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Next Game: Pre-Season

Monday, December 19, 2016

Hereford United Wound Up - 2 Years On


Grey skies over Edgar Street, three days after HUFC was wound up
On Friday 19th December 2014, Hereford United Football Club (1939) Limited was wound up in the High Court, with the then chairman Andy Lonsdale (pictured) reportedly 'stuck in traffic'.

At the previous hearing just 4 days earlier, the judge said he was expecting the £1m investment to be paid to the club.

However at around 4:35pm, just 5 minutes after the hearing was scheduled to start, the registrar issued the compulsory order.

The club's Barrister said that Lonsdale had got the funds, but seeing as he wasn't present with evidence, the registrar was left with little option but to liquidate the company.

Martin Watson, who was vice-chairman of HUST at the time but is now football director for the 'new' club said: "It hurts but it had to be.

"We didn't think it would come to this. 

"We'll pick the pieces up and start again and we will have the people of Hereford at our heart."

By 5pm, United fans had made their way to Edgar Street where reports had reached BN of people trying to strip the stadium.

Later that evening, former HUFC Director Dave Preedy confirmed that television and spirit optics were missing, but as a whole the stadium was trashed more than damaged (picture, left).

The Guardian reported that Andy Lonsdale that he would appeal against the decision, but nothing materialised.

Plans were already in place to create a phoenix club, and thanks to the work of Jon Hale and the rest of the 'business group', just two years later there's a successful club playing at Edgar Street in black and white.

In Hereford FC's first season they won three trophies (league champions, league cup and county cup) as well as getting to the final of the FA Vase with a staggering 20,000 Bulls fans watching on at Wembley (picture, right).


Mike Langford, Jon Hale and Chris Williams
Now in their second season, the club are 10 points clear going into the Christmas period and are hoping for a second successive promotion on their way back to the football league.