National League North transfer round up

Tom Pugh's loan spell at Spennymoor has ended

Despite the National League North not being subject to the same transfer windows as clubs in step one and above, there has been a lot a player movement this week.

Here's a round-up:

Worksop Town welcome back Luke Hall

Worksop Town have confirmed the return of attacker Luke Hall on loan from Woking until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old, who began his career at Sheffield Wednesday and has represented England at U15 level, previously played for Sheffield FC, Matlock and Guiseley before joining Worksop.

Hall became a key starter in the 2024/25 season and rejoins the Tigers to provide attacking options for manager Craig Parry for the remainder of the campaign.

Marine midfielder Jai Curran-Nicholls returns to Salford City

Midfielder Jai Curran-Nicholls has returned to parent club Salford City after a one-month loan at Marine, during which he made six appearances. The 21-year-old joined Marine to gain National League North experience, having previously played for Southport on loan last season.

Curran-Nicholls, who has three senior appearances for Salford this term, impressed during his short spell and provided additional cover in central midfield before returning to League Two side Salford.

Radcliffe sign Kian Scales on loan from Scunthorpe

Radcliffe have bolstered their midfield with the loan signing of Kian Scales from Scunthorpe United for an initial month.

The 24-year-old played 45 times for Scunthorpe last season, scoring five goals and providing four assists as they earned promotion to the National League.

Previously a Bradford City youth, Scales also had loan spells at Farsley Celtic and Bradford (Park Avenue). Manager Anthony Johnson says Scales, who can also play wider, will provide vital cover during injuries, including Matt Sargent’s absence.

Worksop winger Mo Fadera returns to York City

Gambian winger Mo Fadera has returned to York City following the end of his loan at Worksop Town. Fadera, 22, joined the Tigers from York in the autumn and made several appearances, adding pace and width to Craig Parry’s squad.

He previously played for Garforth Town, Farsley Celtic, and Scunthorpe United, helping the Iron gain promotion to the National League play-offs. Worksop thanked him for his hard work and commitment during his loan spell.

Macclesfield add Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Mikey Stone

Macclesfield have strengthened their squad with defender Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and midfielder Mikey Stone. Borthwick-Jackson, 28, returns to English football after stints with Slask Wroclaw and Ross County, having previously made senior appearances with Manchester United, Wolves, Leeds and Oldham.

Stone, 21, joins after leaving Altrincham, having progressed through Stoke City and Huddersfield Town’s academies. Both players have agreed terms for the remainder of the 2025/26 season and are available for selection against Radcliffe tonight at the Leasing.com Stadium.

Spennymoor midfielder Tom Pugh returns to Halifax

Tom Pugh has returned to parent club FC Halifax Town following the end of his loan spell at Spennymoor, where he made 18 appearances and scored once.

Pugh, previously on loan at Hereford in the 2023/24 season, was praised for his contribution on the pitch by Moors boss Graeme Lee. The club thanked him for his efforts and wished him all the best for the next stage of his career.

Scunthorpe midfielder moves out on loan

Scunthorpe United midfielder Kian Scales has joined Radcliffe FC on loan for an initial month.

After joining the Iron in 2023, the club said he took National League North "by storm" and "impressed supporters with his tireless performances and incredible work rate". He then helped them achieve promotion back to non-league's top flight, covering more ground than any other Iron player and featuring 47 times.

So far this campaign, Scales has featured 19 times for the Iron in the Enterprise National League, with a further six appearances in other competitions. Despite an extended period in the starting XI during the suspension of Joe Starbuck earlier in the season, Scales has struggled to break into the Scunthorpe team at times.

The club said the loan move will establish regular minutes in Radcliffe's promotion-pushing side.

One National North League Result

Only one game in the National North League this evening.

It finished:

Macclesfield 2 Radcliffe 1 

New date for Alfreton away

Hereford will now travel to Alfreton on Tuesday 17th March.

Kick off will be 7.45pm.

The original tie was due to be played on Saturday 3rd January but the Impact Arena's pitch failed an early inspection.

Hereford have a free midweek on Tuesday 13th January and then face nine weeks in a row playing twice. 

The updated fixtures and results list is here.

National League North club start hunt for new manager

Leamington fans at Edgar Street

Leamington have formally begun the search for a new manager following the resignation of long-serving boss Paul Holleran, with Chris Knott appointed as interim head coach.

The Brakes confirmed after a board meeting that Knott, previously first-team coach, will take charge on an interim basis as the club looks to appoint Holleran’s successor. Knott will also be among the candidates considered for the role on a permanent basis.

Leamington have now opened applications for the position of first-team manager, describing it as a part-time role and “an opportunity to lead one of the region’s most ambitious clubs”. Interested candidates have been invited to submit a CV to chairman Jim Scott by midnight on Wednesday 21st January.

Holleran stepped down on New Year’s Eve after 16 years in charge, citing a need for “fresh ideas and impetus within the dressing room” while also referencing upcoming health appointments. He leaves the Warwickshire club bottom of National League North, seven points adrift of Hereford in 23rd place.

Despite the club’s league position, Holleran departs with widespread respect across non-league football, having managed 789 games since taking charge in 2009 and building a reputation for long-term stability. Chairman Jim Scott said the 55-year-old had left a “lasting legacy that is unlikely to be matched”.

Knott’s first match in interim charge came away at Chorley, as Leamington begin a critical period in their fight to avoid relegation. With half the season still to play, the Brakes will be hoping a swift appointment can provide clarity and momentum in the weeks ahead.

Leamington have also confirmed that long-serving assistant manager Martyn Naylor has stepped down from his role, bringing an end to a 14-year association with the club.

Naylor initially joined the Brakes as a player in 2012 and was part of the side that won the Southern Premier League, before an ACL injury saw him move into coaching.

He went on to oversee more than 600 matches in the dugout as a coach and assistant manager, playing a key role alongside Paul Holleran during a period that included promotions and senior cup successes at St Andrew’s, Villa Park and Molineux.

Chairman Jim Scott praised Naylor’s “loyalty, reliability and steadfast support”, adding that he would “always have a special place in the Brakes family”.

Scarborough Away Now On March 3rd

Hereford will travel to Scarborough for the three times postponed fixture on Tuesday March 3rd.

Hopefully it will be fourth time lucky for the game to take place. 

Updated List of Fixtures: 

Saturday, January 10: Isuzu FA Trophy 4 - AFC Fylde (h) - 3pm

Saturday, January 17: King’s Lynn Town (a) – 3pm

Tuesday, January 20: Macclesfield (h) - 7.45pm 

Saturday, January 24: Spennymoor Town (h) – 3pm

Tuesday, January 27: Oxford City (h) – 7.45pm

Saturday, January 31: Curzon Ashton (a) – 3pm (FA Trophy 5)

Tuesday, February 3: Marine (h) - 7.45pm

Saturday, February 7: AFC Fylde (h) – 3pm

Tuesday, February 10: AFC Telford United (a) – 7.45pm

Saturday, February 14: Southport (a) – 3pm

Tuesday, February 17: Darlington (h) - 7.45pm

Saturday, February 21: Scarborough Athletic (h) – 3pm 

Tuesday, February 24: Chester (h) – 7.45pm

Saturday, February 28: Marine (a) – 3pm (FA Trophy 6)

 

Tuesday March 3rd: Scarborough (a) - 7.45pm 

Saturday, March 7: Worksop Town (a) – 3pm

Tuesday, March 10: Leamington (h) – 7.45pm

Saturday, March 14: South Shields (h) – 3pm

Tuesday March 17: Alfreton (a) - 7.45pm 

Saturday, March 21: Macclesfield (a) – 3pm

Saturday, March 28: Buxton (h) – 3pm (FA Trophy Semi-Final)

Another player leaves Edgar Street as contract terminated

Eno Nto is the latest departure from Edgar Street as he looks for opportunities to play abroad.

The club said his contract had been terminated by mutual agreement.

The winger made 19 appearances, netting three times for the Bulls, most notably a winner in the FA Cup against Sporting Khalsa.

"We would like to thank Eno for all his efforts while at Hereford and wish him the best of luck for the future," the club.

Eno Nto joins Omari Sterling-James and Sam Osborne in leaving Hereford in recent weeks. However, the club have bolstered their ranks with forward Justin Donawa and central midfielder Keziah Martin.

The winger joined the Bulls in the summer having been on trial with the club for several weeks, featuring in the friendlies at Wellington and Sporting Club Inkberrow.

Nto had been playing for Harrogate and Derby County's under-21 side before joining Hereford.

He had come through Derby's academy and had then spent time in America playing for the University of Notre Dame where he stayed for three seasons.

When his signing was announced in July, Hereford boss Paul Caddis said: “Eno was someone I was in touch with after leaving Harrogate Town in January and kept a close eye on since then.

“He is a player that can go from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye. A real top professional who wants to better himself everyday and having people like Eno in your group can only be a positive.

“Eno has been on ‘trial’ for a few weeks now and has impressed more and more. Due to his attributes he can play across the front line comfortably and as stated before having players who are versatile is something we simply have to have.

“I’m really pleased Eno has signed for us and look forward to working with him for the upcoming season.”

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Hereford United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur - 6th January 1996 - FA Cup 3rd Round

On this day 30 years ago Premier League Tottenham are held to a 1-1 draw at Edgar Street. 

The visiting team included England internationals Ian Walker, Sol Campbell and Teddy Sheringham.

Ronny Rosenthal put the visitors in front. Dean Smith's penalty hits the Meadow End roof (The only one he missed for the club in his 3 seasons), but John Brough scores a deserved equaliser and it was off to White Hart Lane for a lucrative replay.

Line Ups Hereford 1 MacKenzie 2 Evans 3 Fishlock 4 Smith 5 Pounder 6 Brough 7 Lyne 8 Wilkins 9 Cross 10 White 11 Downing

Tottenham 1 Walker 2 Austin 3 Edinburgh 4 Nethercott 5 Campbell 6 Mabbutt 7 Fox 8 Caskey 9 Armstrong 10 Sheringham 11 Rosenthal Sub Dozzell

Attendance 8,806

OPINION | How to help solve the fixture congestion in the National League North

With another Hereford FC game called off it looks like the Bulls will have to play Saturday/Tuesday/Saturday from 17th January until at least the 21st March. 

The Alfreton and Scarborough games will probably have to be played 3rd March and 17th March.  That makes the next free Tuesday 24th March (Unless there are no more rearranged fixtures)

Im not sure who is in charge of league fixture scheduling out of the FA/National League and they cannot do anything about the weather, but I do feel changes need to be enforced next season to stop things like this happening in the future, it makes things extremely challenging for players, staff and supporters this amount of matches the second half of the season. Hereford will effectively have to play 25 league games in just over 3 months and there is also the potential of an FA Trophy run and more bad weather to disrupt fixtures further. Full credit to Hereford for being proactive and switching the Peterborough Sports game back in December, as by not doing that the situation would have been even worse.

Looking at the current league table if Bedford play on Saturday, they will have played 6 more league games than Hereford.

I do have some solutions to suggest, but firstly, a bit of context and history.

46 league matches need to be scheduled in from 10^th August 2025 to 25^th April 2026 in National League North and South, the divisions are a majority part time league with plenty of travelling for everyone. The National League North stretches from the north east of England all the way down to south Wales and the journey distances are lengthy for some clubs. As a rough example Spennymoor, Darlington and South Shields to Merthyr, Hereford, Oxford City and Bedford is roughly around 4-5 hours without delays.

In the south there is plenty of travelling too, Torquay and Bath in the west to Tonbridge, Ebbsfleet, Maidstone and Dover in the east is a lengthy trip cross country and having to navigate London/M25 traffic.

Plus, North and South teams start in cup competitions earlier compared to National League teams so there will be even more games to fit in if they go on a bit of a run.

There was a major reconstructing of non-league football ahead of the 2004/2005 campaign and this included the creation of the North and South divisions which were one tier below the Conference (Now National League). At the start It was a relatively fair north and south split with who was in it, but as teams have been promoted and relegated over the years it's become disjointed, with the likes of Bishops Stortford, Bedford and Merthyr having to play in the north in recent years.

The old way prior to when it all changed was 3 leagues of 22 teams below the National League/Conference. Only the champions went up (no play offs) and 3 clubs came down from the National League/Conference which also consisted of 22 teams. The time Hereford United reached the Football League in 2006 the Conference was a 22 team league. It increased to 24 teams the following season.

The 3 feeder leagues below the National League/Conference consisted of a Northern League which was once sponsored by HFS Loans, The Dr Martens League/Beazer Homes was a Central and Southern league, and the teams around London and the South east part of England were in a division commonly known as the Isthmian league and was at one time sponsored by Diadora.

When Hereford first joined the National League North in 2018 it was 22 teams, in 2022/2023 it got increased to 24 so meant four extra games needed to be accounted for.

It's extremely difficult to get promoted from the National League & National League North & South. As it stands you have to be champions, or be one of the six play-off teams. 

The play offs can be particularly unfair if your 2nd and miss out, whereas if your 7th your just happy to be in it. I felt so sorry for York City last season in the National League who just missed out on automatic promotion and finished 2nd, they had 31 points more than Oldham Athletic who went up via the play offs. Its not right.

Hopefully the 3 up 3 down campaigns from the National League to EFL Division Two is approved, BUT would the National League then agree to 6 down and then 3 up from both National League North & National League South? Its currently massively bottlenecked at our level and is so hard to get out of in its current format. I lost count of the amount of play off campaigns Brackley failed at.

Anyhow back to the point of fixture scheduling.

Firstly, having no midweek game  the first week is a good decision. Usually if you were away first game on the Saturday, you would then tend to play at home the Tuesday and then again the Saturday, so makes it a lot fairer all teams start their season on a Saturday and that change I agree with.

There was a midweek window Tuesday 9th September and Tuesday 7th October which could have had games and was a missed opportunity.

In my opinion there should have been a game New Years Day this season, attendances would have been higher as its a Bank Holiday, hindsight is a great simplifier regarding weather, but if the Alfreton game was played 1st January, it would have been on. I wouldn't have scheduled games on 3^rd January.

I want to point out I'm not a fan of FA Cup Replays being scrapped at all, some of Hereford United's greatest ever games have been FA Cup replays, and lucrative away replays made the club plenty of money. I'm thinking Arsenal in 1985, Tottenham in 1996 and Leicester in 1999, but with the FA making the decision to scrap replays from the from the 1^st round proper in 2024/2025, then it should also have be done right from the very start of the extra preliminary round in August, last season we played Ilkeston in a 2nd qualifying round replay and Aaron Skinner got badly injured and was never the same player for the rest of the campaign. Even though they won it was a lengthy journey for Hemel Hempstead back in September for the 3^rd qualifying round replay, and part time players will have to take time off work on short notice to play in quickly scheduled replay games.

I would suspect there is hardly any financial profit made on most FA Cup replays once costs are deducted until probably the 4^th qualifying round. Which makes things so frustrating for lower league clubs who do make it to the 1^st round and further, as replays and TV money would generate decent revenue for lower league clubs, but this financial benefit has been taken away.

I think scrapping replays and also extra time, and games going straight to penalties if the scores are level at full time in every round of the FA Cup from start to finish is a far better option. At least the tie is then decided on the day. 

Doing a bit of research on this local side Pegasus had to travel to play Hanley Town which is a 200-mile round trip a in 2023 for a midweek replay in a FA Cup preliminary round tie which they lost 2-1. That's a huge distance for non-league step 5 players and there's bound to be examples of further distances for other club over the years.

Realistically nobody wants to hang around for extra time on a midweek evening, remember Tamworth at home in the 3^rd qualifying round in 2019, over 210 minutes of bad football, no goals and then finally penalties to put us out of our misery.

That's why I like the FA Trophy & Carabao Cup as there's no messing about, it's straight to penalty kicks if the scores are level at full time. Who would have fancied going to Radcliffe for an FA Trophy replay on the 16^th December if we didn't have the penalty shootout option last month?

By not having FA Cup Replays the following Tuesdays would have been free this season for North and South clubs to have midweek games. (These dates were kept free to accommodate replays)

Tuesday 16^th September

Tuesday 30th September

Tuesday 14^th October

Midweek League games that are scheduled later in the season could have been scheduled on the above dates when the weather is usually better. I find it bizarre the league has scheduled a round of fixtures Tuesday 27^th January and Tuesday February 24^th when weather is statistically colder and more risk of games being called off. 

Also, why the league persists in having a league game scheduled on FA Cup 4^th qualifying date baffles me.

Every season Hereford have been in NLN since 2018 (Bar the fully affected Covid one of 2020/2021 ) this fixture has had to be re-arranged, usually one of the teams involved will get through two rounds of the FA Cup,  this season we got knocked out by Hemel Hempstead in the 3rd qualifying round after a replay, so we had a blank Saturday 11^th October as Macclesfield who we should have played had progressed, so because of this we missed out on a lucrative Saturday game with the Silkmen who probably would have brought around 400-500 supporters and this would have been a popular hospitality fixture, which then all had to be cancelled.

As Hereford FC had to play Hemel Hempstead in a replay we didn't have much notice to change things, but as an example Leamington also went out early in the competition so the midweek game we have scheduled with them on Tuesday 10^th March could have been brought forward to have been played on the 11th October, alternatively if clubs that have been knocked out don't fancy bringing a game forward and would prefer a rest, it then gives teams the option of a blank Saturday on 4^th qualifying round date to do whatever they want. 

But the beauty is this is known in advance when the fixtures are released, so that 4th qualifying round date is either a blank Saturday, or the option to switch a fixture scheduled later in the season to that date if workable between teams.

Hopefully things will be looked at next season for National League North and South clubs to benefit teams and supporters, and thus reduce unnecessary fixture congestion.

The full article source is from here -> OPINION | How to help solve the fixture congestion in the National League North - Herefordshire’s Independent Source of News & Information

Scarborough Called Off

Tomorrow's game between Scarborough and Hereford has been postponed.

A pitch inspection took place earlier this afternoon.

A new date for the fixture will be announced as soon as possible. However given Hereford's fixture backlog it's unlikely to be played until sometime in March.

Hereford manager Paul Caddis will no doubt have a training session tomorrow evening in place of the trip to the sea-side.

Next for Hereford is a game against AFC Fylde in the FA Trophy on Saturday.

Whilst rain is expected on Thursday evening and Friday morning, Saturday at the moment, looks dull and cloudy,

So, hopefully the game will go ahead. 

 

 

Two Midweek National North League Fixtures

There are two National North League midweek fixtures, both set to take place tomorrow evening.

Macclesfield v Radcliffe

Scarborough v Hereford 

Already it looks like the Scarborough game will be postponed. 

Scarborough vs Hereford – take three

Or not. The third attempt to get this fixture played looks to be doomed before it’s even had the chance to get to the point of pitch inspection territory, given the weather forecast for Bridlington of freezing temperatures all day on Tuesday following the heavy snow they had over the weekend.

With the number of postponements over the last few months racking up, the luck Hereford had with the weather in terms of being able to get a ropey pitch with destroyed drainage playable for the Boxing Day payday against Kidderminster is looking increasingly like a gift from above, in terms of keeping the club ticking over financially.

This is the Seadogs’ fourth season in the NLN, although it’s a challenging one for them following plastic pitch replacement issues at the Flamingo Land Stadium, which has left them playing home games this season twenty miles down the coast at Bridlington.

Despite the inconvenience of that, they started superbly and were in the top three for a while.

They’ve now slipped a tiny bit but still occupy a play-off position. They beat Fylde and Merthyr earlier in the season, and their record as tenants at Bridlington’s Mounting Systems Stadium is good. They’ve won six of 11 games there and conceded fewer goals at home than anyone else in the league apart from South Shields.They don't score many though.

They’re typically a good-to-watch passing team. Luca Colville, Alex Purver and Harry Green have all shown themselves to be smart and creative midfielders against Hereford before. Dom Tear always weighs in with goals, but the big success story for them this season has been ex-Middlesbrough youngster Stephen Walker, who joined in February from Whitby. He has nine goals in 16 league games.

On Saturday, they drew 1-1 at Southport in what was reportedly a scrappy game not helped by blizzardy conditions. It could be that the weather was a leveller, or suggestive that yet again there's precious little in terms of quality to separate 6th and 19th in the National League North, which may be something that will assist Hereford in climbing out of trouble over the coming weeks.

As for the visitors, two new arrivals were announced last week. Central midfielder Keziah Martin is 25 and has played for Kidderminster, Rushall and Boston, and has come to Edgar Street on loan from Buxton, so with that CV he’s familiar with NLN football, although apparently is not required by Buxton. Not Burton, Buxton. This is where we’re at. We need to get used to it.

The fact that he’s represented Bermuda at international level seems to be more or less irrelevant in terms of what he can bring to this level of English football, apart from the fact that he’ll potentially miss matches whilst away on international duty against St Kitts and Nevis and other footballing powerhouses if he becomes a fixture at Edgar Street.

Fellow new signing Justin Donawa has played almost 100 games in the National League after Solihull signed him for a fee from Darlo six years ago. He’s also a Bermudan international, and therefore also a possible occasional absentee given potential random CONACAF absences and suchlike. He sticks around at clubs for whole seasons, so if it turns out well for both parties over the next few months perhaps he could be a useful presence next season. Whether he could be put on a contract as a player who could be unavailable for chunks of the season is questioanable though for a club with Hereford’s limited funding streams.

There is a FIFA arrangement in place whereby the national FA compensates the player’s club though, so maybe it would be feasible. Good old FIFA, always looking after the grass roots and not thinking of itself.

Both players look like they’ll add something to the mix and improve the overall level of quality in the dressing room, and fresh legs and an enthusiasm to prove themselves should make a difference. They’ll hopefully both be the sort of player who responds to playing in front of a crowd rather than shrinks from it; a crowd will be something of an alien concept given that they’ve come from Buxton and Brackley. If Hereford do actually manage to play a football match again at some point it’ll be intriguing to see what they have to offer and how they can give the season a much needed bit of oomph. There’s also the possibility that one or two more new arrivals could be announced before the next match, whenever that might be.

Anyway, frankly there’s no chance this game will go ahead so it’s on to Fylde in the Trophy on Saturday, and given where that’s due to be played it could also be a P-P. 

Funny old season.

COYW

Pitch inspection at Bridlington

Due to snow and freezing temperatures in Bridlington over the past few days - plus more forecast - there will be a pitch inspection this afternoon.

It is highly likely it will be called off, the third time that the fixture will have been postponed. 

Hereford Women Lose At Redditch

Hereford Women lost their away game at Redditch this afternoon.

Final score: Redditch 4  Hereford 1

Hereford took the lead through Robyn Mear but by half-time Redditch led 3-1.

Then a further goal for the home side ensured they won the game. 

Hereford's starting eleven: 

Molly Camden

Emily Ewing

Katy Huntbach

Mylie Jordan

Robyn Mear

Chelsey Price

Hannah Pritchard

Sheree Smith

Keira Brain

Maisie Evans

Darcie Smith 

Kington In HFA Cup On January 13th

Hereford FC are set to travel to Kington Town for a quarter final tie in the HFA County Cup on Tuesday January 13th.

Manager Paul Caddis is expected to select the under 18 team to represent the club.

In any case Caddis will want to use the Tuesday evening for a training session for the first team squad given, as it stands, it is the only spare Tuesday without a fixture.

Hereford Women At Redditch Tomorrow

Hereford Women have an away game tomorrow against Redditch United Women.

Kick-off is set for 2pm. Admission is £5

Whether it will go ahead remains to be seen. 

Rees Scores Twice On His Debut For Forest Green

Ricardo Rees scored twice on his debut for Forest Green Rovers this afternoon following his transfer from Merthyr last Wednesday.

His goals, on 67 and 78 minutes, helped his new club defeat Halifax 2-1. He also hit the post twice.

Whilst details of the trasfer have not been made public, sources are suggesting Merthyr will receive £100,000 for the striker. 

Meanwhile Will Spiers, who also impressed for Merthyr against Hereford last Tuesday, has joined Eastleigh from Cardiff on loan for the rest of the season. 

 

Today's National North Results

Results from the games played in the National North League this afternoon.

Bedford Town 0 AFC Fylde 2 

Buxton 1 South Shields 1

Chester 0 Worksop Town 1

Kidderminster Harriers 1 Curzon Ashton 0

Merthyr Town 1 King's Lynn Town 0

Southport 1 Scarborough Athletic 1 

Hereford remain in 23rd place in the table. 

Another Bulls game is likely to be off

After Hereford's match at Alfreton was postponed earlier this morning, attention now turns to Tuesday night's clash with Scarborough.

However, the chances of that being on looks incredibly remote.

Heavy snow has fallen on the north east coast, with Scarborough posting a video of a car being pulled out of the snow so that the club can travel to Southport for this afternoon's game. 

On route to Southport FC 👍❄️ pic.twitter.com/eqthfwZUHf

— Scarborough Athletic FC (@safc) January 3, 2026

And the weather is not due to relent ahead of Tuesday's match, with freezing temperatures and snow continuing. 

If, as is likely, that the game is postponed, it will be the third time that it will have been called off. 

That will mean Hereford will have to fit in 25 league games 14 weeks. And that's not taking into account progressing in the FA Trophy and more games being postponed due to the weather. 

 

Game off

Hereford's match at Alfreton today has been postponed.

It means that the Bulls' fixtures list will pile up even more. 

Today's National North Fixtures

A list of today's National North League fixtures. Obviously given the cold weather there may be more games called off.

Alfreton Town v Hereford  - Match Postponed

Bedford Town v AFC Fylde
Buxton v South Shields
Chester v Worksop Town
Chorley v Leamington - Match Postponrd
Darlington v Macclesfield - Match Postponed
Kidderminster Harriers v Curzon Ashton
Merthyr Town v King's Lynn Town
Peterborough Sports v Marine
Radcliffe v Oxford City - Match Postponed
Southport v Scarborough Athletic
Spennymoor Town v AFC Telford United - Match Postponed  

22 Years Ago Today

A look back to January 3rd 2004 and a home game against Stevenage Borough.

Parry chops down Chester's lead

Hereford United 1 - 0 Stevenage Borough

An injury-time Paul Parry strike saw Hereford United cut Chester City's gap at the top of the Nationwide Conference, as Graham Turner's Bulls beat Stevenage Borough 1-0 while Chester were held to a 2-2 draw at the Deva Stadium by struggling Gravesend & Northfleet.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Graham Westley, manager of the Hertfordshire-based side, who saw his squad decimated by injuries going into the game. However, they looked the better side for long periods and it was only some spectacular goalkeeping from Hereford's Matt Baker than kept the scores level.

The home side were without top scorer Steve Guinan, injured defender Andy Tretton and suspended midfielder Jamie Pitman. Stevenage's injury list was about as long as the squad on the teamsheet, with the most notable absentee being Anthony Elding.

The game started brightly, with Paul Parry finding ex-Chester attacker Mark Beesley in the Stevenage area after just eight minutes. His shot from an acute ankle was cut out by dominant Boro' defender Mark Smith. Three minutes later, an excellent tackle from Anwar Uddin prevented Dino Maamria from attempting a shot on goal.

Baker then was forced to stop a low drive from Simon Wormull, while Maamria fired over with a curling effort. Wormull then forced a punch out of Baker, and the Hereford goalkeeper punched over a Jamie Cook cross. As the half continued, Stevenage continued to pressurise as a Jon Brady header deflected off Dean Craven, and Baker was forced into a spectacular one-handed save to keep the ball out. It was Hereford, though, who tried their luck just after the half-hour mark. A poor clearance fell to Beesley, who found Danny Williams in space, but two shots in quick succession were blocked by James Gould.

The second half was a quieter affair, with both sides going close but neither really threatening. A Jamie Cook corner was caught by Baker on the hour mark, and four minutes later Beesley played a quick one-two with Parry before finding space in the area. However, his shot went just wide of the post, and this proved to be his final contribution, as David Brown came on in his place.

With nine minutes left, Stevenage's Wormull clashed with Baker after a corner was swung into the box. A long stoppage ensued, with Wormull eventually being stretchered off. This was the main reason why six minutes of added time were indicated by the fourth official, and with two minutes of it played, Parry broke. He surged forward into the Stevenage area, firing a low shot past Lionel Perez into the bottom corner to hand Hereford the points.

Written by Terry Goodwin - 3rd January 2004

Hereford United	Stevenage Borough
Matt Baker	Lionel Perez
Ryan Green	Simon Wormull (off, 86 minutes)
Michael Rose	James Gould
Dean Craven	Mark Smith
Anwar Uddin	Michael Warner
Tony James (captain)	James Gould
Danny Williams	Gary Holloway
Ben Smith	Steve Watson (captain)
Mark Beesley (off, 65 minutes)	Jamie Cook
Rob Purdie (off, 90 minutes)	Dino Maamria
Paul Parry	Richard Scott (off, 90 minutes)
Subs	Subs
David Brown (on, 65 minutes)	Justin Richards (on, 86 minutes)
Ben Scott	Rocky Baptiste (on, 90 minutes)
Jordan King	Rory Jenkins
Andy Wells	Sean St. Leger
Richard Teesdale (on, 90 minutes)	Stefan Shamilian
Yellow cards	Yellow cards
-	Richard Scott (foul, 45 minutes)
-	Gary Holloway (unsporting behaviour, 90 minutes)
Red cards	Red cards
-	-
Scorers	Scorers
Paul Parry (90 minutes)	-
-	-
Man of the Match	Matt Baker
Attendance	2,875
Referee	Mr. P. Melin (Frimley, Surrey)

 

Guinan misses the game

Steve Guinan missed this afternoon's game as it seems that his knee injury has not settled. Although he came off the bench for a short spell against Exeter last Thursday it was felt that he should not be risked today. He is going to Lilleshall next week for some more treatment.

Talking to BBC Hereford & Worcester, Matt Baker said that Guinan had been playing with his injury for much of the season. He did not think he would be out for long, but the knee problem flared up last month after Guinan's operation for tendonitis in the summer.

Baker also said that Andy Tretton had started light training again this week and he hoped that the central defender would be back in the squad shortly.

Of the match, United supremo Graham Turner said: "It was an excellent finish by Paul, particularly considering that he had to carry the ball a long way on a bobbly pitch.

"That was a massive result for us and it's shown that we are capable of grinding sides down"

Meanwhile, as Telford defeated Crewe Alexandra today in the FA Cup, the fixture between Telford and Hereford United due to be played on January 24th will be moved as Telford will play their fourth round tie that weekend.

Parry speculation continues

Speculation continues this evening over whether Paul Parry is to move to Cardiff City.

The Bluebirds were beaten 1-0 by Sheffield United in the Cup today and the Cardiff websites are full of advice for Lennie Lawrence, the Cardiff manager.

Whilst one site suggests that an offer may be made, another says that Cardiff are backing away from signing him.

Cardiff City Online says that the Bluebirds have backed off the deal over a £50,000 fee. It admits that Parry would add balance and width to the squad.

However the Sleeping Giant Website argues that Lawrence is still considering a swoop for Hereford's Paul Parry.

The City boss has watched Parry on a number of occasions, and on each occasion he has impressed. Lennie is considering tabling a bid of £50,000 for the Conference star as well as appearance fees and the like, it reads.