Hereford FC chairman Jon Hale has expressed his relief at getting the lease to Edgar Street. Full article at: http://www.herefordfc.co.uk/2015/03/28/hereford-fc-chairman-jon-hale-reflects-on-recent-events/
‘The lease deal has been agreed by two parties fighting very hard in the best interests of their own needs and a number of people on both sides have gone above and beyond the call of duty to get this agreement done.
‘On a personal level, I will never forget how hard a small band of committed people have worked in the last few weeks to ensure Herefordshire Council had the reassurance and confidence they needed to grant us the Edgar Street lease.
‘Without their efforts, and the financial credibility provided by the four individuals who are providing our start up capital, this deal would simply not have been completed in the timescales we faced.
‘Having said all that, it is not lost on any of us how big a part supporters played in actually making the launch of Hereford FC possible. Had fans not stood up for what they felt was right and fought hard for what they believed in, Hereford FC would not have had the chance to secure this deal and in my opinion it is almost certain we would have lost Edgar Street forever.
‘I would like place on record the fact that I am grateful to every single person who has played any part – no matter how small – in influencing events and giving Hereford’s football fans hope for the future.
‘We are completely aware the eyes of supporters are quite rightly on us and we are going to do all we can to make every single one proud. As a board we cannot guarantee we will get every decision right, but I can guarantee that every decision will be taken with the best interests of the club and its supporters right at its heart.’
As for the future:
‘We have a number of things we need to sort immediately around the stadium, but that will not stop us looking at longer-term plans. We are aiming to get Season Tickets on sale within the next week or so and hope to announce details in the next few days.
‘We also hope to set up a temporary office at Edgar Street as quickly as possible so that we have a presence on site and a place for fans to visit if they want to pop in.
‘As we plan a schedule of work at Edgar Street we also look forward to meeting those people who have kindly volunteered to help us in any way they can. Our Volunteers’ Co-ordinator, Ken Kinnersley, has a compiled a comprehensive database of everyone who has made contact and I’ve no doubt he will be in touch with an update soon.
‘Moving forward, be in no doubt that we are absolutely determined to build a club that we can all be proud of and everyone involved wants to be able to walk the streets of their home city with their head held high in years to come.
‘We all – and I mean all – have a fantastic opportunity to make Hereford FC the club we deserve and that we’ve always wanted to support – it is now time for everyone to focus on the journey that lies ahead and no longer dwell on the disappointments of the past.
‘We’ve all made this happen – now we all need to make this club as special as we all should believe it can be.’