Guest Columnist Stig is concerned that even if chairman Andy Lonsdale comes up with £1M, Hereford United supporters may still continue to boycott the club.
So, in around two weeks time all Hereford United’s debts will have been paid off and every fan will return to support the club they’ve loved all their lives.
If only it were that simple.
I, for one, will not be returning to Edgar Street while Chairman Andrew Lonsdale and the regime he represents have any involvement in the running of OUR club.
And from all I’ve read over the past few days, and from all the fans I’ve spoken to, a huge number of fans feel the same way that I do. And it hurts us all deeply.
Too many bridges have been burned in the last six months and too many lies have been told by Mr Lonsdale, Mr Agombar and all the nameless/faceless individuals who are clearly involved in their masterplan.
Two clear examples of this are as follows.
On fans forum, Bulls Banter, an unofficial poll has been set up asking who will return to Edgar Street if all debts are paid and the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) calls off its boycott because the terms of it (all debts to be paid) have been met.
The result so far?
Of 128 votes cast by 2pm on 3rd December, 126 people have stated they will not return to Edgar Street even if the boycott is ‘officially’ ended.
I’m happy to acknowledge that Bulls Banter is a place where the actions of Mr Lonsdale and his regime are strongly condemned by most people so, to provide a different context, here’s another scenario.
Two close family members of mine have had season tickets at Edgar Street for more than a decade. They are not members of HUST, but they have stayed away this season due to the actions of the regime that currently controls OUR club.
Will they return if debts are paid?
Not unless this regime leaves they won’t and those feelings are shared by all the people they previously stood with on the Meadow End.
You see, the problem here is that no-one trusts Mr Lonsdale and no-one trusts any of the individuals that have come and gone in the past six months – or stayed involved throughout like Mr Agombar(!). That trust simply cannot be regained in the eyes of many, many fans.
A huge number of people don’t believe Mr Agombar and Mr Lonsdale are here because they’re ‘football men’ you see, and because they genuinely care about the long-term future of Edgar Street as a home for football. Most people believe that, at best, they’re here to try to profit in any way they can from the plot of land Edgar Street occupies. There are other theories too, but I won’t repeat them on here.
Since this regime arrived in June, the people involved have lied, lied and then lied some more. They’ve even gone as far as abusing boycotting supporters through the local press, which, it’s probably fair to say, is a very strange way to try to get supporters back on side.
Mr Lonsdale continues to try to play the ‘victim’ and pick fights with HUST as if it just represents one individual. It does not – it now represents the views of almost 1000 supporters.
Mr Lonsdale has talked of the positive things that have happened since June but most people don’t see any.
Just a few examples of ‘non-positives’.
1) This regime deliberately (you admitted it was a business decision in the local paper) got the club relegated two divisions for refusing to pay football creditors before the Conference deadline and then refusing to pay a returnable bond of £350,000. Which, in itself, is actually interesting now you can suddenly lay your hands on £1million.
2) This regime have managed to get four fifths of the stadium closed down on a match day, while also allowing the stadium to fall into a state of disrepair never been seen before.
3) The team they have representing them has used nearly 50 players in only 23 matches and, allegedly, a good number of the players used have ended up leaving due to lack of payment, either on time, or in some cases, lack of any payment at all.
4) Due to the way the club is being run, attendances have dropped from an average of 1754 last season, to just 378 this season.
I could go on but I think the lack of anything positive to report is well covered on the excellent websites, www.saveedgarstreet.com, and www.wewantourclubback.blogspot.co.uk.
Anyway, I digress, so back to my main point,
If Mr Lonsdale thinks most fans will be grateful if he finds £1million to pay of the club’s debts he will be wrong. Most people will straight away want to know where that money’s come from, but will ask the question knowing full well they will never get an honest answer.
People will ask, how can a man with 27 dissolved companies behind him since 1991 – leaving behind debts of at least £7million – come up with £1million of ‘investment’ from his own pocket? It’s the obvious question most decent, law-abiding citizens would ask.
Perhaps we’re better off not knowing where that money has come from, but if I was a victim left out of pocket by any of the 27 companies that have gone bust I’d be asking serious questions about where that money has been.
The residents of Feltham and the local council down there would also probably have obvious questions too.
And, as a taxpayer, I’d also like to think HMRC will be very interested in where any money ‘invested’ comes from. Thankfully, it’s clear from their attitude at the two most recent court appearances that they will be asking all the right questions moving forward.
NB: Interestingly, it has recently come to light that any such ‘investment’ (or additional borrowing) from Mr Lonsdale is not actually allowed by Hereford United (1939) Limited’s Articles of Association and that legal minds better than mine are currently investigating that issue.
My conclusion then, ahead of all the debts being paid in the next two weeks, is this.
Pay those debts if you want to Mr Lonsdale – it will be good if the creditors racked up by the incompetence of Mr Keyte get paid what they are due.
However, don’t sit in your office down south – we know you rarely travel to Hereford apart from on match days – and think that you’ll now see the return of most of the fan base the club has always been able to rely on. (As an aside, there is a school of thought that believes you don’t actually want fans to return, but that’s a theory that can be put forward another day!)
I cannot prove this, but from actually gauging the strength of feeling locally about the way OUR club is being run, you can, at best, expect a couple of hundred people to return to Edgar Street to watch your team.
This isn't because there is a 'hidden agenda'. This is because the people of Herefordshire, and those with an attachment to it, are very proud and will not stand for being treated with disdain and utter contempt by anyone, let alone individuals who have made no attempt to be transparent and earn their trust or respect.
We’re better than that, and OUR club is too.
That’s right, OUR club.
Best you remember that.
So, in around two weeks time all Hereford United’s debts will have been paid off and every fan will return to support the club they’ve loved all their lives.
If only it were that simple.
I, for one, will not be returning to Edgar Street while Chairman Andrew Lonsdale and the regime he represents have any involvement in the running of OUR club.
And from all I’ve read over the past few days, and from all the fans I’ve spoken to, a huge number of fans feel the same way that I do. And it hurts us all deeply.
Too many bridges have been burned in the last six months and too many lies have been told by Mr Lonsdale, Mr Agombar and all the nameless/faceless individuals who are clearly involved in their masterplan.
Two clear examples of this are as follows.
On fans forum, Bulls Banter, an unofficial poll has been set up asking who will return to Edgar Street if all debts are paid and the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) calls off its boycott because the terms of it (all debts to be paid) have been met.
The result so far?
Of 128 votes cast by 2pm on 3rd December, 126 people have stated they will not return to Edgar Street even if the boycott is ‘officially’ ended.
I’m happy to acknowledge that Bulls Banter is a place where the actions of Mr Lonsdale and his regime are strongly condemned by most people so, to provide a different context, here’s another scenario.
Two close family members of mine have had season tickets at Edgar Street for more than a decade. They are not members of HUST, but they have stayed away this season due to the actions of the regime that currently controls OUR club.
Will they return if debts are paid?
Not unless this regime leaves they won’t and those feelings are shared by all the people they previously stood with on the Meadow End.
You see, the problem here is that no-one trusts Mr Lonsdale and no-one trusts any of the individuals that have come and gone in the past six months – or stayed involved throughout like Mr Agombar(!). That trust simply cannot be regained in the eyes of many, many fans.
A huge number of people don’t believe Mr Agombar and Mr Lonsdale are here because they’re ‘football men’ you see, and because they genuinely care about the long-term future of Edgar Street as a home for football. Most people believe that, at best, they’re here to try to profit in any way they can from the plot of land Edgar Street occupies. There are other theories too, but I won’t repeat them on here.
Since this regime arrived in June, the people involved have lied, lied and then lied some more. They’ve even gone as far as abusing boycotting supporters through the local press, which, it’s probably fair to say, is a very strange way to try to get supporters back on side.
Mr Lonsdale continues to try to play the ‘victim’ and pick fights with HUST as if it just represents one individual. It does not – it now represents the views of almost 1000 supporters.
Mr Lonsdale has talked of the positive things that have happened since June but most people don’t see any.
Just a few examples of ‘non-positives’.
1) This regime deliberately (you admitted it was a business decision in the local paper) got the club relegated two divisions for refusing to pay football creditors before the Conference deadline and then refusing to pay a returnable bond of £350,000. Which, in itself, is actually interesting now you can suddenly lay your hands on £1million.
2) This regime have managed to get four fifths of the stadium closed down on a match day, while also allowing the stadium to fall into a state of disrepair never been seen before.
3) The team they have representing them has used nearly 50 players in only 23 matches and, allegedly, a good number of the players used have ended up leaving due to lack of payment, either on time, or in some cases, lack of any payment at all.
4) Due to the way the club is being run, attendances have dropped from an average of 1754 last season, to just 378 this season.
I could go on but I think the lack of anything positive to report is well covered on the excellent websites, www.saveedgarstreet.com, and www.wewantourclubback.blogspot.co.uk.
Anyway, I digress, so back to my main point,
If Mr Lonsdale thinks most fans will be grateful if he finds £1million to pay of the club’s debts he will be wrong. Most people will straight away want to know where that money’s come from, but will ask the question knowing full well they will never get an honest answer.
People will ask, how can a man with 27 dissolved companies behind him since 1991 – leaving behind debts of at least £7million – come up with £1million of ‘investment’ from his own pocket? It’s the obvious question most decent, law-abiding citizens would ask.
Perhaps we’re better off not knowing where that money has come from, but if I was a victim left out of pocket by any of the 27 companies that have gone bust I’d be asking serious questions about where that money has been.
The residents of Feltham and the local council down there would also probably have obvious questions too.
And, as a taxpayer, I’d also like to think HMRC will be very interested in where any money ‘invested’ comes from. Thankfully, it’s clear from their attitude at the two most recent court appearances that they will be asking all the right questions moving forward.
NB: Interestingly, it has recently come to light that any such ‘investment’ (or additional borrowing) from Mr Lonsdale is not actually allowed by Hereford United (1939) Limited’s Articles of Association and that legal minds better than mine are currently investigating that issue.
My conclusion then, ahead of all the debts being paid in the next two weeks, is this.
Pay those debts if you want to Mr Lonsdale – it will be good if the creditors racked up by the incompetence of Mr Keyte get paid what they are due.
However, don’t sit in your office down south – we know you rarely travel to Hereford apart from on match days – and think that you’ll now see the return of most of the fan base the club has always been able to rely on. (As an aside, there is a school of thought that believes you don’t actually want fans to return, but that’s a theory that can be put forward another day!)
I cannot prove this, but from actually gauging the strength of feeling locally about the way OUR club is being run, you can, at best, expect a couple of hundred people to return to Edgar Street to watch your team.
This isn't because there is a 'hidden agenda'. This is because the people of Herefordshire, and those with an attachment to it, are very proud and will not stand for being treated with disdain and utter contempt by anyone, let alone individuals who have made no attempt to be transparent and earn their trust or respect.
We’re better than that, and OUR club is too.
That’s right, OUR club.
Best you remember that.