 | |||
| Nickname | The Bulls | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1924; 101 years ago (1924) | ||
| Dissolved | 10 December 2014; 10 years ago (10 December 2014) | ||
| Ground | Edgar Street | ||
| Capacity | 5,250 | ||
Hereford United Football Club was anassociation football club based inHereford, England. They played atEdgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The Bulls' after theHereford cattle breed. They contestedA49 derby games withShrewsbury Town.
Founded in 1924, the club entered theBirmingham Combination and switched to theBirmingham & District League four years later. They entered the Southern League afterWorld War II, winning the North-West Division in 1958–59 and Division One in 1964–65. Hereford achieved national prominence in 1972 when theyknocked top-flight Newcastle United out of the FA Cup and were elected into theFootball League later that year.[1] Promoted out of theFourth Division in 1972–73, they won theThird Division title in 1975–76, though lasted just one season in theSecond Division and were relegated again the following year.
Hereford spent 19 seasons in the fourth tier before losing their Football League status with a last-place finish in 1997. They remained in theConference for nine seasons under the stewardship ofGraham Turner, finishing second three consecutive times before winning promotion after winning the2006 play-off final. Promoted out ofLeague Two in 2007–08, they were relegated the following season and were again relegated into non-League football in 2012. On 19 December 2014, the club was wound up in the High Court with debts around £1.3 million.
Following the demise of United, a new 'phoenix club' was set up,Hereford.[2][3] The new club incorporates the words 'Forever United' into its crest design, as well as the iconic Hereford Bull, and gained promotion to theNational League North in 2018.
Hereford United Football Club was founded in 1924 with the merger of two local clubsSt Martins andRAOC (Rotherwas), with the intention of sustaining a higher class of football in the city of Hereford. Hereford joined theBirmingham Combination and lost its first match 3-2 toAtherstone United. The club's second ever match was anFA Cup preliminary round tie against future rivalsKidderminster Harriers which they lost 7–2.
Hereford progressed to theBirmingham & District League in 1928 where the club spent 11 seasons, with a best position of 4th. By the late 1930s the number of clubs in the league had decreased and Hereford successfully applied to join theSouthern League – but played only a few games in this league before the outbreak of theSecond World War. At the same time the club became a limited company.
When football resumed after the war, Hereford finished 1st in their first full season in the league only to be demoted to 2nd behindChelmsford City, which was awarded points for unplayed matches.[4] In 27 seasons in the Southern League, Hereford finished as runners-up three times, and also lifted theSouthern League Cup three times. When the league was regionalised for one season in 1958–59, Hereford also won their regional division to add to their third League Cup win.
In 1966, Hereford signedJohn Charles, the formerLeeds United,Juventus andWelsh international, boosting the support of the club.[5] He became manager a year later and set about building a team to challenge at the top of the Southern League and gainelection tothe Football League. With the club becoming one of the best-supported non-league clubs in the country Charles used his standing within the game to canvass votes from member clubs for election to the Football League.
The1971–72 season saw the club finish second in the Southern League and gain national prominence due to its exploits in the FA Cup. Charles had departed the club in October 1971 and his successorColin Addison inherited a side thatdefeated top-flight Newcastle United in the FA Cup. The star player wasDudley Tyler;Ronnie Radford andRicky George's goals earned the club a Fourth Round tie againstWest Ham United where they were defeated in a replay atUpton Park. The Cup run played a part in the club's successful election to theFourth Division, replacingBarrow.
The club rose rapidly to theSecond Division after finishing runners-up in their first season in the Fourth Division and winning theThird Division title in 1976.Dixie McNeil was the leading goalscorer in the top four divisions of English football in the same season, but Hereford spent only one season in the second tier before dropping back into the Fourth Division. The club's peak was in October 1976 when they were in sixth position before playingBrian Clough'sNottingham Forest, losing 4–3 at theCity Ground.
After this period of success the club spent 19 years in the bottom division, suffering financial problems in the early 1980s which resurfaced in the mid-1990s. The club enjoyed brief glimpses of their past success in the Cup competitions, holdingArsenal to a 1–1 draw in the FA Cup of 1985 and narrowly losing 1–0 toManchester United in the FA Cup of 1990. The club's first trophy for 14 years was theWelsh Cup won in the same season. In the league the club usually finished in the bottom half as it went through a succession of managers, finishing 17th in 4 consecutive seasons.
Graham Turner was appointed manager for the beginning of the1995–96 season and managed to lead the team to sixth place and the play-offs, despite the club being in 17th position two months previously. This resurgence was in part thanks to the goals ofSteve White who emulated Dixie McNeil by being the leading goalscorer in the top four divisions. Hereford lost toDarlington in the play-offs and, with financial problems worsening, the club lost key players for the following1996–1997 season. After a terrible run of form Hereford were ultimately relegated after a relegation-decider atEdgar Street withBrighton & Hove Albion.
In 1998, Turner purchased a majority shareholding from Peter Hill and Robin Fry. The club was in serious financial difficulties, with debts of £1 million owed to a property development company which also controlled the leases on the stadium.[6][7][8] Turner purchased only two players between 1997 and 2008 for a combined total of £40,000.[9]
The club's first five seasons in theConference saw little success on the pitch, with the club being forced to sell many of its key players and the future of Edgar Street in serious doubt. The 2001–02 FA Cup saw the club receive a financial bonus when the BBC televised the First Round match againstWrexham live. Turner stated that the money was critical to the club's survival and thereforeGavin Williams's goal againstDover Athletic in the previous round is seen as the goal that saved the club.[10]
Having reached a 40-year low of 17th in the Conference, the summer of 2002 proved a turning point as almost the entire squad was changed, the majority of new signings having been released from Football League clubs as a result of theITV Digital collapse. The new squad transformed the club into title contenders which, after a record-breaking season in the2003–04 season, finished as runners up in the Conference but failed in the play-offs. 2004–05 saw an identical outcome but in 2005–06 Hereford were promoted after defeatingHalifax Town in theplay-off final.[11]
The club returned to the Football League with a vastly improved financial situation. Under Turner the club was now strictly living within its financial means, having turned a sizeable profit in the latter Conference seasons whilst spending just £20,000 on transfers. In addition the team was playing attractive football which had earned them the mantle of "the best footballing side in the Conference".[12][13]
In2006–07, Hereford achieved victories over five of the top eight finishing clubs, but a poor run of form in the last part of the season dropped the club into 16th position. In the2007–08 season the club were never out of the top five from November onwards and consistently placed in the automatic promotion places. Despite strong competition fromStockport County, Hereford secured third place and promotion with a match to spare by defeatingBrentford 3–0 atGriffin Park, though they were tipped to struggle inLeague One.,[14]
2008–09 saw the club play in the third tier of English football for the first time since 1978. They rarely placed outside the relegation zone throughout the season, and achieved only 17 points at the halfway point. A 5–0 home win overOldham Athletic was a rare good result, with top scorerSteve Guinan scoring a hat-trick. Hereford's relegation was confirmed on 18 April 2009, after they recorded 1 win and 11 defeats in a 12 match spell. Turner subsequently stepped down as manager, paving the way forJohn Trewick to become manager. However, Trewick did not last a full season after a disappointing campaign and was dismissed on 8 March 2010; and Turner once again took over first team duties on a temporary basis.[15]
David Keyte was announced as the new club chairman on 4 June 2010 with Tim Russon as the new vice-chairman.[16] They appointedSimon Davey as manager on 22 June 2010.[17] Davey was sacked on 4 October 2010 after poor league form. He was succeeded by physio Jamie Pitman who acted as caretaker manager until he was made manager on a full-time basis until the end of the 2010–11 season.
Hereford were further relegated to the Conference fromLeague Two at the end of the2011–12 season.
Hereford were expelled from the Conference on 10 June 2014 due to financial irregularities.[18][19] It was revealed a week later that the club's debts could total as much as £1.3 million.[20] The club was accepted into the Southern League Premier Division for the 2014–15 season on 19 June 2014.[21] However, financial worries continued, including a winding-up petition started by Martin Foyle, who resigned as manager in March 2014. Hearings of the winding-up petition were adjourned a number of times, including on 7 July 2014. A number of other creditors attached themselves to the Foyle petition, including Andy Porter, former assistant manager, and HMRC. A CVA was proposed by the board of directors of the company, but was rejected by creditors. Many Hereford fans chose to boycott the club due to clashes between fans and the board.[citation needed]
On 10 December 2014, after failing to fully and properly comply with obligations to respond to questions coming from an Independent Regulatory Commission, the FA suspended Hereford United from all forms of football activity with immediate effect,[22] until the order of the Independent Regulatory Commission was complied with to the full satisfaction of the commission. Hereford United's suspension from all football activity was lifted by the Football Association the following day,[23] after chairman and new majority shareholder Andy Lonsdale confirmed the FA received the necessary documentation – including the transfer of shares in the club to Lonsdale. The club was wound-up in the High Court in December 2014.[24]
Hereford originally played in an all-white strip, but their traditional colours are white shirts and black shorts. This dates back to the end of theSecond World War when they used material from blackout curtains to make shorts when they ran out of white material.[25] However, they occasionally reverted to an all-white strip, latterly in the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons. Their away colours varied over the years, with predominantly yellow colours being used in later years.
Prior to 1971 the club played in plain shirts with no crest. A depiction of aHerefordshire bull was introduced for the 1971–72 season withH.U.F.C. lettering underneath. A supporters' club crest was also used during the 1970s. The shirt crest design changed several times over the years, with the full club name being added above and below the bull, which remained largely untouched. The current crest was introduced in the early 1990s but was not featured on the shirts until 2003.
Hereford's shirt sponsors were Sun Valley Poultry between 1991 and 2009, the biggest employer in Hereford. A new three-year sponsorship deal was agreed in May 2007 which extended the sponsorship to 19 years, one of the longest in British football history.[26] The logo ofCargill, Sun Valley's parent company, appeared on the shirts from the 2009–10 season onwards. Hereford's shirt and kit suppliers wereM and M Direct, another large employer in Herefordshire, which supported the club for many years. For the 2009–10 season, the kit was manufactured by Admiral. In the 2014–15 season Cargill ended sponsorship because of concerns over the financial running of the club. From August 2014 the club had no sponsors with many pulling out in the summer of 2014 due to the club's financial running and future viability.
Hereford United played their home matches atEdgar Street from their formation in 1924; the ground was previously used by the amateur club Hereford City as well as for athletics. In later years the ground was central to Hereford's financial troubles, with the previous owners of the club handing the leases over to a development company from which they had borrowed £1 million.[27] During the club's early years in the Conference the future of the ground was in doubt, and relocation was considered to the point that plans for a new 7,500 seater stadium were drawn up.[27] A joint venture agreement was made between the club and the developers to redevelop both ends of the ground to include leisure facilities that would enable the debt to be settled. The area around the ground is subject to a substantial redevelopment plan, known as theEdgar Street Grid (ESG).[28] The club and the developers were originally looking to submit redevelopment plans to the council by the end of 2007.[29] Although the ground redevelopment is independent of the ESG, plans for the building of a cinema at the Blackfriars End drawn up by the club and developers were not supported by ESG and Herefordshire Council.[27] Several months later, plans for the ESG itself were published which included a cinema.
The ground itself changed little since the mid-1970s and was largely outdated and in need of urgent redevelopment, with the Blackfriars End failing a safety inspection in July 2009.[30] The terraced end had fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years which steadily reduced the stadium capacity from nearly 9,000 to reportedly 7,100, although the capacity was officially confirmed as 7,700 in November 2007.[31] Improvements were made in later years to ensure the ground metFootball League standards; including new floodlights, dressing rooms and barriers on the terraces. The pitch itself was also completely relaid for the 2007–08 season,[32] with a new sprinkler system installed for the 2008–09 season.[33]In 2013, the club said the capacity of Edgar Street was 5,966, but in 2014, the club only had a safety certificate to allow 1,000 spectators.
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.[34] 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 15 Fourth Division clubs.[35][36][37] Approximately 10,000 Hereford supporters attended the Conference play-off final.[38]
The club's official programme wasBullseye and there was also a fanzine calledTalking Bull until the 2008–09 season, when it was changed to an online format.
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. 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 rarely enjoyed capacity crowds at Edgar Street in its later years, last seeing a five-figure home attendance in 1990.[citation needed] After the reduction of the Edgar Street capacity in line with theTaylor Report the highest home attendance was 8,953 in 1994 – aCoca-Cola Cup second-round match againstNottingham Forest. The highest league home attendance was 8,532, which was the relegation decider againstBrighton & Hove Albion in 1997.
Following the takeover by Tommy Agombar, following the conclusion of the 2013–2014 season, Hereford's supporters trust voted to boycott United's fixtures and subsequently attendances dropped from around 2000 in the 2013–2014 season, to around 200–400 during the opening exchanges of the 2014–2015 Southern League.
The club's official anthem wasHereford United (We All Love You) which was written and performed by Danny Lee, a notable supporter of the club.[39] Originally recorded and released in 1972, the same year as the famous FA Cup run, a rendition was usually sung at every Hereford match both home and away. The song was remixed three times: in 1979, 2002 and 2006. It was covered and released as a fundraising single, by local band King Mantis in 2013.[40][41]
Hereford had a number of rivalries with other clubs throughout their history. In the club's Southern League eraWorcester City were considered their fiercest rivals. BothCardiff City andNewport County were considered rivals in the 1970s and 1980s.
The derby againstShrewsbury Town, known as theA49 derby, after the road separating the two towns, was listed nineteenth inThe Daily Telegraph's twenty fiercest rivalries in English football.[42] However, since Hereford's resurrection the two sides have never met.
In the recent Football League era since promotion from the Conference, the club's rivals includedKidderminster Harriers,Cheltenham Town, andForest Green Rovers.[43][44]
Graham Turner was the longest serving Hereford United manager and was also second to Sir Alex Ferguson as the longest serving manager in the English football league, having completed almost 14 seasons at the club.
The statistics of Hereford United's four most successful managers from the 1972–73 season onwards are shown below. Statistics include league matches only and are correct as of 7 May 2011.
| Manager | Period in charge | English football levels contested | Record | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | Draw % | Loss % | |||
| Graham Turner | 1995–2009, 2010 | Level 3 (1 season) Level 4 (4 seasons) Level 5 (9 seasons) | 606 | 246 | 159 | 201 | 40.59 | 26.24 | 33.17 |
| John Newman | 1983–1987 | Level 4 (4.5 seasons) | 206 | 77 | 50 | 79 | 37.38 | 24.27 | 38.35 |
| John Sillett | 1974–1978, 1991–1992 | Level 2 (1 season) Level 3 (2.5 seasons) Level 4 (1 season) | 204 | 67 | 58 | 79 | 32.84 | 28.43 | 38.73 |
| Colin Addison | (1971)–1974, 1990–1991 | Level 3 (1 season) Level 4 (1 season) | 138 | 50 | 41 | 47 | 36.23 | 29.71 | 34.06 |
A number of full internationals played for Hereford in its 90-year history, althoughBrian Evans was the only player to be capped whilst at the club.Gavin McCallum came on for Canada on 29 May 2010 against Venezuela in a friendly and scored a late equaliser becoming the second Hereford United player to be capped and the first to score whilst at the club.
Astrit Ajdarević
James WalkerMoses AshikodiMarvin McCoy
Meshach WadeKentoine Jennings
Gavin McCallum
Jose Veiga
Jarrod BowenJohn SnapeGary HooperMike BaileyKen BrownSteve BullWilliam ChurcherSam ClucasAndy ToddEdwin HollidayDavid IckeJoe JohnsonEric KeenTerry PaineBill PerryRob PurdiePeter SpiringRoy Williams
Mika Kottila
Bruno Ngotty
Edrissa Sonko
Delroy Facey
Péter Gulácsi
Stephen Gleeson Jimmy HigginsDarren RandolphKevin Sheedy
Trevor BenjaminTheo RobinsonO'Neil Thompson
Eric Odhiambo
Yoann Arquin
Wayne DyerLyle Taylor
James Musa
Ade Akinbiyi
Tony CapaldiRobbie DennisonMichael InghamMatty Lund
Adam Musiał
Febian Brandy
Jim BlythJonathan GouldMichael McIndoe
Bryn AllenJohn CharlesRay DanielNick DeacyBrian EvansRoy EvansRoger FreestoneRyan GreenRon HewittBilly HughesSteve LowndesPaul ParryDerek ShowersDerek SullivanDai ThomasNigel VaughanMarley WatkinsGavin WilliamsAfter their solitary season in theold Second Division in 1976–77, the club became the firstold Third Division champions to finish bottom the following season. Hereford were also the last English club (not countingThe New Saints, who play in theWelsh football league system despite being based in England) to have won theWelsh Cup, which they did so in1989–90.
John Layton Sr. holds the record for competitive appearances for the club, making 549 appearances between 1946 and 1964. In recent times the only player to come close to breaking this record wasMel Pejic who had made 523 appearances before his departure in 1992. Pejic made a record 412 Football League appearances for the club.
Charlie Thompson holds the record for goals scored for the club, scoring 184 in all competitions between 1945 and 1958.Roy Williams is the second highest goalscorer in the club's history, scoring 154 goals in 357 appearances over two spells between 1947 and 1963.In recent timesStewart Phillips is the only player to even approach this total with 124. His total of 95 goals in the Football League is a club record.
The sale ofLionel Ainsworth is set to break the club's transfer record of £440,000, dependent on the fortunes ofWatford.[45]
League
Cup
