The Gary Peters Debate

Hereford United's director of football Gary Peters was brought into the club last October to help then manager Jamie Pitman. But with the appointment of Richard O'Kelly, a debate has started as to whether Gary Peters is now needed at Edgar Street.

It's almost certain Peters will stay until the end of the season but there is now a question whether the club will need him thereafter and whether the club can afford his reputed £1,000 per week.

The question was brought up by Trevor Owens yesterday afternoon on the BBC Hereford and Worcester sports programme. He asked Keith Hall and Terry Goodwin who were in the press box at Morecambe for their views.

"If you look at the record since Gary Peters came into Edgar Street, there hasn't been a great deal of difference to when Jamie Pitman was there on his own beforehand, so maybe he wasn't the right sort of mentor for Pitman to have," said Goodwin.

"Ultimately the board felt they needed to make a change, I think the fans were ready for a change and I think most of the fans have got the man they want now in the position of Hereford United."

Owens then questioned how this new arrangement would work.

"If Richard O'Kelly comes in and gets Hereford out of trouble and opts to stay is he really going to want Gary Peters as director of football above him?" asked Owens.

"Well the situation at the moment is that there are five people on the coaching staff at Hereford United," said Goodwin.

"I can't see that continuing. I know that the chairman has said when the appointment was made there would be changes in the summer.

"The coaching staff can't stay at that number simply because it costs too much.

"I can't see Gary Peters staying on past the end of the season if Richard O'Kelly keeps Hereford United in the Football League and takes over as manager on a longer-term basis.

"It just doesn't make sense for Richard O'Kelly to have a mentor in a director of football role above him."

Hall felt there was a bigger picture to the debate.

"David Keyte and Tim Russon were new to football in terms of directorship and running a football club," said Hall.

"Gary Peters has got a whole host of experience behind him to actually help out in that role so if there is a niche that says an awful lot of the ground work that a managing director or chairman of a football club might do, then Gary Peters can take some of that and also a hell of a lot of paperwork and contract negotiations that Peters could be involved with.

"So it doesn't neccessarily rule out that director of football role. He would be more of a hands off than a hands on in terms of players and training."

Goodwin thought Pitman seemed to be more at home out on the training pitch and that might bring the role of Richard Sneekes and Russell Hoult into question.

"Basically there are too many chiefs and not enough indians," said Goodwin.

"I think everyone is aware of that. It's just which bits do you pull apart come the end of the season."

---