Bulls News

Friday, April 19, 2024

12 Months Ago Today - Paul Caddis Became Hereford Manager

In his programme notes for tomorrow's final game of the season Hereford manager Paul Caddis looks back to the start of his first year at Edgar Street.

'I want to rewind this journey back to the start and on this specific date (April 19th) I was honoured to be offered the role as manager of your football club. It was a big role for me but one I always believed I had the credentials to bring a positive atmosphere back to the club. It became evident within a few months of taking on the role how difficult the task in hand had become due to the change in circumstances behind the scenes.

To be honest I came into a club that was broken and was needing to be fixed quickly. Broken in terms of disconnect between the two most departments of any football club and that being supporters and players. Broken behind the scenes financially as publicly stated by the chairman. Broken on the pitch with results. Broken squad that had to be dismantled due to the impossibility of keeping players on salaries beyond what we could offer. I know I wasn’t everyone’s choice as manager and in reflection if things were realised how serious a situation the club was in I would (in my opinion) probably not have been the successful candidate to repair a football club at such an inexperience and youthful age. I am grateful I was chosen to repair the football side of things at this amazing club.

Management is a very lonely place. I remember the hurt, sadness and disappointment I felt when we lost at Tamworth. I remember Adam Rooney asking me before full time what my plans at the final whistle would be and I told him exactly what I proved to do. I was going to stand in front of my players and take what I knew would come. I accepted that performance wasn’t acceptable and that isn’t a criticism of the supporters as we deserved that as a group.

For me that was a changing point in the season. I said to you in my first interview. I cannot ask for trust. I have to earn it. The first piece of that trust jigsaw is earning the trust from my players. Supporters will only trust me when they trust the players. I thank the players for allowing you to trust me as your manager. In reflection as a whole we are extremely proud of how far we have come. We have in truth sprinted before we could walk in terms of results and performances and we now have to try and continue to push together.'

Tomorrow At Edgar Street

A run down of tomorrow at Edgar Street has been released by the club.

MATCHDAY TIMINGS

Tomorrow we round off what has been a thrilling season. We’re excited to share the jam-packed schedule with you so you can make the most of what promises to be a brilliant day at Edgar Street.

11am – Fan’s Festival opens in Radford’s Car Park

12:15pm – Addison’s Bar and Exec Club open

1:15pm – Club Shop opens

2pm – Turnstiles Open

2:55pm – Players enter the pitch

3pm – Kick Off

The players will be joined by their own children and family members as mascots for the game.

3:45pm – Half Time

Players from the PDC, U18s and Women’s team will take part in a half time lap of appreciation

Members of the players’ families will take part in a half time penalty shoot-out

4:45pm – FULL TIME

The players would like to show their appreciation to the fans in a full-time lap of appreciation.

PLEASE STAY OFF THE PITCH DURING THIS LAP OF APPRECIATION

Once the players have completed their lap of appreciation, fans will be invited onto the pitch for the Player of the Season presentations.

Former Hereford United Player On Drug Charges

Former Hereford United defender Matt Clarke has been charged with several drugs related offences.

Clarke stepped down as Redditch United manager last February.

"Matthew Clarke, 50, of Turntable Avenue in Bromsgrove, has been charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine, concerned in the supply of cannabis, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and criminal damage to a property valued under £5,000."

He is due before Worcester Magistrates next month.

Clarke played at Edgar Street from 1998-2003 -> MY HEREFORD UNITED STORY | Matt Clarke - Herefordshire’s Independent Source of News & Information (yourherefordshire.co.uk)

Tickets For Boston Game Selling Well

Tickets for tomorrow's game between Hereford and Boston are selling well according to the club.

Several areas are sold out in the main stand but there is 'availability' in most other areas.

Supporters are reminded that buying in advance can save £2 on an adult ticket.

https://herefordfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/boston_football_club

FA Statement On FA Cup Changes

The FA have released the following about chances to the FA Cup. The statement follows lots of negative comments from clubs throughout the leagues.

Club Statement About FA Cup

Miles Storey Scores For Hereford Against Portsmouth In The FA Cup

Hereford FC have released a statement about changes to the FA Cup.

We would like to express our disappointment at the announcement from the Premier League and Football Association that the format of the FA Cup will be changing, including the scrapping of replays from the First Round onwards.

It is clear this decision has been taken with the views of a small minority of clubs to the fore, placing little or no importance on how significant and special the FA Cup is to hundreds of others – both financially and through the additional interest that is often created in local communities.

Our city was catapulted onto the football map thanks to the exploits of Colin Addison’s Southern League Hereford United team in the 1970s, and his side’s FA Cup Third Round Replay win over First Division Newcastle United in February 1972 remains one of the greatest upsets in the competition’s history. No-one will ever forget the late, great Ronnie Radford.

Under the FA Cup’s new rules, a giantkilling exactly like this will no longer be possible, as the match would have to be settled at St James’ Park, without the added drama of a second game at Edgar Street.

We would join the huge number of EFL and non-league clubs in asking the Football Association to suspend this decision until a full consultation has taken place with all the affected stakeholders in the game we love.

Hereford 23/10 To Defeat Boston

Close For Cowley At Boston Last November

Hereford are 23/10 to defeat Boston in their final National North League game this season.

Boston are in still with a chance of making the play-offs so will be desparate to win the game whereas Hereford will be in the same division next season.

However there will be players in the Hereford squad keen to impress as they look for new contracts.

Hereford are 10th in the table with 69 points from 45 games whereas Boston, who are 7th, have 72 points from 45 games.

Last Tuesday Boston won 1-0 at Banbury. Hereford defeated Warrington 2-1 last Saturday.

Hereford's home record is won 11, drawn 6 and lost 5.Goal difference is -2.

Boston's away record is won 7, drawn 8 and lost 7. Goal difference is +20.

Recent form:

Hereford WDWLW

Boston WLLDW

Hereford 23/10 Draw 13/5 Boston 19/20

Mission Improbable

And so it does indeed after all come down to the final game of the season. If Hereford FC win this one 11-0 and Spennymoor and South Shields both lose, the play-off qualification dream has been realised.

But seriously folks, if that proves to be too tall an order, it should be remembered that the season was still alive up until very recently, and that’s still massive progress on all hope being lost by February.

Saturday’s visitors Boston United do have a very live chance of qualifying for the play-offs having limped to a 1-0 win at Banbury on Tuesday, a win that extinguished the Bulls’ last realistic hopes of doing something incredible in this game, unless they do something REALLY incredible.

The limpy nature of that win is symptomatic of where the Pilgrims are at currently. They’re making heavy weather of getting over the play-off line, having picked up just a solitary point from their last three games prior to the game at Banbury, which doesn’t really count given the sorry state of the Oxfordshire club currently. All of this suggests that the hosts, playing without the pressure that’s on the visitors, should have a very good chance of finishing the season on a high, in stark contrast to the no-show at Blyth this time last year.

That said, Boston’s recent 3-0 demolition of Chorley away from home is inarguably impressive, and demonstrates that they’re a threat.

Last season was one of underachievement for Boston given the size of the club and its budget. They finished 15^th, one place above Hereford. However, manager Ian Culverhouse knows his onions at this level, winning promotion with Kings Lynn a few seasons back with a side that wasn’t averse to finding a way to win in whatever way necessary, and having been in post for 18 months (which is long-service gold watch territory for football managers of course) this is now very much ‘his’ squad.

They’ve lost as many as they’ve won this season away from home, but they’ll have the added incentive of knowing that a win here gives them the final play-off spot regardless of what anyone else does. One possible advantage of that is that it’ll make for an open game with both sides going for the win, and the visitors not prioritising collapsing to the floor at every given opportunity.

In the ex-Bull category, Ben Pollock left the club for Spennymoor last summer, whilst Kelsey Mooney joined from relegated Leamington.

As with Warrington last week, two Boston players score a big chunk of the side’s goals. Jimmy Knowles has 18 and Mooney has 16, with seven of the ex-Bull’s 16 coming in just two games recently. Those two have contributed over half of the Pilgrims’ goals this season.

Knowles scored a very good goal when Boston beat Hereford 1-0 in November, but the amount of space he was given to do so made it possible, in what was a flat Bulls performance generally.

Hereford come into this one with ten points from their last five games - play-off form with knobs on. Aaron Skinner will be sitting it out with an injury, but Nathan Cameron is back following suspension. With Paul Downing also back last week, that could mean Paul Caddis going with three centre backs, with Jid Okeke and Lewis Hudson as wing-backs. Jid seems to be one anyway by hellbent attacking inclination, and Lewis announced his arrival as one with a typical wing-back’s goal against Warrington, so the role seems safe in their hands. Ollie Southern will presumably be a doubt again with an ongoing sciatica issue.

There was no place in the squad for Jordan Lyden at Warrington, so Lawson D’ath and Aurio Teixera will probably be doing the donkey work in the middle, with Yusifu Ceesay, Alex Babos and Tope Obadeyi doing the more fancy stuff up ahead of them.

The Bulls have only won one of the four Edgar Street encounters between these two sides, and one particularly lifeless display, a 2-0 defeat which was also on the last day of the season, led to my children vowing never to come to another game, a vow that five years on remains in place, despite me saying “It’s better now!”

The pictures on Bulls News last weekend of the fancy dress-clad supporters at Warrington really warmed the cockles, although Kim Jong-un took me by surprise. I was so surprised I initially thought it was an attempt at a likeness of one of the players, until I noticed he was carrying an intercontinental ballistic missile, an unlikely accoutrement for a National League North footballer, or indeed any footballer. Having said that, missiles do tend of course to be the toys of choice of left or right wingers – admittedly really extreme left or right wingers.

The pictures demonstrated the happy place the club is at currently, and with some fine-tuning over the summer there seems to be every reason to be optimistic about finally getting over that play-off line in 2024/25. Oh how these years fly by.

Finally, as ever, thank you to everyone who has dipped into my ramblings here over the course of the season - I really appreciate you taking the time to do so. If I'm allowed, I'll be back next time.

COYW

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Twelve Goal Swing - It Does Happen

Highgate United have done something that most football supporters don't believe can even happen.

They needed a twelve goal swing to get them into the play-offs in the Midland League.

Tonight they did it.

They went to Bewdley Town and won 12-0.

What goal swing do Hereford need against Boston on Saturday?

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Hereford United FA Cup Replays

With the news today that FA Cup replays are to be scrapped from the 1st round next season, here are some classic replays that Hereford United were involved in against top flight opposition.

The financial bonus from these games were a massive boost to the coffers.

Hereford United 2-1 Newcastle United - FA Cup 3rd round replay - 5th February 1972 - Attendance 14,313

West Ham 3-1 Hereford United - FA Cup 4th round replay - 14th February 1972 - Attendance 42,271

Arsenal 7-2 Hereford United - FA Cup 3rd round replay - 21st January 1985- Attendance 26,023

Tottenham 5-1 Hereford United - FA Cup 3rd round replay - 17th January 1996 - Attendance 31,534

Leicester City 2-1 Hereford United - FA Cup 3rd round replay - 22nd December 1999 - Attendance 12,157

'Disgraceful decision' - clubs react to FA Cup replays being axed

Harry Pell and Ryan Bowman kiss the swede before the Bulls knocked Shrewsbury Town out of the FA Cup in 2012

Football clubs across the country have been hitting out at the decision to scrap FA Cup replays from the first round onwards next season.

The Football League has said it will be seeking compensation for its clubs over the “frustrating and disappointing” decision, and clubs below the Premier League said they were not consulted about the major changes.

League Two Accrington Stanley's chair Andy Holt said they knew nothing about the move, adding: " We should be actively supporting minnows not taking opportunity away."

Fellow League Two side Tranmere Rovers said it condemned the "disgraceful decision taken by The FA and the Premier League to change the format of the FA Cup, including the scrapping of replays", with this agreement set to run for six years.

In a statement, it said there was no consultation with Football League clubs, National League clubs or grassroots clubs to whom the competition "represents not only their best opportunity to create life-long memories for supporters but also a hugely important source of income".

As has already been pointed out on social media, without replays, there would have been no 1972 giantkilling for Hereford, or the Ronnie Radford screamer.

The FA Cup can be money-spinning for the non-league sides who reach the proper rounds of the competition, especially forcing a replay against a higher-graded club. Those clubs, like Hereford, will now not have the chance to earn extra money (gate receipts and TV money), as well as the opportunity to play at stadiums they otherwise wouldn't.

The abolition of FA Cup replays from the third round had long been expected to help clubs deal with the expansion of the Champions League, which will feature 64 more matches next season and spill into January for the first time.

The move is all 'proper' rounds of the competition despite Premier League teams not entering until the third round.

Tranmere's statement added: "The decision, and the way it was taken, demonstrate a total lack of respect for the football pyramid and its fans. Football belongs to all of us and decisions should not be taken in back room deals in which only the very wealthiest clubs are allowed to participate.

"It is yet another eloquent example of the 19th-century governance that means that football simply cannot regulate itself and needs the Independent Football Regulator to have real teeth.

"We condemn the changes wholeheartedly and urge The FA to suspend them immediately until all stakeholders in the game are properly consulted."

As reported by the PA News Agency, replays remain popular with fans, with 69.5 per cent of those polled in a Football Supporters’ Association survey last summer believing they were an important part of the FA Cup.

Step three Horsham manager Dominic Di Paola tweeted: “Absolutely disgraceful. The FA showing once again that they are not fit for purpose.”

As reported by Sussex World, Di Paola’s Horsham played Barnsley in a home replay in this season’s first round – the type of game that will no longer take place, with ties being settled at the first game.

The club's vice-chair tweeted: "Just a reminder that not only did our televised FA Cup replay generate revenue, it raised the profile of the club, the off-shoots of which will continue to be felt at @HorshamFC and its community for years to come! Complete s*** show FA!”

Rob Smethurst, owner of Northern Premier League side Macclesfield FC told the i newspaper: “The scrapping of FA Cup replays will have a significant effect on lower division clubs and can essentially be regarded as the bigger teams looking after their own interests.

“Smaller clubs gain much revenue from FA Cup replays every year and to deny them of this opportunity is disappointing to say the least.

“The agreement between the FA and Premier League is another example of the monopoly which exists within the national game and how those clubs outside the top-flight are regarded with contempt.”

Bradford City chief executive Ryan Sparks told the same paper: “It is a decision that the EFL and its member clubs have not been consulted on. When you consider there’s over 700 clubs taking part in the FA Cup who make it what it is, to potentially have 20 make a decision alongside the FA which should protect the wider game shows you who truly runs the game.

“The Premier League appears to have control in this situation. I would have expected the FA to stand up for the rest of the game and govern. That doesn’t appear to have been the case, which is disappointing."

FA Cup replays axed in bitter blow to non-league clubs

FA Cup replays for the first round onwards will be scrapped from next season, the Football Association has announced.

In a nutshell, all rounds we now played on weekends; the fourth, fifth and quarter-finals 'weekends' won't have any Premier League games, nor will the final; there will be no replays from the first round proper; and the Premier League will increase funding to football pyramid.

The FA said the current format, which has no replays from the fifth round onwards, has been extended throughout the ‘competition proper’ in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions.

The FA Cup can be money-spinning for the non-league sides who reach the proper rounds of the competition, especially forcing a replay against a higher-graded club.

They will now not have the chance to earn extra money (gate receipts and TV money), as well as the opportunity to play at stadiums they otherwise wouldn't.

The i Paper's Sam Cunningham said: "Money out of the pockets of smaller clubs and into the pockets of richer ones."

National World's Manchester United reporter Richard Fay said: "729 teams compete in the FA Cup, yet the future of it is being dictated by an elite minority with a selfish agenda.

"You can’t claim an ‘increased support for grassroots football’ when there are no replays from the first round onwards. A disgraceful decision."

Phil Annets, who runs the popular FA Cup Factfile account on X/Twitter, said the FA has "sold the soul of its own defined 'crown jewel' the FA Cup for the modern-day equivalent of 30 pieces of silver".

He said replays are an essential part of the FA Cup.

The agreement between the FA and Premier League, which is for a minimum of six years, starts next season. All rounds of the Emirates FA Cup will now be played on weekends, including the fifth round which has been played in midweek for the last five seasons.

The fourth and fifth rounds and the quarter-finals all will be exclusive of Premier League fixtures for the first time, and the fourth round will have an extended window from Friday to Wednesday to allow fans to watch consecutive days of Emirates FA Cup football.

Separately, the Premier League has increased funding to the football pyramid, providing up to an additional £33 million for grassroots football on top of the £100 million it currently gives to good causes each season.

The league will provide up to £133 million per season from the 2025-26 season, maintaining existing commitments and enhancing support to key areas of the game. The Premier League currently gives away £1.6 billion every three years – 16 per cent of its total revenues – to all levels of men’s and women’s football, and this new money will provide significant support to a range of areas as the game continues to grow.

Chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "The Emirates FA Cup is our biggest asset and generates over 60 per cent of our revenue to invest into the game, so it is critical to secure a strong format for the future.

"This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.

"The new schedule ensures the magic of the cup is protected and enhanced, while working for the whole of the English game. The longer summer period also allows a much-needed player break before the start of the next season.

"We have also agreed new funding for the grassroots game, disability football and the women’s and girls’ game. All football begins at the grassroots, and this is recognised by the Premier League with very welcome additional financial support."

Badges On Sale At Boston Match

A large selection of HFC pin badges will be on sale pre match this Saturday vs Boston.All the badges pictured are available at £1-00 or £3-00 each ( cash only ) from a sales point adjacent to the matchday ticket office. As usual all net proceeds go directly to HFC.

Total funds raised and donated to date from these sales = £12,000

Grivosti Got Himself Sent Off Said Beesley

Speaking after last Saturday's game against Hereford, Warrington manager Mark Beesley admitted that one of his players had got himelf sent off.

The red card happened in the second half after Grivosti reacted to a challendge on him by Hereford's Lewis Hudson.

“The same tackle happened on him two or three minutes before and between them, they didn’t see it,” he said.

“I’ve spoken to Matty and regardless, he then can’t do the same tackle on him.

“If their guy got away with it then maybe he should in his defence, but he shouldn’t be doing that.

“He should try and be more professional about it but he’s got himself sent off, which means he’s going to miss the last game and the first couple of next season.

“It’s affected him and affected us in the game today."

Two Remaining League Games For Hereford Under 18's

Hereford under 18's have two league games to play to complete their season.

Next Wednesday they are at home to Stourport Swifts.

Then on the following Friday (April 26th) they are away at Alvechurch.

Currently Hereford are 5th in the league table with 23 points from 14 games.

If they win both of these games they could finish 3rd in the table.

THROWBACK THURSDAY | Hereford United 1-2 Walsall - 18th April 1992 - A red card protest against the board

Harry Caffrey opens the scoring, but Walsall come back to win 2-1. Supporters protest against the board during and after the game.

Line Ups Hereford 1 Judge 2 Lowndes 3 Downs 4 Davies 5 Devine 6 Titterton 7 Fry 8 Narbett 9 Heritage 10 Brain 11 Caffrey Sub R Jones

Walsall 1 Gayle 2 Williams 3 Statham 4 Methven 5 MacDonald 6 Smith 7 O'Hara 8 Ntamark 9 Marsh 10 Cecere 11 McDonald Sub Edwards Attendance 2,291

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Predicted National League North teams for next season

Hereford could be travelling to Moss Rose again next season. Picture: John Lord/Flickr

The teams that could make up the National League North next season have been revealed as part of a prediction.

The Non League Maps account on X, formerly Twitter, thinks Hereford will remain in the National League North.

They'll be joined by Kidderminster Harriers and Oxford City whose relegations from the National League have already been confirmed.

This could change though as York City could still be relegated, one of five teams who could still fall victim to the last relegation space.

They'll then also be joined by Northern Premier champions Radcliffe, from Greater Manchester, and reformed Macclesfield, who Non League Maps thinks will win the play-offs.

From the Southern League Premier Central, Needham Market, near Ipswich, have already ben crowned champions and Non League Maps thinks AFC Telford United will come out top in the play-offs.

They don't predict any teams being moved from National League North to South, or vice versa.