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| Work Continues In Addisons |
There's currently a lot of work in progress at Edgar Street to get the ground ready for the first home friendly of the season which is on July 11th.
Chris Ammonds, the club commercial director, gave BN an update.
"There's a huge amount going on and will continue to be so for the next four weeks right up to that first game against FC United of Manchester," said Ammonds.
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| New Cladding On The Meadow End |
"One of the most obvious changes on the outside is the cladding we're putting on the back of the Meadow End.
"Met-Clad have come in and done a fantastic job replacing some of the old asbestos cladding that essentially wasn't particularily dangerous but the age of it and the condition of it wasn't getting any better. The recent report from the structural engineer recommended the work should take place.
"It looks a lot better internally and externally and they are now putting some metal sheeting on to protect that.
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| The Cherry Picker Was On Hardboard To Prevent Damage To The Pitch |
"We've got the electrical contractors who have finished all the internal work under the stands and done all the checks throughout to meet the safety certificate.
"They are now moving on with the cherry picker that's here today to sort out the emergency lighting inside on the ceilings in the Merton Stand and then they'll move onto the Len Weston stand.
"There is lighting at a lower level, which should be in place but isn't, which we are putting in as well to ensure safety at the night games.
"As regards the Meadow End, it's not as bad in terms of the lighting because it's not seating. However there is work to do on the concrete steps and also on the Len Weston terrace
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| Inside The Meadow End With The New Cladding |
"Some of the bars in the Meadow End need to be slightly realigned and lifted because they are not quite as high as they should be.
"They are minor things really but the vast majority will have to be done before the start of the season. However there are some other things which we can show we've got them in a time-line of works.
"Some of these little things that you would never think of having stood here for many, many years.
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| Work In The Hospitality Area |
"We have an internal project which is to bring the boardroom and hospitality areas up to a slightly higher standard so we can start trying to push that to bringing in income to help support the team on the pitch which this is all about for everybody.
"In the short-term the we are not looking to do anything with the VP club simply because the timescales we've got and the amount of money we need to spend on that wasn't sensible expenditure at this point in time.
"We're hoping that once we've finished the work we will be able to turn it into a useable room which would give us some flexibility about what we can do with it, whether that will be having school parties in there or extra hospitality tables in there when we have some big games.
"But that isn't an immediate priority and so we've taken the decision to move the VP club as was, the Executive Club as is now, up to our best asset the Starlight Room which will be redecorated with softer furnishings to give it that loungey feeling for the sponsors and for the people who have paid a little extra for their season tickets."
BN - The amount of expenditure required for all this work must be a lot greater than initially thought. How as a club are you coping with that?
"That has been the whole point in some ways of the money that was put up initially. The Council needed that reassurance that we had solid hard cash in the background ready to go. Also that has given us the scope to do that because quite simply the timescales we are working to without the money that was generously put up by those four Hereford supporters.
"Added to that there are the fantastic season ticket sales, the sponsorship that is coming in and the share money from HUST. It has given us that buffer and allowed us to do that otherwise we would have been in a battle and whether we would have been able to get to this point is difficult to say."
BN - Can you put a figure on the cost of all this work?
"Our part of it, which doesn't include the work the Council have agreed to do in certain areas, we are past the £120,000 and the vast majority of that is non-negotiable spend. There is a small amount of that we have chosen to do simply to try and bring the support experience up to a better standard.
"Hopefully it will stop soon but you suspect it will keep on going and that's why the work the volunteers have come in and done has saved us bringing in labour has been so important especially people who have done some pretty atrocious cleaning jobs.
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| Keith Hall Painting Rails On The Steps To The Main Stand |
"And there's the painting work - you can see Keith Hall down there.
"There's a lot to be done but I think we are beginning to see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel now.
"It's all about the football, we laugh about the phrase around we are football men and all that sort of stuff, but it's about the football.
"And when they run out I think it will be a bridge too far for many of us when they run out on that first game of the season to be honest."
BN - The catering booth in the corner between the Meadow End and the Main Stand has gone.
"We are looking at various options where can move that to. We might use the St John's office.
"The issue with the catering booth was not only was it in a terrible state but it was also, according to the Fire Officer, was in a fire route so probably shouldn't have been there in the first place. So we were left with little choice so it will be moved.
"There are plenty of rooms inside where we can have the St John's in and they could have space the other side of the tunnel during the game."
BN - There is a surprising amount of room under the main stand. You could get lost there.
"It's not particularily well used, if you were redesigning that stand now with that amount of space it would be completely different. Over the years there have probably been various add-ons at various times. It's a bit of a mish-mash of rooms.
"If you wander around different areas will give you a smile. All the photos and memorabilia are in the Addisons at the moment whilst the work is going on but once we think to put things back, we can think about where we want to put things and it will all come back to life again and bring back those happy memories we have of Edgar Street."
BN - Jewson are to be the main shirt sponsor. Any clue as to what they are put in?
"It's a significent sum, it's a five figure sum and we're really pleased."
BN - Is that Jewson in Hereford or Nationally?
"It's Jewson nationally but to be fair to Kevin at the local store he's really driven it forward for us. And with the work that is going on there I think he is looking to offer reassurance that the work and reduction in size of their area won't impact on what the store offers and that has helped us in terms of the deal. (Jewson is affected by the new link road through the city).
"We've had the PR manager, the marketing manager, the sponsorship manager all down from Coventry for various meetings over the course of the last six weeks along with Kevin.
"It's been quite a long process but one we've been able to keep under wraps pretty well.
"We hope to have a shirt reveal early next week. And then once that's sorted we hope to have them in from Macron in ten to fourteen days for us to start selling."
BN - How is other sponsorship and perimeter board sales going?
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| The Club Are Looking For A New Sponsor For The Dug-Outs |
"The major deals are pretty well tied up now. We are still looking for a sponsor for the shorts, the dug-out sponsorship is still up for grabs. Eurocams are moving on so that deal is there.
"There are a lot of boards sold and there are a lot of boards people will be getting simply because they've done work we haven't paid them for. But some are still available, people are more than welcome to make contact, we would be delighted to hear from them.
BN - Is there anyone to sponsor the Len Weston stand?
"We all call it the Len Weston stand and we hope to call it the Len Weston stand. We will be looking to try and get someone to sponsor it.
BN - Finally match day tickets, new procedures?
"Essentially we took advice from a fair number of clubs. In particular we were told us that being reliant on a lot of volunteers and they took the decision it was more straight forward to deal with cashless turnstiles.
"So given the number of season tickets sold we are going to open upto four windows for tickets depending on demand. And we sell matchday tickets on a matchday from those windows and all people will have to do to go to the window to pay for their ticket. They will be given a ticket which they had in at the turnstile.
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| No Cash At This Turnstile In The Future |
"It means where we have cash it will be confined to certain areas which we can keep secure. In our first year it's a good option for us to go down and we've taken the decision to do that.
BN - Will supporters be able to pay with a credit card?
"We've got the system up and running for merchandise so hopefully we can extend it to the ticket office windows. We are already on to the sign people to help us make sure that it is going to be obvious whether it's your first time or your 100th time where you need to go and the process you need to follow to get a ticket for a game."
To finish Ammonds was reminded that it just over four weeks to the first home friendly.
"To be honest, ridiculous as it sounds, the only reason people are putting in the hours they are is so we can watch a ruddy football team running around on this pitch.
"And the moment it comes to see that team running around on the pitch that's what its all been about and hopefully that will make all those late nights and all the long days and all that sort of stuff including dirty hands in toilets that some of the volunteers have had that's what will make it worthwhile.
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| The Pitch Looks Much Better Than It Did Six Weeks Ago |
"Even over the past six weeks as the pitch has improved it's made a huge difference to moral around the place because it's all about what happens on the pitch.
"People wouldn't have given up all this time, worry and concern over all these months if it wasn't for the football team we are all desperate to support."