 | |||
| Full name | Hereford Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Bulls | ||
| Founded | 22 December 2014; 10 years ago (22 December 2014) | ||
| Ground | Edgar Street | ||
| Capacity | 5,250[1] | ||
| Coordinates | 52°03′39″N2°43′03″W / 52.0607°N 2.7175°W /52.0607; -2.7175 | ||
| Chairman | Chris Ammonds | ||
| Manager | Paul Caddis | ||
| League | National League North | ||
| 2024–25 | National League North, 10th of 24 | ||
| Website | www | ||
 Current season | |||
Hereford Football Club is an Englishassociation football club from the city ofHereford. They were founded in 2014 as aphoenix club forHereford United, and inherited theirEdgar Street stadium. They are nicknamed 'The Whites' after their predominantly white kit, or 'The Bulls' after theHereford cattle breed, and their motto is 'Our greatest glory lies not in never having fallen, but in rising when we fall'. The club is affiliated to theHerefordshire County Football Association.
As of the2024–25 season, the club plays in theNational League North, at the sixth tier of theEnglish football league system. They entered the football pyramid before the2015–16 season and won three league titles in their first three campaigns—theMidland League Premier Division followed by theSouthern League Division One South & West and the Southern League Premier Division.
Following the winding up ofHereford United on 19 December 2014, the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) vowed to start a newphoenix club.[2] Three days later, local businessman John Hale, who had earlier been chairman of HUST, registered the name Hereford Football Club with theHerefordshire County Football Association, in conjunction with the trust and a group of local businessmen. A press release followed on 24 December, outlining plans to let HUST members decide on the club's kits and crest. It also addressed the issue of the ownership structure, with the Hereford United Supporters Trust being given the opportunity to become the largest single shareholder, with individuals and corporate benefactors being barred from owning more than 49% of the new club. The press release stated that HUST's stake would be 'much more' than this.[3]
The club's official website went live on 29 December.[4] Hale gave an interview with Trevor Owens onBBC Hereford and Worcester on 3 January 2015, citing Hereford United's untenable debts as the reason for the business group's reluctance to engage with the former club. The appointment of Hale as Hereford F.C. chairman was released in an FAQ on 13 January.[5] An open meeting two days later confirmed several appointments, including HUST chairman Chris Williams as vice chairman, Hugh Brooks as finance director, George Webb as commercial director and Phil Eynon as governance director (the latter three being part of the Hale-led group of local businessmen).[6]
On 20 and 21 January, HUST members voted in favour of the proposal from the Hale group, with 96.71% voting to accept the plans.[7] The Hereford F.C. bid had been the only approach submitted to HUST.[8] Two weeks later,Herefordshire Council confirmed that the club had secured a five-year lease for the city's Edgar Street stadium.[9]
The club opened applications for the position of club manager on 27 February and, following 42 applications,Peter Beadle was announced as the successful candidate by the board on 17 April 2015.[10][11] Beadle, the final caretaker manager of the predecessor club, was joined by assistant manager Matt Bishop, who had served as a national coach developer withThe Football Association.[12]
On 14 May 2015, the FA confirmed that Hereford would compete in theMidland Football League Premier Division (9th tier) for the club's first season.[13] As a consequence, this meant that the club were entered into theFA Vase and theMidland League Cup.
The first game, a pre-season friendly, took place away atMalvern Town on 7 July 2015, a 3–2 victory for Hereford in which the winning goal was scored by Dale Hodge, in front of a record crowd for the hosts.[14] Four days later, Hereford hosted their first match, a friendly againstFC United of Manchester at Edgar Street, with Nathan Hughes scoring the only goal in a victory watched by around 4,250 spectators.[15] They won 4–1 againstDunkirk in their first league match on 8 August, in front of a crowd of 4,062; this broke the league record attendance of 1,280, and was higher than four attendances that day inFootball League One.[16]
On 10 December 2015, while in first place in the league, the club announced that they had applied for promotion to theSouthern Football League for the 2016–17 season.[17] The league campaign had started with a shaky start, but they managed to put together a long winning run, which eventually came to an end after 27 consecutive wins, in a 1–1 draw at home toAlvechurch on 23 January 2016,[18] and the unbeaten run of 34 games came to an end on 23 February, following a 2–0 loss at home toHighgate United.[19]
Hereford broke their attendance record again in the FA Vase semi-final first leg againstSalisbury on 12 March. Hereford won 1–0 in front of a record crowd of 4,683.[20] On 25 April, Hereford clinched the league title following a 4–0 away win atCoventry Sphinx and were subsequently promoted to the Southern League South and West Division.[21] A week later, the club picked up their second trophy, theHerefordshire County Cup, following a 5–1 win over Westfields.[22]Hereford secured their third trophy of the season, the Midland Football League Cup, on 10 May, following a 3–1 win overWalsall Wood atSolihull Moors'Damson Park.[23]On 22 May, Hereford lost 4–1 in theFA Vase Final toMorpeth Town atWembley Stadium.[24]
On 12 May 2016, it was confirmed that Hereford would compete in the Southern League Division One South & West, following their promotion from the Midland League Premier Division.[25] The season saw the club make their first appearance in both theFA Cup and theFA Trophy. It was announced on 24 May, that assistant manager Matt Bishop would be leaving the club,[26] and he was replaced bySteve Jenkins on 30 May.[27] The club decided to withdraw from the Southern League Cup in an attempt to focus on the league. The club went out of theFA Cup at the third qualifying round atTonbridge Angels and exited theFA Trophy in the preliminary round atSalisbury. On 12 October, the club announced that managerPeter Beadle had signed his first contract with the club, on a rolling 12-month deal.[28] On 19 October, it was announced that Chairman John Hale had stepped down and was to be replaced in the interim by Chris Williams, who was replaced by Ken Kinnersley on 3 January 2017.[29]
On 4 March 2017, their away match againstDidcot Town was abandoned due to crowd disturbances after a few Hereford fans went on to the pitch in celebration of the team taking the lead in the dying minutes of the game. Two men from Hereford were later arrested. After reviewing reports and video footage of the incidents, the FA decided to take no further action against either club,[30] rather highlighting how sensationalised and ill-informed some of the news reporting, at the time, had been.[31][32] Disciplinary action, however, was taken against three Hereford supporters,[33] one of the Didcot players and the Didcot team coach.[34] The Southern League also ordered the game to be replayed—which was subsequently played behind closed doors on 11 April 2017, with Hereford winning 2–1.
Following their promotion in the previous season, it was announced Hereford would play in the Southern League Premier Division. It was also announced that captain Joel Edwards was to be released after two seasons with the club,[35] withJimmy Oates taking over his role.[36]
Hereford notably had runs in theFA Cup andFA Trophy. In the FA Cup, Hereford after beatingGodalming Town,Kempston Rovers andA.F.C. Hornchurch, Hereford were drawn a game away toEastleigh where goals from Mike McGrath andGaryn Preen (who was unable to finish the match) took Hereford into the first round for the first time in their history. In the first round, a John Mills goal progressed the Bulls pastAFC Telford United and into the second round, where they were drawn againstFleetwood Town. Hereford earned themselves a replay at Edgar Street. The Bulls lost 2–0 in front of an attendance of 4,235 and the BT Sport Cameras. In theFA Trophy, Hereford beatWeymouth,Potters Bar Town andOxford City to reach the first round. A 3–2 win overNational League sideDagenham & Redbridge set up a tie againstWealdstone. A moment of controversy marked a turning point in the Second Round match, when defenderDara O'Shea seemed to bring down a player which resulted in him getting sent off. Footage later on showed O'Shea should not have been given a red card so theFA reversed the decision. Hereford ended up losing that game 1–0.
On the domestic side, in January, Hereford came back from 2–0 down in injury time to salvage a 2–2 draw with promotion chasingSlough Town after goals from Jimmy Oates and Keyon Reffell, the latter coming 6 minutes into additional time. Hereford's away unbeaten run in the league came to an end in January 2018 due to defeat at the hands ofKing's Lynn. This unbeaten run stretched back to August 2015. In February 2018, Hereford fans were punished after multiple flares were thrown onto the pitch atFarnborough. Farnborough player Lewis Ferrell then retaliated and threw the flare back at Hereford fans, which resulted in him being shown a straight red card. On Tuesday 17 April, Hereford travelled toBiggleswade Town where a 1–0 away victory saw them become league champions for a third consecutive season. They lifted theSouthern Football League shield following a 4–1 win againstKettering Town and finished the season with a 6–0 home win overHereford Lads Club to win the Herefordshire County Cup for a third successive time.
On 13 September 2018, after three consecutive league titles, Peter Beadle was sacked as manager of Hereford, a month into the new season with Hereford in 12th place in the National League North.[37] Assistant managerSteve Jenkins also departed, leavingRyan Green as interim player-manager. On 19 September 2018,Tim Harris was appointed Head of Football,[38] with his son-in-law Marc Richards subsequently taking the Head Coach role on 3 October 2018.[39] They finished the season in 17th after poor performances against teams in positions low-down in the table, including 0 wins from 6 against the three relegated sides.
Three games into the campaign, and with four points from a possible nine, Marc Richards was sacked as head coach on 12 August, with his assistant Will Morford also leaving.[40] The club announced that Head of Football Tim Harris would take interim charge of the side while searching for a new head coach. On 29 August,Russell Slade was announced as the club's new Manager.[41]Andy Whing joined as his assistant on 13 September.[42]
Hereford invested in a new digital scoreboard to improve commercial advertising opportunities in September 2019. Its first game in use on 8 October 2019[43] coincided with the club crashing out of the FA Cup at the 3rd Qualifying Round stage in a replay againstTamworth, losing 3–1 on penalties having drawn both 90-minute games 0–0. This result was Russell Slade's first home defeat.
Tim Harris resigned as Head of Football on 27 November 2019,[44] with the position of 'Head of Football' subsequently being dissolved.
On 14 January, Assistant CoachAndy Whing left the club with no reason being given for his departure.[45] Just 6 days later on 20 January, ManagerRussell Slade left the club after a run of just one win in 18 games.[46]Josh Gowling was named the club's interim manager on 21 January, he appointedSteve Burr as his assistant three days later.
The season was eventually abandoned with seven games still to go due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Hereford finishing in 16th place.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of the 2020–21 season was cancelled or played behind closed doors. However, the club enjoyed a relatively successful season, finishing in 12th position in theNational League North. In cup competitions, they were knocked out of theFA Cup toStafford in only their third competitive match. In theFA Trophy, however, they managed to progress all the way to the2021 Final, beating higher-tier teamsAldershot in the quarter-final, andWoking in the semi-final. They eventually lost the match atWembley Stadium toHornchurch, despite going ahead throughTom Owen-Evans early in the match.[47]
The club announced on 8 May 2021 that ManagerJosh Gowling and assistantSteve Burr had agreed new deals with the club, lasting for two years.[48] A 2–1 friendly loss to historically bitter rivalsShrewsbury Town marked the first Edgar Street match without social distancing regulations in place.[49] Hereford started the 2021–22 season badly, finding themselves bottom of the table and winless after 6 games in all competitions. They picked up their first three points in a 1–0 win away atYork City, in a match that included both a goal byTom Owen-Evans and a penalty save from goalkeeper Brandon Hall.[50] On 16 October, the club crashed out of theFA Cup, losing 0–1 toSolihull Moors at Edgar Street. Things were brighter for the Bulls in November, going unbeaten (excluding penalty kicks) in all competitions. A final day loss to championsGateshead[51] meant Hereford finished the season in 12th place, collecting 55 points across 15 wins and 10 draws.
After one point from their first two games, Hereford picked up their first win of the season on 16 August, thanks to a lateLuke Haines goal as the Bulls defeatedChester 1–0.[52] Wins overBromsgrove Sporting,Three Bridges andBromley progressed the Bulls into theFA Cup First Round, where they drew League OnePortsmouth at home.[53] It was later announced that the match would be live on BBC Two, making it only the fourth televised match since the club reformed.[54] Despite taking a 1–0 lead in the first half, Hereford went on to lose the game 3–1 and were knocked out of the FA Cup.[55] On 19 November 2022, Hereford were knocked out in the second round of theFA Trophy byHeybridge Swifts, a team two steps below them, losing 3–0 at the Aspen Waite Arena.[56]
Manager Josh Gowling left by mutual consent on 5 February 2023 following a run of three straight defeats, the last of which being a 1–0 away defeat toFarsley Celtic. Player/Assistant ManagerYan Klukowski took temporary charge until the end of the season.
Hereford briefly flirted with the play-offs early in 2023 but ultimately a poor run of form led them to be sucked into a relegation scrap and only ensured their safety with two matches remaining. A 5–0 away defeat toBlyth Spartans on the final day of the season, a result which secured safety from relegation for Blyth, ensured Hereford finished in 16th with 55 points, the same number of points as the previous season but four places lower.
Before the end of the previous season, Hereford announcedPaul Caddis as their new manager, who took the reins from interim manager Yan Klukowski from 1 May 2023.[57] As of 24 June, only one player remained from the previous season's playing squad; young defender Mark Derricott, who had only made eight substitute appearances and spent time out on loan at a lower level the season before, signed a one-year contract extension.[58] In mid-June, Irish forwardAdam Rooney was brought in as Player-Assistant Manager to Caddis.[59]
The season started positively, picking up seven points from a possible nine from the first three league fixtures. However, four straight defeats followed, including a 4–0 defeat at newly promoted Tamworth, leaving them 18th after seven fixtures. They were dealt a double injury blow early in the season, with forwardsAndy Williams andJason Cowley both suffering long-term injuries.[60][61] Following wins overAnstey Nomads,Cambridge City andRochdale, Hereford progressed to theFA Cup first round for the second year running, being drawn against League TwoGillingham at home in which they were beaten 2–0.[62]
A run of four consecutive wins over the Christmas period saw Hereford rise as high as 4th, but indifferent form in the second half of the season saw them drop as low as 11th. The final play-off position (7th) was still possible to achieve going into the final day of the season but would have required an 11–0 win overBoston United and two other teams to lose in order to reach it, with the Bulls ultimately losing 2–0 to the Pilgrims which secured a play-off spot for themselves. Hereford finished in 11th on 69 points, their highest ever position and points total in the National League North to date.
| Season | League | FA Cup | FA Trophy | Other | Manager | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Level (Step) | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos | |||||||
| 2015–16 | Midland League Premier Division | 9 (5) | 42 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 138 | 33 | +105 | 108 | 1st ↑ | — | FA Vase | RU | Peter Beadle | ||
| Midland Football League Cup | W | ||||||||||||||||
| HFA County Challenge Cup | W | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–17 | Southern League Division One South & West | 8 (4) | 42 | 33 | 8 | 1 | 108 | 32 | +76 | 107 | 1st ↑ | 3Q | PR | W | |||
| 2017–18 | Southern League Premier Division | 7 (3) | 46 | 36 | 5 | 5 | 111 | 33 | +78 | 113 | 1st ↑ | 2R | 2R | W | |||
| 2018–19 | National League North | 6 (2) | 42 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 49 | 17th | 3Q | 2R | 1R | Peter Beadle/Marc Richards | ||
| 2019–20† | 6 (2) | 35 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 39 | 56 | −17 | 39 | 16th[a] | 3Q | 3Q | QF[b] | Marc Richards/Russell Slade/Josh Gowling | |||
| 2020–21† | 6 (2) | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 16 | +4 | 20 | 12th | 3Q | RU | –[c] | Josh Gowling | |||
| 2021–22 | 6 (2) | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 51 | 52 | −1 | 55 | 12th | 4Q | 2R | RU | ||||
| 2022–23 | 6 (2) | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 47 | 56 | –9 | 55 | 16th | 1R | 2R | QF | Josh Gowling/Yan Klukowski | |||
| 2023–24 | 6 (2) | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 62 | 66 | –4 | 69 | 11th | 1R | 5R | RU | Paul Caddis | |||
| 2024–25 | 6 (2) | 46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 68 | 51 | +17 | 76 | 10th | 3Q | 2R | QF | ||||
| Source:FCHD | |||||||||||||||||
† League season was terminated before previsioned date, because of impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic
Key
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Since reformation as the phoenix club, Hereford, like their predecessor, have played all of their home matches atEdgar Street. The name of the stadium directly derives from the street where it is located, which is also theA49. The club agreed a lease with the council in February 2015,[63] and won their first match at the ground 1–0 againstFC United of Manchester, in front of a crowd of 4,257.
The ground itself, which has changed little since the mid-1970s, is largely outdated and in need of redevelopment, with the Blackfriars End failing a safety inspection in July 2009. The terraced end had fallen into a state of disrepair which steadily reduced the stadium capacity from nearly 9,000 to 7,700 by November 2007. Improvements were made in the later years of the predecessor, to ensure the ground metFootball League standards, including new floodlights, dressing rooms and barriers on the terraces.
Hereford FC's record attendance for a home game at Edgar Street is 4,683, for a 1–0 win in theFA Vase semi-finals againstSalisbury on 13 March 2016. It hosted televised FA Cup matches twice: a Second-Round Proper Replay againstFleetwood Town in December 2017, and a First-Round Proper match againstPortsmouth in November 2022. The2020–21 FA Trophy Semi-Final between Hereford FC andWoking was also played here, although it took placebehind closed doors due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. Hereford came out 1–0 winners, but failed to beatHornchurch in theFinal.
It was announced on 1 March 2015, that 89% of the 900-plus HUST members that voted, chose a badge designed by Huw Marriott and his sons Max and Louis.[64]
On 5 May 2015, it was announced that the club had signed a two-year kit deal with Italian manufacturerMacron.[65]A vote was cast for the away colours, with a red and black striped kit being chosen by HUST members. On 25 March 2016, Hereford announced that their deal with Macron had been extended by two years, with a new home kit in 2016–17 alternating seasonally with the away kit.[66]Prior to the 2020–21 Season, the club announced a new three-year deal with Adidas.[67] On 9 July 2022, an initial three-year kit deal with Kappa was announced.[68]
| Season | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor | Sleeve Sponsor | Shorts Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Rear | ||||
| 2015–16 | Macron[69][70][71] | Jewson[72] | Furniture Importers[73] | – | South Hereford Volkswagen (FA Vase final)[74] |
| 2016–17 | – | ||||
| 2017–18 | RRA Architects[75] | ||||
| 2018–19 | Central Roofing[76] | Montgomery Waters[77][78] | Magna Electronics[79][80][81] | RRA Architects (home)[82] Your Herefordshire (away)[83] | |
| 2019–20 | Dawleys[84][85][86] | Shack Events (home)[87] The Beefy Boys (away, third)[88] | |||
| 2020–21 | Adidas[89] | The Beefy Boys (home)[90] Vinco (third)[91] | |||
| 2021–22 | The Beefy Boys (home) | ||||
| 2022–23 | Kappa[68] | ||||
| 2023–24 | Able Locksmiths (home) | ||||
| 2024–25 | Able Locksmiths (home, away) | ||||
| 2025–26 | MandM[92] | Able Locksmiths (home) | |||
Hereford'sfanzine is calledTalking Bull.[93]
During Hereford's inaugural season they averaged a league attendance of 2,836, a figure higher than sixFootball League Two sides.[94]
Hereford maintain a strong rivalry withShrewsbury Town, originating with the formerHereford United. It is known as theA49 derby, after the road separating the two and was listed nineteenth inThe Daily Telegraph's twenty fiercest rivalries in English football.[95] However, since Hereford's resurrection the two sides have never met in a competitive fixture.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Name | Role |
|---|---|
 Paul Caddis | Manager |
 Adam Rooney | Assistant Manager |
 Daniel Brayson | Head Physio |
| Shaun Edwards | Head Goalkeeping Coach |
| John Snape | Bedside Lamp Consultant |
 Patryk Białowąs | Head Analyst |
| Dan Pace | Kitman |
| Name | From | Until | Duration | Record[i] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % | ||||
| Peter Beadle | 17 April 2015[107] | 13 September 2018[108] | 3y 4m 28d | 174 | 135 | 21 | 18 | 453 | 140 | 77.59% |
 Ryan Green (interim) | 13 September 2018[109] | 2 October 2018[110] | 20d | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 20.00% |
| Marc Richards | 2 October 2018[110] | 12 August 2019[111] | 10m 11d | 38 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 50 | 55 | 28.95% |
| Tim Harris (interim) | 12 August 2019[111] | 29 August 2019[112] | 18d | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 50.00% |
| Russell Slade | 29 August 2019[112] | 20 January 2020[113] | 4m 23d | 24 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 24 | 36 | 20.83% |
| Josh Gowling[ii] | 21 January 2020[115] | 5 February 2023[116] | 3y 16d | 112 | 43 | 27 | 42 | 146 | 137 | 38.39% |
| Yan Klukowski[iii] | 5 February 2023[116] | 1 May 2023 | 2m 27d | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 29.41% |
| Paul Caddis | 1 May 2023[57] | — | 2y 6m 25d | 94 | 45 | 19 | 30 | 132 | 112 | 47.87% |
A number of full internationals have played for Hereford during the club's history and have either been capped before, during or after their career with the club.
A number of players have played for both Hereford United and Hereford. Players inbold currently play for Hereford.
| Player | Pos. | Hereford United | Hereford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony James | DF | 1998–2006[118] 2010 (loan)[119] | 2015[120] |
| Rob Purdie | MF | 2002–2007 2010 (loan)[121] 2011–2012[122] 2013–2014[123] | 2015–2018[124] |
| Ryan Green | DF | 2003–2006[125] | 2015–2019[126] |
| Andy Williams | FW | 2004–2007[127] 2008–2009 (loan)[127] | 2023–[128] |
| Sam Gwynne | MF | 2005–2011[129][130] 2013–2014 | 2015[131] |
| Josh Gowling | DF | 2008–2009 (loan)[132] | 2018–2020[133] |
 James McQuilkin | MF | 2009–2013[134] | 2020–2021[135] |
| Marlon Jackson | FW | 2009 (loan)[136] 2012–2013[137] | 2018[138] |
| Tristan Plummer | MF | 2009 (loan)[136] 2012[139] | 2016–2017[140] |
| Jennison Myrie-Williams | MF | 2009 (loan)[141] | 2018[142] |
| Dan Preston | DF | 2010–2011 (loan)[143] | 2017–2018[144] |
| Paul Downing | DF | 2010 (loan)[145] | 2023–2024[146] |
| Joel Edwards | DF | 2013–2014[147] | 2015–2017[148] |
| Billy Murphy | MF | 2013–2014[149] | 2017–2019[150] |
| Jamie Edge | MF | 2013–2014[151] | 2016–2017[152] |
| Daniel Lloyd-Weston | GK | 2013–2014[153] | 2015[131] |
