Hereford United have come in 16th in the Football Pools Acheivers league. The survey took into account the following to conduct its results:
- The club’s ‘starting position’ in 1992
- Stadium capacity and average attendances 1992-2008
- Changes in club ownership and associated investments
- Financial difficulties, including administration
- Transfers in and out since 1992
- League and Cup performances each season
Doncaster Rovers lead the way in the report, with Portsmouth and Reading close behind. In League One, Hereford are sixth with Cheltenham Town top of the table.
The following was said about Hereford:
"The Bulls joined the Football League in 1972, but for the majority of the Premier League era they occupied a spot in the Conference, after financial problems in 1996 forced them to sell players and relegation from Division Three followed.
The club, to their credit, stuck by long-serving manager Graham Turner (now in his 14th season at Edgar Street) and after nine seasons in non-league football they finally won promotion via the play-offs in 2006.
Their first season back was hardly impressive – finishing 16th – but last term they won automatic promotion to League One, the first time for 30 years they have been in the third tier of the football pyramid. It made them one of the biggest over-achievers of last season."
The full report is available for download at http://community.footballpools.com/football-reports/achievers/