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Next Game: Pre-Season

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Blackfriars End - Update From Hereford Chairman

In an interview with BBC Hereford and Worcester, Chris Ammonds has spoken about the Blackfriars End of Edgar Street which, it is hoped, may be demolished shortly.

"From the club's point of view we are continuing our discussions with the Council, which are really good conversations," said the Hereford FC chairman.

"Our immediate priority really is to get a lease extension. So we are going through those conversations.

"The Council have a bigger project in terms of the potential redevelopment.

"I think everybody knows that the posters went up a couple of weeks ago about the demolition which is set to take place in the closed season which should then bring the Blackfriars End to a flat area basically which then opens the doors for whatever plans the Council have got.

"There have been talks about student accomodation and that type of thing. We'll wait and see what happens with that.

"At the end of the day it's the Council's land, it's not in our lease, but as part of the conversations they've come to us, they are very much committed to ensuring we get a four sided stadium back.

"In some ways that's probably the main thing we have to worry about more than anything else.

"As long as we get what we need at this end then it's a winner for us.

"Either way it will be nice to see movement on the Blackfriars End at last.

"It will be interesting to see how that progresses over the summer but the plan is for it all to be done and sorted in time for mid-July when we're likely to start back here playing pre-season friendlies."

It's getting on for 20 years since the Blackfriars End was last used. It's a big site.

"It's surprising when you walk around it just how much space there is from the retaining wall along the pitch side to the road behind there.

"There is a lot of space and we have made it clear how much room we think we need for a stand there of the size that we would want.

"We're hopeful we will get what we need out of it, we'll come to an agreement with the Council.

"It would be fantastic to see four sides back at Edgar Street.

"Clearly the Council are leading on it but from the conversations we've had they've had discussions with people who have done this type of thing before. There is going to be that level of expertise here. They've said they are committed to us having imput in the whole process once they get to the design phase.

"I'm sure they will be true to their word.

"We have certain things we absolutely have to have infrastructure wise. We have already made that clear to them.

"We've got the issue around the floodlights that we've got to try and move forward with.

"We've reached the point where director Darran Ball has done some fantastic work to have an installation of new lights on the current towers planned.

 

"But as it stands at the moment with work looking like it will progress, we are going to pause that because we want to be fair to everybody.

"We were going to take new funding to put new lights on these pylons but if these pylons aren't going to stay in place beyond the next two years, we'll probably look at new full on towers and part new towers and lights, the full works hopefully.

"The original plan was to have new bulbs in March but I think the right decision is not to do that."