Herefordshire Council leader Tony Johnson appeared on this morning's BBC Hereford & Worcester breakfast show to discuss the Edgar Street leases and Hereford United, and admitted the Council pushed for the club to be closed down at Monday's Court hearing.
In the wake of yesterday's emails about a 999 year lease on the ground, host Howard Bentham asked Johnson about the leases: "The reference to 999 years, one of our Directors was saying, was just for the residential part of a potential development. The Council would be happy to discuss extending the lease arrangements so that they come into line with properties of that type."
Bentham then read out one of the emails, and asked Johnson if it was 'hardly a leap of faith that you want to develop Edgar Street?': "No, that's quite wrong. We're talking about the ends of the ground not the ground itself."
Bentham asked 'why develop the ground?': "If you look at the ends at the moment up against the new retail market development there it's clear something has to be done. Amongst other things we've got plans for the urban village to go down there, the new city link road, the whole of the area is being redeveloped.
"We can't leave the two ends of the ground as they presently are."
Bentham then interjected 'you're going to leave a crumbling football club there then? It's going to need more than a lick of paint?': "Indeed it does, and that's why the terms of the lease say that any profit has to be reinvested into the ground itself, and it's that source of income that will keep the ground going and that's why we're confident we would like to see a continuation of football on the ground which is what I said the last time we spoke."
Bentham pressed Johnson further 'you'll stick some houses down there, you've changed the leases, and it won't be long before that happens for the playing surface itself. And that's it - goodbye Edgar Street':
"Not at all. I don't see how you get from one to the other. The ground is to stay as a sports field - football ground. That's what the covenant says."
Bentham then reveals that the Council barrister at Monday's hearing pushed to close the club down: "Well indeed, so many of your callers and football fans have been pressing us to push the club to try to get the leases back and to close them down."
Johnson then reiterated the covenant, before adding: "We don't particularly mind who continues the football."