The Bulls entertain Cheltenham Town on Saturday in League One
For all the supposed rivalry between the two sides, they have rarely met in competition in recent memory and Saturday's game will be the first Football League encounter between the sides. It is nearly ten years since the two sides last met with the Bulls winning two, and drawing a third, of the four games between the sides in the Conference. Current Cheltenham youth coach John Brough played and scored for both sides against the other, earning the Robins a point at Whaddon Road in March 1999 after scoring there for the Bulls the season before to help them win.
The arrival of Matt Murray, still to be confirmed by the Bulls, raised eyebrows since the Bulls apparently had two fit keepers on their books. The sudden - unexplained - exclusion of Darren Randolph appears to have raised questions to his future with a wide assortment of rumours flying round the city. For Steve Guinan there will be a point to prove on Saturday. It will be 418 days since he last scored at Edgar Street, facing the side that decided he wasn't good enough for League One. There can't be many better reasons for a goal, surely?
Cheltenham boss Martin Allen started his side's pre-match warm up in the car park before last Saturday's match, leading them through the club bar and onto the pitch in another example of his unusual methods. They managed a two goal start before the whiskey legs kicked in and their more common defensive woes saw them struggle home with a draw. They've conceded two or more goals in all but three of nineteen games this season, and have only one clean sheet and - unsurprisingly - the worst defensive record in the division.
Hereford United vs Cheltenham Town, Edgar Street, Saturday 15th November, 3.00pm.