HEREFORD UNITED F.C.

'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,^[2] 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.^[3][4]

Contents

History

Colours and crest

Stadium

Support

Rivals

Personnel

First team squad

Reserves & Youth Team

Club staff

Selected manager records

Notable players

Records

Honours

References

Notes

External links

History

Main articles: History of Hereford United F.C.

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.^[5] 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.^[6] 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 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.^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[9][10] 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.^[12] 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.

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.^[13][14] 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^[15][16] and Hereford were relegated to the Conference after 25 years in the Football League.^[17]
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.^[18]
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.^[19] Ultimately Hereford were to lose in the playoffs on penalties to Aldershot Town, after playing with 10 men for 100 minutes.^[20]
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 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.^[21] 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 have been Sun Valley Foods since 1991.
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. The supporter's club crest (pictured) was also used during the 1970s. The shirt crest design has changed several times over the years The design has changed several times, 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

Main articles: Edgar Street

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. 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''.^[22]
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.^[23] 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.^[24]

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.^[25] 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.^[26] 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''.

Rivals

Hereford's rivals have historically included Cardiff City, Shrewsbury Town, Kidderminster Harriers, Cheltenham Town and Worcester City.

Personnel

First team squad

''(team captain)''
''(club captain)''

Reserves & Youth Team

The Reserves currently do not play in a league, instead behind-closed-doors fixtures are arranged regularly. The Youth Team play in the Football League Puma Youth Alliance and players are recruited from the Pershore College Football Academy. They are coached by former Hereford player Gary Stevens, and Colin Williams who is the father of ex-player Andy Williams.

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

Selected manager records

:''For league matches only, correct as of the end of the 2006-07 season.
For a full list of Hereford United managers, see Hereford United managers''

Manager	Period in charge	Events	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Graham Turner	since August 1995	Relegated to Conference (1996-97) Became Chairman (1997-98) Promoted to League Two (2005-06)	516	211	142	163	40.89
John Newman	March 1983 - September 1987	5th in Fourth Division (1984-85) Area Finalists of Football League Trophy (1985-86)	206	77	50	79	37.38
Colin Addison	October 1971 - May 1974 August 1990 - May 1991	Reached FA Cup Fourth Round (1971-72) Election to Football League (1971-72) Promotion to Third Division (1972-73)	138	50	41	47	36.23
John Sillett	May 1974 - January 1978 August 1991 - May 1992	Third Division Champions (1975-76) Relegated from Second Division (1976-77)	204	67	58	79	32.84

Notable players

:''For a more comprehensive list, see List of Hereford United F.C. players''

The following players include those who have made over 300 appearances, or scored over 90 goals, for the club. Also included are players who have gained notoriety at a national level, former players currently playing at a high standard, and players who are recognised as fans' favourites in print.

★ 1950s: Reggie Bowen, Jimmy Duggan, John Layton Snr, Charlie Thompson, Roy Williams

★ 1960s: John Charles, Albert Derrick, Alan Jones, Bill Perry

★ 1970s: Ricky George, David Icke, Dixie McNeil, Adam Musiał, Ronnie Radford, Eric Redrobe, Dudley Tyler

★ 1980s: Jimmy Harvey, Ollie Kearns, Mel Pejic, Stewart Phillips, Chris Price

★ 1990s: Gavin Mahon, Steve White, Gavin Williams, Ian Wright

★ 2000s: Steve Bull, Rob Elmes, Michael McIndoe, Paul Parry

Records

:''For further records and statistics, see Hereford United F.C. statistics''
The majority of Hereford United's 27 season total spell in the Football League has been spent at the fourth tier of English football, reaching a peak in the 1976-77 season with their solitary season in the Football League Second Division second tier. In the process they became the first club to be relegated from the second tier after winning the third tier the previous season. Hereford have never progressed beyond the Fourth Round of the FA Cup, which they have reached on six occasions. They are also the last English club to have won the Welsh Cup, which they did so in 1990.
John Layton, Sr. holds the record for competitive appearances for the club, making 549 appearances between 1946 and 1964. The most recent player to come close to breaking this record was Mel 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 competitive goals for the club, scoring 184 between 1945 and 1958. Stewart Phillips is the most recent player to approach this total with 124, of which 95 were in the Football League which is the club record.

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)''

References

★ Hereford United: The League Era, Parrott, Ron, , , Desert Island Books, 1998, ISBN 187428718X

★ Hereford United: The Wilderness Years, Parrott, Prime and Williamson, , , Desert Island Books, 2006, ISBN 1-905328-22-2

★ The Ultimate Drop, Rowland, George, , , Tempus Publishing, 2001, ISBN 0-7524-2217-0

★ The Hereford United Story: 50 Years At Edgar Street, Williamson, John, , , Hereford Printing Co. Ltd, 1974,

★ Hereford United, Powell, Denise and Edge, David, , , Tempus Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7524-3155-2

★ King John, Charles, John, , , Headline Book Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7553-1208-2

Notes

1. Green finds the extra edge to put Hereford on cloud nine Guardian Unlimited, 21 May 2006. Retrieved on 27 February 2007.
2. Longest Serving Managers League Managers Association. Retrieved on 27 February 2007.
3. Turner ready for final push BBC Hereford and Worcester. Retrieved on 27 February 2007.
4. Hereford mourn loss of a legend The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved on 20 March 2007.
5. Williamson, John (1974). ''The Hereford United Story: 50 Years At Edgar Street.'' Hereford Printing Co. Ltd, pp 7-9
6. Williamson, John (1974), pp 41-42
7. The battle for Wigan The Independent, 23 November 2005. Retrieved on 27 February 2007.
8. Parrott, Ron (1998). ''Hereford United: The League Era.'' Desert Island Books, p.11
9. Charles, John (2003). ''King John.'' Headline Book Publishing, pp 218-219
10. Williamson, John (1974), p.113
11. It'll never happen Guardian Unlimited, 28 January 2007. Retrieved on 27 February 2007.
12. Parrott, Ron (1998), p.67
13. Rowland, George (2001). ''The Ultimate Drop.'' Tempus Publishing, p.85
14. Parrott, Ron (1998), p.153
15. Rowland, George (2001), p.91
16. Parrott, Ron (1998), p.158
17. Turner counts cost of exile on Edgar Street The Independent, 27 April 2001. Retrieved on 27 February 2007.
18. Back in the big time! BBC Hereford and Worcester. Retrieved on 20 March 2007
19. Dag & Red 0-9 Hereford BBC Sport. Retrieved on 22 March 2007
20. United in gloom but Hereford's play-off pain will linger The Independent, 10 May 2004. Retrieved on 27 February 2007.
21. Parrott, Ron (1998), p.10
22. Edgar Street plans made public BBC Hereford & Worcester, 19 June 2003. Accessed on 19 July 2007.
23. Pitch work completed HerefordUnited.co.uk, 22 May 2007. Accessed on 19 July 2007.
24. Edgar Street Development Update HerefordUnited.co.uk, 13 July 2007. Accessed on 19 July 2007.
25. Williamson, John (1974), pp 121, 133
26. Powell, Denise and Edge, David (2003). ''Hereford United.'' Tempus Publishing, p.18

External links

;Official

★ Hereford United Official Website
;General

★ Bulls News

★ Bulls Banter - Independent Bulls Forum

★ Independent Hereford United Online Archive

★ HUFC In Action - Match Photos

★ BOLSA