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Next Game: Home Against Farsley Celtic On Saturday March 23rd Kick-Off 3.00pm

Monday, April 30, 2018

New Video To Promote Hereford FC


A brand new video to promote Hereford FC and in particular season tickets for 2018/19 has just been released.

It's an excellent production and well worth watching.


Gates Down 9.5% At Edgar Street


 Attendance Statistics - Southern Premier League 2017/18
Attendances
Team  Lowest  Highest  Average +/-
1 Hereford 1685 4556 2553 -9.50%
2 King's Lynn Town 490 1181 780 +43.38%
3 Weymouth 481 1885 780 +50.87%
4 Slough Town 372 1561 666 +5.55%
5 Kettering Town 499 1019 645 +28.49%
6 Merthyr Town 256 2612 522 +5.88%
7 Dorchester Town 257 1505 453 +7.86%
8 Hitchin Town 207 755 434 -9.01%
9 Banbury United 255 1011 386 -0.52%
10 Redditch United 156 1651 346 +33.08%
11 Basingstoke Town 194 704 327 -18.45%
12 Bishop's Stortford 177 738 298 -16.06%
13 Chesham United 151 554 297 -8.33%
14 Farnborough 169 812 291 +6.20%
15 St Neots Town 138 516 273 +4.60%
16 Royston Town 173 512 261 +29.85%
17 Gosport Borough  0 539 257 -44.25%
18 Tiverton Town 126 620 249 -6.39%
19 Stratford Town 130 707 244 +5.63%
20 Frome Town 91 531 238 -6.30%
21 Kings Langley 118 661 234 +41.82%
22 St Ives Town 67 702 221 -18.75%
23 Biggleswade Town  0 740 218 +12.95%
24 Dunstable Town 75 509 174 +14.47%

Ticketing Made Easy At Hereford


On the afternoon season ticket prices have been announced here's a look at how ticketing has been made easier at Edgar Street since the club started working with Advanced Ticketing Solutions.

Hereford FC is an English association football club from the city of Hereford. Founded in 2014 as a phoenix club for Hereford United, we inherited the Edgar Street stadium. 

We are nicknamed 'The Whites' after our predominantly white kit and 'The Bulls' after the Hereford cattle breed. We have a passion for football and our motto is 'Our greatest glory lies not in never having fallen, but in rising when we fall.’ 

The club is affiliated to the Herefordshire County Football Association. Currently we play in the Southern Premier League. We entered the football pyramid before the 2015–16 season, and won the Midland Football League Premier Division in our first season and the Southern League South & West in our second season.  

Our focus needs to be on the game, therefore back office administration and financial stability is paramount. We needed a solution that could support us so we didn’t have to worry about anything but winning.
 
Manual tasks  
Previous to our partnership with Advanced, we had no seating plan for the stadium. Moreover, we would manually count out ticket stumps to determine ticket sales. 

We have a dedicated volunteer workforce who would previously have had to deal with a large amount of cash sales, but the new system has seen a big increase in card transactions and online sales, meaning we don't have the security issues of moving large sums of cash around the stadium on a match day.
 
Overcoming market issues  
For us, our largest market problem was dealing with large crowds. At Hereford, our average crowd size is around 2,800. Ticketing management for such a large crowd is very time-consuming and frustrating when done manually. 

Although for some clubs ticketing is not a priority (with some having no ticketing system at all), for us this process was quickly becoming unpractical and unsustainable. 

Finding an affordable solution with a quick ROI but with high functionality became an immediate priority for us. We needed a solution that would provide seating plans, batch prints and provide 24/7 online sales to reduce the burden on back office staff.
 
Decision-making  
When considering who our provider would be, we knew we needed a solution with a strong financial return on investment. Additionally, we knew whichever system we used had to have the ability to significantly reduce time spent on administrative tasks, enabling us to improve the online experience for fans without diminishing contact with the club. 

After a careful tendering process, we chose to partner with Advanced for their Cloud ticketing solution. For us, we found Advanced to be the most cost effective solution that still provided the critical elements we were looking for. 

The solution has key features such as seating plan functionality and a high ROI that frees up our workforce; which is invaluable – especially on match days.
 
Jamie Griffiths, our Administration Officer at Hereford says “The Advanced system allows us to prepare the match day tickets in a fraction of the time that our previous system took. 

"This saves countless hours counting out tickets by hand, allowing us to batch print large amounts of tickets at the press of a button. This means our limited match day staff can spend time on other duties.”
 
Constant access

Advanced’s solution results in fans having 24/7 access to tickets, providing them with the flexibility and choice of when to interact with us. 

Our physical ticket office is open 10-4, Wednesday & Friday so the availability of ticketing now gives fans ultimate access – whenever they want to buy, they can.
Jamie continues, “The new system is also much quicker for our ticket sellers to physically sell the tickets, and allows us to quickly check on the latest sales.

"The flexibility of the solution, for example custom seating plans and a branded integrated site, are some great assets. This functionality has improved the service we provide our fans, which is our main goal."
 
Support system  
Advanced’s support throughout the implementation and since have been first class. The implementation had an extremely fast turnaround. 

It took about a week from the signed agreement to seeing the first version of the site. We have a dedicated account manager to provide us with support should we need it and regular communication ensuring we maximise our investment.
 
Benefits to us 
In essence, the solution has been a workforce multiplier for us. Our staff aren’t caught up in back office tasks so they’re able to focus on other business priorities. 

Online ticketing keeps cash handling to a minimum, thereby reducing pressure on volunteers and the risk involved in handling cash payments. Online uptake has significantly improved since implementing the system.
 
Improving happiness  
Advanced’s solution has allowed fans to select their own seats. Previously this caused issues that would require steward intervention. Now everyone has a guaranteed seat, making them happier and reducing stress for the volunteer staff. 

The technology allows operators to access specific ticket types for discounted tickets that are not available online. 

Moreover, it allows them to address fan’s specific requirements to ensure that they have trouble-free attendance on match day and the club can address their specific needs.
 
Business enablement 
Advanced’s solution has allowed us to print reports that autonomously count ticket sales, saving valuable time. The clean and bespoke URL, partnered with mobile optimisation allows for greater sales and fan engagement through social media channels by adding links to tweets and posts to direct supporters to the games – vastly improving the fan journey.

The system can also be used for off-season events to help bolster income when the football season is over. The offering of the solution means that we can mutually partner with local businesses, enabled by the bespoke design options for both branding and sponsorship, allowing a greater commercial utilisation and online presence.

Added value 
Thanks to this technology, we now are proud to say we have increased fan and volunteer satisfaction, leading to higher match day attendance (meaning more sales) and improved community cohesion. Additionally, we now spend less time reconciling and printing and fans have more flexibility and choice in buying tickets.

Having a dedicated account manager means should any issues arise, they are dealt with at pace and with professionalism. Jamie explains, It is extremely useful to have a dedicated account manager to hand who can either answer any questions quickly, or signpost us to the correct point of contact. 

This means that if something does go wrong, our account manager is on hand to keep us informed on progress and resolve the situation. There is also a great benefit of being able to have face-to-face meetings to discuss progress and plans for Hereford, rather than talking to a different contact each time over the phone or via email.

The time we have gained back from manual tasks has meant that the small backroom team can focus their time on more crucial club issues.

Since our partnership with Advanced begun, we have saved a great deal through ticket stock rather than using expensive ticket booklets.
 
Moving forward  
In the near future, we will be looking at the possibility of having barcoded entry to reduce ticket printing costs further and give supporters greater choice on how they purchase tickets. 

Our aim is to try and get back into a position where the club can challenge for a return to the Football League. To do that we need to continue to try and build our supporter base. As we continue to develop and grow as a club, we are hoping for an increase in popularity for our off-season, summer events – turning our venue into a year round success.


Webb Defends Increase In Match Ticket Prices


Commercial director George Webb has defended the increase in season ticket and match day prices announced by Hereford FC earlier this afternoon.

‘We have had lengthy discussions about the prices for next season and feel that we have settled on a structure that rewards the loyalty of fans who want to buy a season ticket and also offers good value to fans who buy tickets on a match by match basis when compared to other clubs at our level.

‘Anyone buying a season ticket prior to the early bird deadline of July 1st will enjoy five free matches when compared to paying on the day at each game, which we believe offers excellent value. The savings for season tickets bought after the deadline are also significant and therefore, once again, we would encourage our supporters to buy season tickets if they possibly can.

‘I’d also like to announce that we are introducing family season tickets for the Specsavers Family Stand (A Block) for 2018/19 and I am hopeful this idea will really appeal to supporters. The early bird price of £510 (for two adults and two children) offers a potential saving of over £200, which I believe is a brilliant opportunity for supporters who want to make following their favourite team even more a part of their family life. Other options for family season tickets in A Block are also available.’
 

Season Ticket Prices Rise After Third Consecutive Promotion


Hereford have this afternoon released details of ticket prices for next season.

Having secured three promotions in as many years, the club are now going into either the National League North or South but will have to wait a few more weeks until this is known.

As a result of the higher league, as expected, prices have risen.

There are early bird offers if season tickets are bought before July 1st, and the club has introduced a family season ticket for Block A in the Merton Stand.

There is also a priority period for existing season ticket holders.

Renewals: 14/05/18 – 17/06/18
Early bird offer: 14/05/18 – 30/06/18
General sale: 02/07/18 – 10/08/18

For adults wishing to sit in either the Merton or Len Weston Stands, they face a 31% increase compared to last season's prices. It will cost £273 if bought after the early bird offer closes, which works out as £13 per game. This is £2 lower than prices on the day.

U18 tickets have been replaced with U16, with full time students qualifying for the concessionary prices.

Before July 1st - After July 1st - Match day prices
Seated
Adult - £241.50 - £273 - £15
Concession - £220.50 - £252 - £14
U16 - £20 - £30 - £2

Terracing
Adult - £210 - £231 - £13
Concession - £189 - £210 - £12
U16 - £20 - £30 - £2

The full details, including executive club and family season tickets, can be found on the official site here - http://www.herefordfc.co.uk/201819-season-ticket-prices/

All tickets will be available to buy online.

Hereford United Programmes Available


Carl Haffenden has a number of old Hereford United programmes available. They include the Newcastle programme from 1972 and range from games played in 1970 to 1985.

Anyone interested can contact Carl at: carlhaffenden&live.co.uk

Update: There's been a lot of interest in the Newcastle programme so that one is now available to purchase at:

Home Unless Stated - League Unless Stated
----------
Away - Newport County - 20th Jan 1970
----------
Bury Town - FA Trophy - 6th Feb 1971
Banbury United - FA Cup - 3rd March
Macclesfield - FA Trophy - 13th March
Bath City - 20th March
Ashford - 21st April
Merthyr Tydfil - Welsh Cup Fifth Round Replay - Undated - X 2
----------
Newcastle - FA Cup Third Round Replay - 26th January 1972
Hereford United - Giantkillers - 25p
West Ham - FA Cup Fourth Round 1971/72
Dartford - FA Trophy - 26th Feb
Cambridge City - 18th March
Hartlepool - 7th Oct
Doncaster - 4th Nov
Heanor Town - 11th Nov
-----------
Stockport County - 18th April 1973
Crewe alexander - 28th April
Shrewsbury Town - HFA Cup Semi Final - 4th May
Coventry City - End Of Season Challenge Match - 9th May
Tranmere Rovers - 19th Sept
Wrexham - 29th Sept
Torquay United - FA Cup - 24th Nov
-----------
West Ham United - FA Cup - 9th Jan 1974- X 2
Grimsby Town - 19th Jan
Bristol City - FA Cup - 26th Jan 
Aldershot - 20th March
Shrewsbury Town - 15th April
Bristol City - Alan Jones Testimonial - 23rd April
Aldershot - 17th August
Watford - 4th Sept
AFC Bournemouth - 14th Sept
Chesterfield - 28th Sept
Preston North End - 5th Oct
Halifax Town - 19th Oct
Colchester United - 23rd Oct
Huddersfield Town - 2nd Nov
Brighton & Hobe Albion - 16th Nov
Gillingham - FA Cup - 23rd Nov
Swindon town - 7th Dec
-----------
Tranmere Rovers - 18th Jan 1975
Wrexham - 1st Feb
Plymouth Argyle - 8th March
Walsall - 22nd March
Port Vale - 31st March
Southend United - 5th April
Gillingham - 19th April
Port Vale - League Cup - 27th August
Sheffield Wednesday - 30th August
Away - Port Vale - League Cup Replay - 1st Sept
Burnley - Football League Cup - 10th Sept
Colchester United - 13th Sept
Swindon Town - 24th Sept
Gillingham - 27th Sept
Wrexham - 11th Oct
Peterborough United - 25th Oct
Grimsby Town - 8th Nov
Torquay United -FA Cup - 22nd Nov
Bury - 29th Nov
AFC Bournemouth - FA Cup - 17th Dec
Walsall - 26th Dec
Away - Shrewsbury Town - 27th December - 1975/76
------------
Crystal Palace - 31st Jan 1976
Cardiff City - 4th Feb
Mansfield Town - 11th Feb
Porthmadog - Welsh Cup - 18th Feb
Southend United - 21st Feb
Preston North End - 6th March
Chester - 10th March
Halifax Town - 17th March
Brighton & Hove Albion - 27th March
Millwall - 10th April
Away - Walsall - 17th April
Shrewsbury Town - 19th April
Rotherham United - 24th April
Cardiff City - HFA Cup - 15th May
Hull City - 21st August
Burnley - 4th Sept
Charlton Athletic - 18th Sept
Wolverhampton Wonderers - 2nd Oct
Notts County - 23rd Oct
Oldham Athletic - 20th Nov
Leyton Orient - 18th Dec
Plymouth Argyle - 29th Dec
-------------
Sheffield United - 5th Feb 1977
Nottingham Forest - 19th Feb
Fulham - 5th March
Cardiff - 6th April
Bristol Rovers - 11th April
Blackburn Rovers - 23rd April
Carlisle United - 4th May
Blackpool - 7th May
Southampton - 11th May
The Giantkillers - Dudley Tyler Testimonial - 18th May
Blauw-wit (Amsterdam) - Pre Season Challenge Match - 6th August
AFC Bournemouth - League Cup - 13th August
AFC Bournemouth - League Cup Replay - 23rd August
Gillingham - 7th Sept
Rotherham United - 10th Sept
Carlisle United - 24th Sept
Oxford United - 1st Oct
Bury - 5th Oct
Cambridge United - 15th Oct
Port Vale - 29th Oct
Walsall - 12th Nov
Wealdstone - FA Cup - 30th Nov
Peterborough United - 26th Dec
--------------
Plymouth Argyle - 28th Jan 1978
Preston North End - 11th Feb
--------------
Bristol Rovers -League Cup - 16th August 1978/79
Northampton - League Cup - 6th Sept
Reading - 13th Sept
Aldershot - 21st Oct
Newport County - FA Cup - 25th Nov
Doncaster Rovers - 21st April
Wimbledon - 5th May
--------------
Exeter City - League Cup - 11th August 1979
Torquay United - 3rd Oct
Northampton Town - FA Cup - 24th Nov
Aldershot - FA Cup - 15th Dec
Huddersfield - 19th April
Manchester City - HFA Cup Final - 22nd April 
Birmingham City - HFA Cup Final - 15th August
Everton - Pre Season Friendly - 17th August
-------------
Port Vale - 22nd Oct 1980/81
Away - Newport County -League Cup - 12th August
Stockport County - 6th May
Newport County - League Cup - 9th August
Tranmere Rovers - 16th August
Rochdale - 17th Sept
Crewe Alexandra - 5th Nov
---------------
Scunthorpe - FA Cup - 11th Jan 1981
Away - Bradford City - 26th April
Away - Swansea City - Welsh Cup Final First Leg - 4th May
Swansea City - Welsh Cup Final Second Leg - 11th May
Port Vale - League Cup - 2nd Sept
Bradford City - 19th Sept
Torquay United - 23rd Sept
Hartlepool United - 3rd Oct
Stockport County - 4th Nov
Fulham - FA Cup Second Round - 12th Dec
---------------
Leicester City - FA Cup Fourth Round - 23rd Jan 1982
--------------
Oxford United - Milk Cup - 29th August 1984/85
Chester City - 19th Sept
--------------
Arsenal - Milk Cup Second Round First Leg - 25th Sept 1985
Darlington - 7th Nov
Aldershot - 23rd Dec
Southend - 1st January 1985
---------------
Manchester United - Colin Addison Benefit Match - 1st August 1985
---------------
Other Football Items:

Soccer Review 1970/71
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United - FA Cup 4th Round - 24th Jan 1981
League Football Brochure - 1972/73 ?
The Great Stars Of Football 1970 - Booklet with Pictures Inside
Football League Review 1970/71 ?
League Football Brochure - 1972/73 ? (Different to above one)
Wales vs Rumania - European Championship Match - Ninian Park, Cardiff - 11th November 1970
Programmes

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Ben Smith | Audio Interview - Hereford United Archive : Episode 6

Ben Smith joins me for this week's instalment. The classy midfielder enjoyed two spells at Edgar Street. Firstly from 2002-2004, and again from 2007-2009.

Find out :
*Why he decided to leave Southend to join Hereford United.
*How much he admires Rob Purdie.
*His respect for Richard O'Kelly.
*Devastation in being knocked out of the play offs by Aldershot in 2004.
*Differences in styles between Richard O'Kelly and John Trewick.
*Memories of winning promotion to League One in 2008.
*The impact in not signing Gary Hooper.
*Disappointment of the League One season - 2008/2009.
*Why Graham Turner didn't splash the cash in League One.
*Success of Ben's book "Journeyman"
*Which Premier League club he now works for.

For exclusive notifications on new uploads. Subscribe now ->  www.youtube.com/djmatthealey

It's Official - Hereford Are The Best Team The Southern Premier League Have Ever Seen


Hereford Club historian Ron Parrott has been inundated recently with questions about how our results and league stats compare to previous champions and their results. Ron takes up the story:-
 
“Comparisons are always difficult because in previous Southern League Premier seasons, clubs sometimes played 46, 44, 42 or even 40 games in a season but making allowances for this, comparisons can still be made. To recap, Peter Beadle and his lads ended up with:-
 
P46    W36    D5    L5    F111    A33    Pts113
 
This does indeed look impressive but it’s not until you examine the achievement in detail, that you realise what an absolutely magnificent, never to be forgotten season we have been lucky enough to enjoy! I have gone back as far as the Second World War to examine statistics and here are the results:-
 
1.    36 games won. No team in the history of the Southern League has ever won this number of games. The nearest have been Bath City with 32 from 42 games back in 1959/60 (but they also lost seven out of 42) and Welling United with 29 from just 38 games in 1985/86.
 
2.    Five games drawn. Four clubs have equalled this but with far more losses and only one club has bettered it, Bath City again with three in 1959/60 but they lost seven.
 
3.    Five games lost. Yes, this feat has been bettered but never when combined with the number of wins and draws. For example, Boston United only lost four in 1999/2000 but they drew 11, Dover Athletic lost only four in 1992/93 but they also drew 11, Dover repeated the feat in 1989/90 but they drew six and only scored 87, Welling United only lost three in 1985/86 but they only played 38 games and drew six of those. Our old friends Worcester City lost only four in 1978/79 but they also drew 11. The record for the fewest losses goes to Bath City in 1977/78 when they lost only two but they drew 18.
 
4.    111 goals scored. Yes, this total has been bettered on several occasions but never with so few goals conceded. For the record, Kettering Town of course, have exceeded this total this very season. Other teams to beat it are:- Hemel Hempstead Town in 2013/14 with 128 goals, Oxford United in 1961/62 with 118 goals, Bath City in 1959/60 with 116 goals and of course the great Merthyr Tydfil side of the late 40s and early 50s who scored 133 in 1948/49, 143 in 1949/50, a magnificent 156 in 1950/51 and 128 in 1951/52.
 
5.    Just 33 goals conceded. This has been bettered on eight occasions but in every case, the goals scored has been far less. The best of the lot was the miserly 23 conceded by champions Dover Athletic in 1992/93 but they only scored 65.
 
6.    113 points secured. This is a Southern League Premier record! Only three clubs have ever exceeded 100 points, Chippenham Town were the latest when they recorded 103 points just last season from 46 games. Then come Hemel Hempstead Town with 102 points from 44 games in 2013/14 and you have to go back in time to 1989/90 when Dover Athletic notched up 102 points from 42 games.
 
All in all, it’s a magnificent record of which we should all be justly proud! Any doubters of Peter Beadle and his team should only look at these statistics to realise what a fantastic job they have done, it couldn’t have been better!”

Around The Ground


A final look back to St Ives yesterday where Hereford played their final Southern League game of the season.













Southern Premier League Weekend Review


Probably the last Southern League review we will post for a while. As ever it was written by Steve Whitney.

The only issues up for grabs on the final day of the Evo-Stik League South Premier season were the positions of the play-off contenders and the one relegation place.
Gosport Borough gave themselves a massive chance of staying up, despite languishing at the foot of the table for several months, after beating the only other team in the frame, Dunstable Town, 2-0 at Creasey Park on Thursday night.
So, the teams began the final day level on seventeen points, with Boro having the better goal difference.
Both faces away games, both against mid-table teams.
Frome Town hosted Dunstable and went 2-0 up with goals from Joe Raynes after 14 and 34 minutes.
Ryan Bath killed the game off with a third goal 5 minutes from time.
Gosport led at half-time at St Neots, courtesy of Ben Wright`s goal right on the whistle.
But the turning point of the game came in the 54th minute when St Neots `keeper George Bugg was sent-off for a poor challenge on Ryan Pennery and defender Jack Bradshaw had to don the gloves.
He conceded a goal almost immediately to an Ed Sanders effort and Boro sealed their place in the league and avoided back-to-back relegations with further goals from Luca Wrightman-David on 65 minutes and Joe Lea on 76 minutes.
King’s Lynn Town secured home advantage in the Southern League Premier play-offs with a 3-1 win at Chesham United to finish as runners-up and pass the 100-point mark.
Lynn went ahead at Chesham after just 7 minutes when Craig Parker scored.
Parker doubled his tally and the visitors` lead on 23 minutes.
And then Cameron Norman made it 3-0 just 6 minutes into the second half with a 25-yard free-kick.
The hosts pulled one back 2 minutes later through Shane Bush but Lynn had done enough.
Slough Town secured the other home tie after they won 2-1 at Arbour Park in front of 759 against surprise side Royston Town.
James Dobson gave the Rebels the boost of an early 6th minute goal.
Adam Murray equalised just before half-time, but just after the break, Dobson`s second proved to be Slough`s winner, meaning that whatever Kettering Town did at home to Farnborough wouldn`t be enough to nick third spot.
And the high-scoring Poppies did their best by hammering Boro 6-2 at a soggy Latimer Park in front of 712.
And that after falling behind to a 7th minute Michael Elias-Fernandes goal.
The reliable Brett Solkhon levelled from the penalty spot in the 27th minute and then immediately after half-time, Aaron O`Connor put the Poppies in front.
The hosts then blew Farnborough away with three goals in 12 minutes from Matt Stevens with two and another for O`Connor to make it 5-1.
A Ben Toseland own goal reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute, but the four-goal advantage was restored 6 minutes from the end when Stevens completed his hat-trick from the spot.
Kettering finished above Weymouth on goal difference – the Poppies struck an amazing 122 goals – despite the Terras` 3-0 win at the Bob Lucas Stadium against Hitchin Town.
It was 0-0 at half-time, but Calvin Brooks broke the deadlock to give the Terras the lead on the hour-mark.
Abdulai Baggie and Brandon Goodship then added further goals in the final 9 minutes.
King`s Lynn – the only side in the top five not to top 100 goals! – will take on Weymouth on Wednesday, while the other semi-final sees Slough play Kettering at Arbour Park and the final is on Bank Holiday Monday.
Tiverton Town finished sixth but ended with a 0-0 Ladysmead draw with Banbury United, while Royston`s fine first season at this level saw them end up seventh, despite Saturday`s defeat.

Elsewhere, champions Hereford FC made it 113 points for the campaign after winning 2-0 at third-bottom St Ives Town, who had the consolation of a bumper 702 crowd at Westwood Road.
Dara O`Shea after 33 minutes and a penalty converted by John Mills on 68 minutes sealed the Bulls` win.

Jack McKnight topped and tailed Basingstoke Town`s 4-3 Camrose win over Kings Langley.
Callum Bunting and Sam Deadfield sandwiched `Stoke`s other two, while Jorell Johnson, Mitchell Weiss and Kieran Turner had the visitors 3-2 up at one stage.
Chris Nunn and Craig Adams` final league game in charge of Biggleswade Town ended in a 1-1 Langford Road draw with Dorchester Town, whose Ashley Pope cancelled out Connor Hall`s 23rd minute opener for the Waders in the 39th minute.
Ben Stephens` 26th minute effort looked to have won Stratford Town all three points at Bishop`s Stortford, until Joe Robinson popped up with an equaliser in the 3rd minute of stoppage time.
And at Penydarren Park, Merthyr Town led 2-1 going into time added on when former striker Stuart Fleetwood grabbed Redditch United`s leveller.
Earlier, Adam Page`s 21st minute opener for the Reds in Tim Harris` final game in charge was cancelled out by Ryan Prosser after 47 minutes and 51 minutes – the second from the spot.
 

Hardly Surprising We Were Beaten Said St Ives's Manager


St Ives manager Ricky Marheinke gave his reaction to Hereford's 2-0 win at ProEdge Westwood Road yesterday.

"We were beaten by the better side and that’s hardly surprising when a third-bottom team is going up against the runaway champions," said Marheinke.

 "But we were really competitive for most of the game until starting to look tired towards the end – and again that’s no shock given the amount of football we’ve had to cram into the last few weeks.

"The supporters can be proud of the shift the players put in and I’m certainly very proud of the people who gave up their morning to get water off the pitch and ensure the game went ahead.

"It’s been a difficult season and a frustrating one, but staying at Step 3 is a success for us. We all know we’re punching above our weight and things such as our facilities and budget also make it difficult for us to recruit.

"But we’ll be back next season – hopefully better, hopefully stronger, but definitely raring to go."

Match Report - St Ives 0 Hereford 2



Eric reports from Cambridgeshire.

It was a very wet pitch at St. Ives. The club had worked extremely hard to get the game on and many thanks to their volunteers for all their efforts. The ground itself undulates like a golf fairway with several little slopes. In the warm up Puddy sustained a slight injury so Horsell started. St. Ives formed a guard of honour for the champions.
Hereford’s first attack saw Myrie-Williams dancing through only for him to be blocked off. A cross by Bowen was well taken by Trebes. Already the very, very wet pitch was making it hard to play football. The referee allowed generously for this. Both sides perhaps did not play with ultimate commitment. This was a day for sliding tackles, but also one when they could easily be mis-timed in the difficult conditions.
Myrie-Williams and Bowen combined, and James’ cross found Symons whose header was deflected over at the expense of a corner which was cleared. Pablo was pinging in the corners and from the next one Liburd glanced a header just wide. Good work between Richards and Smith forced another corner. When Haysham’s corner was headed back out he shot straight back but it went high and wide after ten minutes.
A surging Myrie-Williams run won a corner. Some silky skills by McGrath saw him send a good cross field ball only for the referee to intercept it, falling over in the process. The ball broke to Myrie-Williams who shot over. Trebes poor clearance was cut out by Symons who quickly sent a diagonal forward to pass to Myrie-Williams who broke on to it. As he cut in he fired in a fierce shot Trebes pushed round the post for yet another corner. 

Mike McGrath On A Run Towards Goal
Bowen had the chance to take a long throw and it was so dangerous McGeorge clipped it away at the near post for a corner. St. Ives first significant action saw Clark get down the right and cross into the middle of the box. Horsell coming out quickly to palm it away. For most of the game Green strolled through imperiously reading the game and providing the organisation and confidence that has given Hereford the best defence in the division.
An excellent long pass by O’Shea found Bowen whose first cross was headed out. Bowen sent it back in and Symons headed wide. Mike was up against the statuesque or should one say slightly Beadlesque shaped Lloyd Groves a man mountain with a good first touch. It was a battle of a young Beadle and the Beast in which Symons consistently got the upper hand.
Myrie-Williams and Bowen were co-ordinating especially well on the left the buccaneering boys constantly causing a threat. A poor clearance by Groves was sharply cut out by Richards who fed Myrie-Williams on the edge of the box. As Jennison went forward the referee adjudged a good tackle had been made as Myrie-Williams went down. A well angled long pass forward by Miles Smith was flicked on by Snaith but Liburd read the danger and shepherded the ball away. Several passes around the edge of the box found Richards. He poked through one of his trademark balls stabbing at the heart of a defence. Symons taking it rolled Miles Smith with ease and got the line pulling back for Smith to head powerfully against the crossbar. The ball bouncing out to the edge of the box for Dara O’Shea to burst onto the awkward half volley and strike pure and powerfully home on 33 minutes.








Captain McGeorge was getting through a lot of defensive work in the middle of the park and Clark occasionally got forward on the right but it was mostly one-way traffic. A particularly nice move in the difficult conditions seeing Haysham, McGrath, and Myrie-Williams passing crisply for a Richards deep cross which Symons got on the end of and Trebes saved. Hereford were comfortably on top and doing their best to contend with a gluepot of a pitch at half time.

The first corner of the second half saw McGrath head over. St. Ives applied a little pressure and Horsell made a comfortable save. Lance fed Symons who sped forward and shot into the side netting. McGrath turned his marked and fired in from 25 yards for Trebes to save. Whilst the match could not be a classic many, St. Ives supporters were bemused and confused that about 40 Hereford fans spent the first twenty minutes of the second half drinking and singing in the bar rather than supporting their team. Several Hereford fans were unhappy that a good atmosphere was being lost by a few there for the glory not the football. 

Mike Symons Gets Ahead Of Beadlesque Shaped Lloyd Groves
Baker broke away on the left but overhit his cross when well placed after 61 minutes. O’Shea was increasingly getting forward and passed to Haysham who quickly played to McGrath who shot wide. Pring came on for Bowen who had again worked hard and looked dangerous. Mills came on for Smith who again and got through a phenomenal amount of work after 63 minutes.
On 70 minutes St. Ives had a corner which Hereford easily cleared. On the edge of their box Symons pushed the ball out right to Myrie-Williams running into space on the half way line on the left. Mills cut across him to the wing and Jennison pushed the ball his way. Mills got to the edge of the box and Warner-Eley got in a desperate tackle. O’Shea had surged up from defence and picked up the loose ball. Dribbling on he pulled back the ball like a winger would be proud of turning Warner-Eley inside out. As Dara went past ready to shoot the St. Ives defender grabbed O’Shea’s arm and pulled him down for a penalty.
A few in the crowd called for a quick substitution to allow Fireman Rob to continue his fantastic and fond farewell. No sentimentalist Beadle ignored the shouts. Mills picked up the ball and which of his many and varied penalties would we see? A glorious fast Panenka down the middle, 2 0. 





Two minutes later Rob Purdie came on for his last ever league game for Hereford replacing McGrath who had got through so much work he was the winner of the dirtiest shirt competition. Good work by Richards allowed him to pass forward to Mills whose cross sailed over the box. McGeorge was a gritty captain who had tried to staunch Hereford’s attacks in the middle of the work and was taken off tired after 81 minutes being replaced by Ogbonna. Snaith who had a limited impact up front was replaced by Leslie. Clark moved into the centre as St. Ives reshuffled.
Close Call
A great Richards cross found Mills but as he controlled it the ball bounced up and hit his hand. A good Symons run won a corner. Kelly got through for St. Ives but Horsell read the danger and cleared. Torkonoo sped down the right and passed to Clark with Liburd coming in to take the ball away. A Pablo corner was headed wide by Liburd. 


Referee Rayment was struggling to keep up with play and when Smith tackled Symons he had to estimate whether it was in the area deciding against despite Mike’s insistence that the first contact was worthy of a penalty. John Mills got a shot in which Trebes tipped over as the match finished more in the style of a friendly.






A deserved win, but necessarily ugly in difficult conditions. Immense thanks to St. Ives for all their hard work and organisation to get the game on. Many decent performances but for lots of work and several super passes Richards was man of the match.
What a team, what a season, what wonderful memories you lucky, lucky Bulls fans. Thank you, Ken, Peter and so many volunteers for a silky, sinuous, superb season we’ll talk about for decades.

ST IVES
Trebes, Smith, Warner-Eley, Groves, Moyes, McGeorge (c), Clark, Rogers, Kelly, Snaith, Baker.
Subs Sawyer, Leslie, Ogbonna, Torkornoo

HEREFORD
Horsell, O’Shea, Bowen, Richards, Green (c), Liburd, Smith, McGrath, Myrie-Williams, Haysham, Symons.
Subs Puddy, Purdie, Pring, Deadman, Mills.

Attendance: 702