A Long Career at Edgar Street

The information on the Companies House website says it all.

'Appointment terminated, secretary Joan Fennessy' and 'Appointment terminated, director Joan Fennessy'.

After some 34 years Joan Fennessy is leaving Edgar Street. During that time she became both a director and company secretary of Hereford United and more recently vice-chairman. And at the recent AGM of the Football League she was given a long-service award.

There were few women in such a post when she was first appointed as a director just after Graham Turner took over the chairmanship of the club.

"When I went to the first Conference AGM, I think I was the only woman in the room," Fennessy told the Hereford Times.

As in any career there have been highlights and low points. Asked what she felt most proud about, Fennessy said it was getting the club back into a profitable position.

"That has meant a lot of sacrifices along the way but I committed myself to do all that we could to get the club back right again.

"But while there have been sacrifices, there has been a lot of enjoyment, too. The satisfaction of seeing it happen."

She had praise for the office staff at Edgar Street.

"I have had great support in the office here. It has been a small staff and it has been everyone’s willingness to get stuck in and do any job that has made it a success.

"The boys in the office have always been prepared to turn their hand to anything that has been asked of them; their loyalty was 100% and I could not have asked for more."

Then a few words of advice for the new chairman David Keyte and vice-chairman Tim Russon whom she has been helping in the handover of ownership.

"Trust comes into it a lot. You would like to think that you can trust people but you are never quite certain when people are telling you the truth.

"The trust level in football is not as good as it might be and you learn to become quite a hard character."

The full article can be found on the Hereford Times website.

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