the old track was turfed over to produce one of the League's widest pitches. In far more recent years the ground has been central to Hereford's financial troubles, with the previous owners of the club handing the leases over to a development company to whom they owed a large debt. During the club's time in the Conference there were real doubts over the future of the ground, and the club could have been forced to relocate. However an arrangement was made between the club and the developers, and the ground is now part of a substantial redevelopment plan in Hereford, known as the Edgar Street Grid.
The ground itself has changed little since the mid 1970s, and is largely outdated and in need of urgent upgrading. In particular the Blackfriars Street End has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years, which has in turn reduced the capacity of the ground. Improvements have been made in recent years to ensure the ground met Football League standards; including new floodlights, dressing rooms and barriers on the terraces. The pitch itself has also been completely relaid for the new season. The club are looking to submit the redevelopment plans to the council by the end of the year, with the developers absorbing the £1 million debt into the development costs.
The Meadow End, before the match against Stockport County on 3 February 2007, viewed from the Len Weston Stand.
Support
Hereford United was historically one of the best-supported clubs in non-league football, particularly in the last two seasons before their election to the Football League. Indeed in their campaign for election they produced a newsletter which highlighted the fact that their average attendance (5,224) was higher than those of eight Third Division clubs, and fifteen Fourth Division clubs. Between 1972 and 1977, during the club's rise to the Second Division, home attendances averaged almost 8,000 per game. The support fell during the 1980s with the average home attendance under 3,000, the exception being the 1984-85 season when the club finished fifth.
It was not until the latter Conference years that attendances improved, with the 2003-04 season seeing the average home attendance rise to 3,704. The following season saw the figure drop to just over 3,000 while in the 2005-06 season, despite the club successfully gaining promotion, the figure was 2,791. However approximately 10,000 Hereford supporters attended the Conference Playoff Final. For the 2006-07 season the club had an average home league attendance of 3,327. With the exception of 2003-04, this is the highest average attendance since the 1984-85 season (3,881).
The club's official programme is Bullseye and there is also a fanzine called Talking Bull.
Home attendances
The club has rarely enjoyed capacity crowds at Edgar Street in recent years, having last seen a five-figure home attendance in 1990. Below is a list of the highest attendances at Edgar Street since 1972.
17,431 – Bristol City, FA Cup Fourth Round, 26 January 1974.
15,777 – Arsenal, FA Cup Third Round, 5 January 1985.
14,849 – Newport County, Fourth Division, 7 April 1973.
13,891 – Wolverhampton Wanderers, Second Division, 2 October 1976.
13,777 – Manchester United, FA Cup Fourth Round, 28 January 1990.
Since the reduction of the Edgar Street capacity in line with the Taylor Report the highest home attendance has been 8,953 in 1994 - a Coca Cola Cup Second Round match against Nottingham Forest. The highest league home attendance was 8,532 in 1997 - the relegation decider against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Club anthem
The club's official anthem is Hereford United (We All Love You) which was written and performed by the late Danny Lee, a notable supporter of the club. Originally recorded and released in 1972, the same year as the famous FA Cup run, a rendition is usually sung at every Hereford match both home and away. The song has been remixed three times: in 1979, 2002 and 2006.
Rivals
Hereford have had a number of rivalries with other clubs throughout their history. In the club's Southern League era Worcester City were considered their fiercest rivals. Both Cardiff City and Newport County were considered rivals in the 1970s and 1980s. In the recent Conference era the club's rivals included Kidderminster Harriers, Cheltenham Town and Shrewsbury Town; the latter being considered the club's biggest rivals at present. Forest Green Rovers also count Hereford as rivals.
Club staff
Chairman / Director of Football / Manager: Graham Turner
Company Secretary / Director: Joan Fennessy
First Team Coach: John Trewick
Fitness Coach: Tony Ford
Goalkeeping Coach: Pat Mountain
Physiotherapist: Wayne Jones
Honours
Second Division (now Football League Championship): Best Season: 22nd position (1976-77)
Third Division (now Football League One): Champions (1975-76)
Fourth Division (now Football League Two): Runners-Up (1972-73), Play-offs (1995-96)
Conference National: Runners-Up (2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06), Playoff Winners (2005-06)
Southern League: Runners-Up (1945-46, 1950-51, 1971-72)
Welsh FA Cup: Winners (1989-90), Runners-Up (1967-68, 1975-76, 1980-81)
Southern League Cup: Winners (1951-52, 1956-57, 1958-59)