From the Archives - Hereford In The FA Cup First Round

It's FA Cup First Round weekend and over the years Hereford United have often been pitted against higher grade opposition.

One such time was against Wrexham in November 2001.

The Match Programme

For our look back we have several articles. Firstly the build up to the game, secondly an article about the return of John Motson to Edgar Street for the game and finally Hereford United director Grenville Smith giving some post-match reaction.

First the build-up:

HEREFORD United's FA Cup tie on Sunday against Wrexham has been billed as tie of the round by the BBC, who will televise the game on BBC1.

The two giantkillers play at Edgar Street and Gary Lineker presents the action starting at 12.50pm, with kick off at 1pm. Joining Gary are Alan Hansen, Mark Lawrenson, John Motson and Trevor Brooking and the game will be followed by the draw for the second round.

Wrexham are known for giant-killing when, in 1992, they beat then-league champions Arsenal at the Racecourse. At the time, the Welsh side were bottom of the third division and with ten minutes left, Arsenal had a 1-0 lead courtesy of Alan Smith. However, Mickey Thomas hit a 25-yard free-kick past David Seaman and in the closing minutes, twenty-year-old Steve Watkin surged into the area to strike home the winner.

Hereford United beat Newcastle United in 1972 when, in a replay at Edgar Street, a similar story occured. Malcolm McDonald gave Newcastle the lead late in the game but Ronny Radford popped up to score the most famous thirty yard goal in FA Cup history. The game went into extra-time and substitute Ricky George scored the winner as Hereford became the first non-league team to defeat a First Division side since 1949.

John Motson makes a welcome return to Edgar Street for the Wrexham match as will Radford and George who will be making a pitch-side appearance during the programme.

The FA Cup first round is previewed on BBC Radio Five Live's Sport on Five on Thursday night from 8pm, with Ian Payne joined by Wycombe Wanderers manager Lawrie Sanchez and the man who scored the winning goal for them against Leicester in last year's Cup, Roy Essandoh (now at Barnet). Wycombe, in the second division, reached the semi finals last year.

The live coverage of the Hereford vs Wrexham match starts at 12.50pm and concludes at 3.10pm, after the game and the draw for the second round. There will also be updates on the game on BBC Radio Five Live and local stations Classic Gold 954/1530AM and BBC Hereford & Worcester.

It may be almost 28 years ago, but down in the cider country of Herefordshire they still talk of Ronnie Radford’s rocket. And why not? Radford’s goal was remarkable, a stunning strike from all of 35 yards on a gluepot of a pitch.

It sent Hereford fans into hysterics and it paved the way for a sensational, third round replay comeback victory against first division Newcastle United – Supermac and all! Substitute Ricky George got an extra-time winner and the FA Cup had spawned yet another upset. The scenes that overcast February afternoon at Edgar Street are as vivid to Radford today as they were in 1973.

Radford, 58, who now lives in Wakefield, said: "What do I remember about that goal? Everything! It will never leave me. I suppose Mickey Thomas feels the same about that free-kick goal of his against Arsenal. I can just re-wind the action, if you like, in my mind. I remember playing a one-two with a lad called Brian Owen and, head down, I just hit it. Luckily, it went in. . ."

Modesty forbids Radford to say more, but who will ever forget that incredible goal? Newcastle United goalkeeper Iam McFaul won’t. The Northern Ireland international was at full stretch, straining every sinew to try and keep it out. No chance. Radford’s rasping drive hit the target with all the velocity and accuracy of those Strongbow arrows in the TV advert. After that, and George’s winner, it was drink up ye cider, boys.

"It were great to see it go in," said Radford. "And it were also very nice for Hereford and the lovely people from that part of the world. I come from South Elmsall, which is a little mining village, and to score a goal like that for a small, market town meant something to me. Hereford had a wonderful record in the cup and that win against Newcastle just put them on the map again.

"I remember the celebrations. There were people in the trees alongside the ground because they couldn’t get in.

"Those who were inside invaded the pitch. It were unbelievable. Don’t forget, we’d already drawn at Newcastle - and we were in the Southern League."

Malcolm Macdonald and John Tudor got the Magpies’ goals before 39,000 at St. James’s Park with player-manager Colin Addison and Brian Owen scoring for Hereford. "That were a hell of a result for us, but what happened in the replay is the sort of stuff you dream about."

Hereford had also had hard cup-ties before they landed that plum draw. "We’d had qualifiers to get through before we drew 0-0 at King’s Lynn in the first round. We won the replay 1-0 and then had a marathon second round against Northampton. We drew 0-0 at our place, 2-2 at Northampton and eventually beat them 2-1 after extra-time at West Brom." Radford’s joy at The Hawthorns was another’s disappointment - Dixie McNeil played in all three cup-ties for the Cobblers.

And Sunday? "I’m hoping to get there," said Radford. "I think it’s going to be interesting. There’s a lot of things to take in consideration. First and foremost, it’s the cup and anything can happen. I want Hereford to win, there’s no doubt about that. The cup is special and I’m just hoping Hereford get through. My heart will always be with Hereford. It’s always a magical day when the FA Cup comes round. It’s the competition where non-leaguers have a real chance of glory. Look at what we did!

"The FA Cup gives the minnows, the little clubs a chance, and it often has international players quaking in their boots going to places like Hereford and Wrexham. Sunday will be a great day for showing the character of players from both sides. It’s going to be a day when players will also find out something about themselves. It’ll be nice to see a few friends again. I’m really looking forward to it. I know it’s on television but, like playing, there’s no substitute for the real thing. This is one I really want to see."

One thing is certain. Win, lose or draw the homely folk of Hereford will give Ronnie Radford a rapturous reception. I’m not sure this modest man wants that. But FA Cup heroes in Hereford are a bit thin on the ground.  

And the game:

Nov 18th:

HEREFORD United 1 - 0 Wrexham.

On a wall of the directors' suite at Hereford United's Edgar Street ground, there is a photograph of Ronnie Radford's long-range shot against Newcastle United on February 5, 1972. The caption reads: "The goal of the century." You may have seen the goal replayed on television. Or have you just missed Football Focus every year when the FA Cup comes round?

Not a lot of note has happened for Hereford since, and even less for Ronnie Radford. But for the cub reporter doing his first FA Cup commentary on BBC's Match of the Day at that tie, things have gone rather well.

John Motson was 26, on a placement from radio commentary, when he first turned up at Edgar Street. Nearly 30 years on, and recently reckoned to be the man in possession of the perfect broadcasting voice, he is back to cover Hereford's first-round tie against Wrexham, the BBC's first live engagement with the Cup since the rights were prised off ITV. And judging by the reaction of the crowd as he makes his way to his commentary position in the main stand, the return of the Mott was as exciting an event as Edgar Street has witnessed since that mud-soaked day in '72. Not that everyone realised the significance of the visitation.

"Look, son, it's John Motson," says an excited father, pointing to the round-shouldered figure in the headphones.

"Oh, right," replies the boy. "Is he a footballer?"

"No. He's Motty."

As is his wont, Motty arrived at the ground 2 hours before kick-off. He likes to be punctual, and he likes to make sure everything is as it should be. I find him sitting under the picture of Radford, at the boardroom table, dabbing at his notes with some Tippex he has borrowed from the Hereford club secretary. The notes are copious and many, and colour-coded in several different inks. As well as the trademark sheepskin coat, Motson displays a couple of unexpected sartorial touches. There are the pair of large blue-framed glasses which give him the air of a 1980s advertising executive. Then there is a hint of gel in his hair. Motty wears hair gel? Very much so.

"Probably not emotional . . . no, no, emotional's not the right word," Motson says of his return to the west country. "Nostalgic: that would be the more accurate description. I'm very much looking forward to seeing Ronnie Radford again. I've a lot to be grateful to Ronnie for. When Malcolm Macdonald scored early on for Newcastle, I was destined for six minutes at the end of the show. But when Ronnie scored that goal and Hereford went on to win, I got the main game. It was my first FA Cup tie. It was very different then. I never dreamt I'd be back here 30 years later, surrounded by a team like this."

He nods in the direction of Gary Lineker, Mark Lawrenson and the perma-relaxed Alan Hansen, who prefer to prepare for the game by swapping BBC gossip and glad-handing the local directors.

"Bloody hell, Motty," says Lineker, leaning over the hunched figure making his last-minute adjustments. "You have got the neatest handwriting I've ever seen."

In many ways, Hereford against Wrexham is the perfect Motty match. Not just for the nostalgia, not just for the romance, not just because it makes a change from the soap opera of the Premiership, but for the opportunity to wallow in research. Most of us could, if handed a microphone, manage a couple of words about David Beckham or Michael Owen, could tell the difference at a glance between Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard. But faced with Hereford's Robert Elmes and required to tell the watching public that his full-time job is teaching German, or that his team-mate Phil Robinson studied psychology at Salford University and sticks motivational slogans round the dressing room, well, we leave that sort of detail to Motty. That, after all, is what he is there for.

"Funnily enough, it fell brilliantly," he says of the tie. "I was able to get to see Hereford at Woking on the Saturday and Wrexham were providentially at Reading on the Tuesday. So I've seen them both and got some good facial identification. Mind you - ho ho - you can't win. Wrexham have made four changes since that game."

Not that something like that would put off Motty. He has just returned from the Wrexham dressing room, where he had collared one of the coaches to point out the incomers.

"Couldn't do that at Manchester United," he says. "Not that you'd need to, of course. It's got harder, you know, to have the contact. In the 70s they'd come up and chat. Now - and I'm not saying it's their fault - it's much more structural. Security whisk them away. Nowadays I have to stand in the tunnel as they go out to warm up to see what they look like. Now, if you'll excuse me I'm just off to see the referee. I want to get the names of his assistants. If you don't you can guarantee today will be the day when one of them is involved in a controversial incident."

Half an hour before kick-off, after returning from the referee's room, Motty makes his way to his commentary position, hastily constructed out of a couple of rows in the directors' box. He sits next to Trevor Brooking in front of three monitors and - useful skill this - continues fact-checking while signing autographs. His signature, I can't help noticing, is very neat.

"Could you put the captions up, please?" he says into his microphone, presumably to the programme director, before turning to me. "I like to check the captions are accurate and properly spelt. Ah, here they come. Yes, yes, yes. That's very good. One hundred per cent accurate. Yes, Martin, I can confirm that's correct for Hereford. Though we need a captain for Wrexham. It's [Darren] Ferguson, I presume. Thought so."

There was no such technology available for him when he first came to Hereford. In those days there were no action replays, no super slo mo, nothing at all.

"I was on my own, of course, no co-commentator then," he says. "I sat on the other side of the ground as I remember, because they hadn't built that stand then."

Motson is renowned for his phenomenal memory. He remembered something I'd written in an interview with him 10 years ago, remembered Tom the photographer had taken his picture before a match once ("it was Arsenal-Sheffield Wednesday as I recall, Tom, wasn't it?"), remembered a previous encounter with a woman who comes up and introduces herself ("course I remember you"). So I thought I'd give him a tester: which was the team Hereford beat in the round before their great Newcastle victory?

"Northampton, as I recall," he says. Naturally, it was. Was his memory, though, restricted to footballing issues? Did he, for instance, ever forget his wife's birthday?

"Forget the wife's birthday?" he says. "Don't think so. No. No. Categorically, I can say I've never forgotten the wife's birthday. Have been known to get the anniversary wrong. But only by a day."

It is not for his memory, however, that we love Motty. Not for the facts he drags out of his mental bottom draw, either. The reason we love him becomes evident two minutes into the game, when Hereford's Scott Voice misses a chance so easy the only surprise is it doesn't come gift-wrapped with a tag bearing his name. Motty is on his feet immediately, forced upright by the adrenalin rush of the genuine lover of the game.

"Ho, ho, ho, would you believe it? My word. Well, I don't think he'll get an easier chance than that."

He may not have Alan Green's tell-it-like-it-is forthrightness, he may not have Andy Gray's reading of the game, he may not have Big Ron's magnificently idiosyncratic thesaurus to hand. But what Motty has is enthusiasm. He's such an enthusiast, you get the impression in the midst of the bleakest 0-0 boreathon, he'd find a little something to chortle over. Since 1964 he has been reporting on football and the enthusiasm has never wavered, never has the reservoir of excitement been in danger of running dry. Link him up to the national grid and he could keep the country supplied in bonhomie for weeks on end. Tony Blair could do worse than bottle him as a permanent antidote to sneerers and naysayers. This is a man engaged in a passionate, 37-year-long affair. With his job.

And on his return to Edgar Street, he has had a great time. Not least because of the reception he has received.

"To be honest with you, it's been so convivial, so relaxed, you have to tell yourself occasionally you're about to go on live television for two hours."

The match, too, was right up his street. True, this time round there was no Ronnie Radford moment. No piledriver blammed from 30 yards. No shirt riding up to reveal yards of torso as the goal scorer wheeled away. No invasion of the parkas. But there was much to enjoy, particularly in the performance of Hereford's young keeper, Matt Baker, who looked a model of calm and self-assurance. Which wasn't easy in the gnawing tension, as the home team held on to their ninth-minute lead courtesy of Ian Wright (no, not that one).

"Good cup tie," Motty says afterwards, his face glowing. "And a great story. BBC gets the tie right again. Have you seen the draw for the next round, by the way? Canvey have got Northampton and Brighton against Rushden and Diamonds. Couple of corkers there."

There is possibly only one person in the country who could describe Canvey against Northampton and Brighton versus Rushden as a couple of corkers. Thank you, John Motson.

Written by Jim White (the Guardian) 

Finally some post-match reaction:

Fitness Coach Tony Ford And The Hereford Squad After The Game - BBC Pic

HEREFORD United director Grenville Smith has come out in support of the team on BBC Hereford & Worcester this afternoon, labelling the Bulls "king of the giantkillers".

Following the 1-0 victory over Wrexham in the FA Cup first round yesterday, he said: "It was an absolutely fantastic result for us. I think we proved ourselves to be king of the giantkillers. Wrexham have had many battles in the past and knocked out first division clubs but we did so well yesterday."

The lack of the mascot - a full-sized, real-life Herefordshire Bull - Smith commented: "It was such a disappointment. It was due to foot and mouth. They wouldn't give us permission to put the bull out there."

Of the game, Smith was full of praise for the performance. "I thought the Hereford defence was magnificent," he said. "Matt Baker did an outstanding job and I'm sure any major league clubs watching him would have certainly been very interested. It was a first class display and I'm sure the television cameras had a wonderful 'Match Of The Day'.

"We've got the potential and I'm sure it won't be too long before we're back in the league. The enthusiasm is great and it certainly helped us yesterday with the finances. We haven't got to turn around and start selling players to keep our heads above water so all in all it was a magnificent day.

"It was an incredible atmosphere. It was like the old days again. I'm afraid the last five minutes were very, very tense and when the fourth official held up an extra five minutes I think my nails went down to my elbows! It meant so much to us.

"Had we gone out at Dover (in the fourth qualifying round), I don't know what we would have done. There's a lot of prize money in the cup now and had they equalised in the last five minutes, we'd have lost £20,000. It's made so much of a difference. At the next board meeting, we'll have a smile on our faces."

The second round sees Hereford making the trip to second division Swindon Town. "It's a good draw," commented Grenville. "It would have been nice to have been at Edgar Street but I think we've got the potential to go there and get a draw and bring them back to Edgar Street. I know we will take a fantastic following to support us at Swindon." 

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