Pre-Match Hospitality At Edgar Street

Last Saturday a group of supporters booked a table in the Hereford Suite for pre-match hospitality better known as The Edgar Street Experience.

None of us had ever been before so were not sure how much we would enjoy the occasion. 

We arrived around 12.30pm. One of our group had travelled up from Exeter, others from the Birmingham area, and the rest of us fairly close to Hereford.

We were shown to our table which was set out ready for us. There was plenty of room to move around, the comfortable chairs not too close together.

Time for a drink and a chat. The pay bar was near by and well supported.

There were ten tables so close to 80 supporters in the room.

Host Martin Brain took to the stage and introduced each table with a few words about who had taken them. There were a couple of supporters who had travelled from France in our midst.

Then we watched a video of some of the highlights from both Hereford United and Hereford FC. Obviously we saw Ronnie Radford's goal but there was footage from other games some we hadn't seen before.

This was followed by a roast beef dinner. The supporters from one table at a time went to the serving area. This system helped to keep the food was fresh and hot. Gravy and potato gratin were brought to the table.

Sticky toffee pudding with ice-cream followed which was also brought to the tables.

It was then time for the guest speaker Brian Viner. He had been recommended as a speaker by the Rankin Club, Leominster.

Viner is a life-long Everton fan who lives in Herefordshire so several of the questions from Brain were about the club.

But as well as covering football, Viner has interviewed a host of celebrities including Prince Philip, Cilla Black, John McEnroe and JK Rowling.

One particular story he told was about how William Hill, the bookmakers, started. Another was Frank Warren being unable to board a plane because it was overbooked. 

A very interesting speaker and a credit to the club that someone of his status was booked.

Afterwards a draw, the top prizes a tour around Westons Cider. One of our group won some Stowfords Press.

It was now approaching 2.45pm and time to make our way into the Main Stand to watch the game.

At half-time we returned to the Hereford Suite for refreshments and at full time a chance to meet the man of the match who was Omari Sterling-James. 

The only disappointment of the day was that Hereford lost.

We would like to thank Martin Brain for hosting the hospitality, also to Dave and Nikki Weaver for helping to ensure that everything ran smoothly.

Our group enjoyed our day so much that we plan to make The Edgar Street Experience an annual event. 

Hereford FC pay tribute to fan killed in Leominster bin lorry crash

Hereford FC have paid tribute to supporter Andzie “Stan” Stanik, who tragically died in a bin lorry crash in Leominster.

Emergency services were called to Mill Street at around 6.40am on Tuesday after the FCC Environment bin lorry left the road and crashed into an empty house.

Police later confirmed that a 62-year-old man had died at the scene, at the junction of Bridge Street and Mill Street, while two others were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Now named locally, Hereford FC said they were “very sorry to hear of the passing of fan Andzie Stanik, who was involved in the tragic incident in Leominster.”

The club also paid tribute to young supporter Layla Terri Phillips, who recently passed away following illness.

“Everyone at the club sends their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of both supporters at this very difficult time,” the statement said.

Police praised the emergency services for their response, while Herefordshire Council thanked crews for their “swift actions” and confirmed support is being offered to colleagues affected by the tragedy.

West Mercia Police Superintendent Helen Wain added: “On behalf of all agencies, our thoughts and condolences are with those involved and families affected by the incident.”

Hereford will honour both fans during their annual Memorial Matchday at Edgar Street on Saturday 10th, when supporters will have the chance to remember loved ones who died in 2025.

Tonight's National North League Results

Six matches were set to be played in the National North League this evening. However the game between Hereford and Macclesfield was called off at lunchtime.

As it turned out this was a sensible decision as it has hammered down at Edgar Street this evening.

Alfreton 2 Spennymoor 1

Bedford 3 Buxton 0

Marine 2 AFC Telford 1

Merthyr 3 South Shields 1 

Southport 2 Chester 2 

Alfreton have moved above Hereford into 19th place.  

 

News Round Up

Hereford Under 18's are playing Worcester Raiders at Hinton FC tomorrow (Wednesday) evening.

Goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore has joined Bedford Town on loan from Boreham Wood for the rest of the season. 

14 years after he joined West Brom as a ten year old, Hereford born Josh Griffiths is now the club's number one goalkeeper. 

Neil Warnock has backed the National League 3UP campaign. 'Clubs in the bottom division of the EFL, they don’t have a divine to stay there when there's non-League teams that are absolutely superb and run really well,' said Warnock.

Friendships Because Of Football

Hereford At Merthyr in 2017

 Today's Guardian carries an article all about 'friendship forged on football terraces'.

The article features supporters of several different football clubs and how they met.

Merthyr Town is one of the clubs.

Mark and Nigel remember the first time they met, in the early 80s. Not actually on the terraces, but heading to an away game: Merthyr Town were playing Cardiff City in the Welsh Cup. “Me and my then girlfriend were having a nice kissing session on the train, while Nigel was getting hassled by some Cardiff fans,” Mark says.

Nigel remembers Mark, who was a skinhead at the time, disentangling from his amorous liaison and emerging from under a sheepskin coat “like David Jason’s in Only Fools and Horses” to come to his aid, and has been grateful ever since. Merthyr lost the game 5-0, but Mark and Nigel both gained a mate for life, and they’ve watched the Martyrs together from the same spot at Penydarren Park ever since.

And it’s not just the two of them. Mike showed up, later in the 80s. “He’s from a different part of town, a different religion – we’ve still got Catholic and Protestant schools in Merthyr,” Mark says. The group grew, and started a fanzine: they became the Dial M for Merthyr lads.

There’s now a core of 15 or 20 pals, and I’m on a video call with five of them: Mark, Nigel and Mike, plus more recent recruits Louis and Jason, speaking from in and around Merthyr Tydfil. “An oasis of football in the sea of rugby in the south Wales valleys,” says Mark. “Since the deindustrialisation of our area, the only thing we have left is football.” Actually, Mark’s not at home right now. He’s gone to another away game – Wales’s World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan; he’s in a hotel room in the capital, Astana.

Oh, and they’re all part-owners of the club, which became fan owned in 2010 after liquidation. Mark, Nigel and Mike were instrumental in that, too, but this is more about terrace friendship than business affairs.

For home games at Penydarren Park, the Dial M lads stand in the CTM memorial stand – not its official name, but what they started to call it after one of their lot, 72-year-old Colin the Monk (named after a bad haircut), didn’t show up for a few weeks. “We thought he was dead, so we put up a little plaque,” says Mark, who does most of the talking. “But, a few weeks later, he reappeared. He’d just moved away with a new girlfriend.” Colin the Monk is off again soon, to live in the Philippines.

They look out for one another, even if they don’t see much of each other away from the CTM stand. “It’s a bit like the Cheers bar, where everyone knows your name,” says Mark. “You can be having a really bad week, you could be depressed, we’ve had a few of those: three o’clock and so-and-so’s not here, let’s give him a ring and see what’s up.”

Mike tells me about the time he was experiencing depression and anxiety, and how the Dial M lads were there for him. “It’s a safe place – we know where we are. I know we give each other endless amounts of abuse, but there’s a line, and we’ve also got each other’s back. You can tell anybody anything, really, if you’re not right. We did have a friend who took his own life – he wasn’t in our group, but he was a Merthyr fan and it hit us all hard.”

Mike says they’ll be there for each other even after they’ve gone. “Some of these boys, they’ll be carrying my box. I’ll be carrying some of theirs.”An “extended family” is how Jason describes it. He brings his actual family – his three kids, including his five-year-old daughter. The first Dial M wedding came after Mark took his sister to a few games. “She fancied one of our mates, Mick, and they ended up getting married.” And Mark’s six-year-old grandson is going to his first game, against Worksop Town (Merthyr play in the National League North), the Saturday after we talk. Mark’s dad, who’s been going since 1949, will be there, too; there’ll be four generations of the family in attendance. 

Nigel is the joker in the pack. Halfway through the call, he nips off and reappears wearing a wig. He says he found it lying around the hospital where he works, “saving lives” (as a porter). They’re not a clique, he insists. “Whoever wants to come and join us, you’re welcome, but you’ve got to take the banter. If I say you’ve got a big nose you’ve got to take it, know what I mean?”

Oh, and Louis does the songs, mostly Abba ones, with new lyrics. Go on, Louis, give us a blast, I say. So he does, choosing the one they sing for centre-forward Ricardo Rees, to the tune of Voulez-Vous:

Ricardo (aha)
Running down the wing (aha)
He’s scoring all the goals (aha) …

An hour with the Dial M for Merthyr boys in the valleys of south Wales (and the Kazakh Steppe) has been a blast, and given me a little taste of what they’ve been up to together for more than 40 years: taking the piss and looking out for each other. 

Read more at:https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/08/friendships-forged-football-terraces-fans  

Hereford Chairman Comments About Decision To Call Off Tonight's Game

Hereford FC chairman Chris Ammonds has commented about the decision to call off tonight's game against Macclesfield.

The decision was taken at around 12.30 pm in good time to stop both Macclesfield and supporters who live some way away from setting out.

It will also allow manager Paul Caddis to have a training session this evening.

"Not ideal," said Ammonds.

"But the pitch is sodden after yesterday's spells of heavy rain, on top of the water obviously already holding in certain sections on Saturday. 

"Work already being planned to check drainage situation. 

"While 100% unavoidable, apologies for any inconvenience caused." 

 

Game off

Tonight's match between Hereford and Macclesfield has been called off.

The Bulls announced earlier today that a pitch inspection was to take place at 12.30pm in light of the weather forecast ahead of kick off.

The club has now announced that a locally based qualified match official carried out an inspection in consultation with the referee, who made the final decision to postpone it.

Anyone who bought tickets for the match is eligible for a refund, but should wait until a new date has been confirmed for the rearranged match. 

This Evening's National North Fixtures

There are six matches set to be played in the National North League this evening.

Alfreton v Spennymoor

Bedford v Buxton

Hereford v Macclesfield (Pitch Inspection at 12.30pm)

Marine v AFC Telford

Merthyr v South Shields

Southport v Chester 

Pitch inspection at Edgar Street

There will be a pitch inspection at Edgar Street ahead of this evening's game against Macclesfield.

Hereford said with the weather due to worsen ahead of tonight's match, a qualified official will inspect the pitch at 12.30pm today.

A decision will then be announced, the club said, with the match against the 8th-placed side due to kick off at 7.45pm.

The Met Office is forecasting an overcast afternoon, before rain starts at 4pm. It will become heavier as the evening goes on before easing around 11pm.

Macclesfield said that , although it will be a "relatively early evaluation", it had been planned with team and supporter travel from Cheshire taken into account.

Hereford 13/8 To Defeat Macclesfield

It's 13 Years Since Hereford Last Played Macclesfield At Edgar Street

 

A win for Hereford tomorrow evening over Macclesfield is priced at around 13/8 by the bookmakers.

Currently Hereford are in 19th place in the National North League table with 16 points from 16 games.

Macclesfield are 8th with 25 points from 15 games.

Last Saturday lost 3-0 at Edgar Street to Southport (20th). Macclesfield, watched by 3220, drew 1-1 with AFC Telford (18th).

Hereford's home record is won 2, drawn 3 and lost 3.

Macclesfield's away form is won 2, drawn 2 and lost 2.

As for goal difference it's minus 9 for Hereford, plus 4 for Macclesfield. 

Recent Form:

Hereford DLDLL

Macclesfield WWWWD 

Hereford 13/8  Draw 13/5  Macclesfield 6/4 

Cooper Watching Cooper

Given his son plays for Hereford it was no surprise that father was in the stands watching last Saturday.

In this particular case father is Mark Cooper and his son is Charlie Cooper who is on loan with Hereford from Yeovil.

Mark was released from his post as manager of Yeovil at the end of August and remains without a job.

During Saturday's game Mark chatted with several others watching the game against Southport.

 

Club Board Meeting This Evening

There will be a meeting of the board of Hereford FC this evening.

The date for the meeting was agree some time ago.

However the poor form on the field and the consequent drop in revenue is expected to feature in their discussions.

Also the loss of car parking close to the ground is another subject to discuss. 

The financial report for the year to May 31st which is close to being finalised and the figures so far this season are also likely to be talked about. 

HUST Chairman - Concerns About Car Parking At Edgar Street

 

The chairman of HUST, Richard Tomkins, has expressed his concern about the loss of car parking spaces at Merton Meadow which adjoins Edgar Street, the home of Hereford FC.

"There will be an impact of parking at the ground in the medium term," Tomkins told the Hereford Times.

He said that HUST surveys had shown that when supporters park on Merton Meadow around 60% of them bring others with them who probably go shopping which brings money into the city.

"If that dissipates who knows what will happen.

"The car parks are well-used, especially for the bigger gates, which is revenue for the council.

Recently the north end of the car park has been closed to allow ponds to be built.

"A lot of home fans drive to matches. Only about 50 per cent are from the city, the rest are from elsewhere in the county, or neighbouring counties."

The council have said there is parking elsewhere in the city which supporters can use. 

But that view seems at odds when a new 40 year lease has just been agreed with the football club.

 

The Macc Lads

Hereford FC and everyone with an emotional stake in the club will be hoping that this Tuesday’s game against Macclesfield FC goes considerably better than last Tuesday’s against Oxford, and Saturday’s against Southport.

This one’s a battle between two phoenix clubs who in recent years lost their surnames as a result of terminal financial problems. United and Town are now both truncated ‘FCs’ as newly formed clubs.

Newly promoted Macclesfield emulated Hereford in shooting up the lower leagues (after previous incarnation Macclesfield Town went pop in 2020), and cantered into the National League North in winning the Northern Premier last season, a good few weeks before the end of the season.

Media darling Robbie Savage was at the helm for that promotion, before leaving for Nailsworth’s Forest Green Rovers. The loss of the distraction of his national profile may be no bad thing, but the loss of Laurent Mendy, Tre Pemberton, and Neil Kengni, who went with him to the Stroud Valleys, could have been felt more deeply. That hasn’t really been the case though, as like Merthyr they’ve adapted quickly and well to the NLN, and sit in eighth place.

On Saturday they drew 1-1 at home to Telford, a result that ended a run of four straight wins that took the Silkmen to the periphery of the play-offs.

Centre forward Danny Elliott has eight goals in 14 games this season and will profit from any sleepiness or sloppiness in the Hereford defence, or specifically from those dreaded ‘individual errors’ that have been questionably cited as being the sole cause of Hereford’s poor start to the season. He scored 40 in 50 last season at a level lower, and got a goal every other game for Boston at this level a few seasons ago.

Midfielders Justin Johnson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts are familiar players from their time with Chorley and Curzon Ashton respectively, with Johnson being Chorley’s star man a couple of seasons ago.

The league table now paints a stark picture for Hereford. 11 points behind Kidderminster who sit in the final play-off spot, just a point above the dreaded relegation dotted line, and three points clear of bottom club Leamington.

Saturday’s Edgar Street crowd was marginally up on recent weeks — astonishing loyalty from a fabulous fanbase. Given the outcome of that game, the position in the table of the opposition and the fact that they played over half the game with ten men, this could be the first game in this difficult season where the fans vote with their feet and stay away. Club captain Lewis Hudson’s plea on Saturday evening for everyone to stick together was a typically dignified intervention, but it’s certainly more obligation than enjoyment at the moment for many fans.

Paul Caddis and now Hudson have both made it clear that the dressing room is far from ‘lost’, and that at least offers some sort of base camp from which to attempt to launch a salvage mission on the season.

Matt Preston will be serving his one-match ban here for his sending off last week, with Kyle Howkins and Mike Parker set to form the centre back partnership.

The young centre forward McFarlane from Solihull has started relatively quietly but it can’t have been easy coming into a dressing room low on morale. It would be timely if he could now, having had two games to find his feet, start to show what he can do, with one of those things hopefully being the scoring of bucketloads of goals.

Harley Hamilton didn’t take long to get off the mark in opening his goal account for the club, and something that has been lacking this season (OK one thing among quite a few) has been a player with the ability to bundle ugly goals in. If he has that happy knack he’ll have been a good capture from Alvechurch.

Perhaps he could start here and inject a bit of enthusiasm into the side, given that he hopefully won’t yet have been tainted by the demoralising effects of the difficult start to the season that must be weighing heavily on some of the players who have endured Kings Lynn, Chorley, Hemel Hempstead, Oxford and now Southport (incidentally a list of places that never appear on perfume bottles or designer clothing labels in the same way Paris, Milan and New York do).

Two scenarios:

1/ 1700 witness a blistering performance that emerges from nowhere and delivers a 4-1 win, while 800 people simultaneously mutter ‘Bloody typical’ as they choose, totally understandably, to stay at home with their slippers on having had enough of the ‘entertainment’ they’ve been subjected to over the last few weeks. The irony being that 800 is what constitutes an average attendance for the league leaders.

2/ 2500 turn up again because they don’t want to miss witnessing the moment the corner is turned, everything suddenly clicks, and this rotten run comes to an end. As it will.

Whatever happens, Paul Caddis is presumably going to have to try something genuinely radically different, and I don’t know what form that might take (possibly registering and playing himself at right back?), but you wouldn’t want to miss it would you?

COYW

Badges On Sale At Macclesfield Match

A large selection of HFC pin badges will be on sale pre match this Tuesday v Macclesfield. The badges pictured are available at £1 or £3 each ( cash only ) from a sales point in front of the matchday ticket office. As usual all proceeds go directly to HFC.

Around Edgar Street Last Saturday

Some pictures from around Edgar Street last Saturday where before the game there was a one minute silence for former manager Colin Addison.

Highlights Hereford v Southport

 

Highlights from last Saturday's game between Hereford and Southport are now online.

To watch pleaae go to: https://herefordfc.co.uk/2025/11/highlights-hereford-fc-1-2-southport-fc/ 

Boss delighted as ‘horrible’ Southport dig deep for 'absolutely outstanding' win

Southport manager Neil Danns has hailed his side picking up three points at Edgar Street to lift them off the foot of the National League North table.

It's now seven points out of the last nine for the Sandgrounders and Danns, who made nearly 600 senior appearances for clubs including  Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers and Bury, thought his side were absolutely outstanding against Hereford.

Having taken the lead through a stunning corner from Danny Lloyd whuch sailed straight into the back of the net in the 29th minute, the visitors were reduced to 10 men seven minutes later as Callum Edwards picked up his second yellow for a push on Lewis Hudson. Despite losing a man, Jordan Slew got the better of Aaron Skinner in first half stoppage time and slotted low past Theo Richardson.

"We said at half time, it's going to take a gigantic effort to come away from here with three points," he told Southport's YouTube channel after the game.

"I said 'but the feeling you'll get after that when you stick together' and what I witnessed in that second half was a squad, not just the players on the pitch, a squad and a staff that were all in it together.

"That's what pleased me the most."H

He added: "You don't come to these places and get three points easy and especially in the position that we've been in, it's been been a fantastic result and one I'm really proud of.

After a disappointing start to the season, Danns has admitted that while he wants his side to play football, he wants them to be "horrible to play against and that's been one of our mantras".

Into the second half, Southport defended deeply and often had 10 men behind the ball to thwart Hereford's attempts to get back in the game and end their run of five games without a win.

Frequent fouls frustrated the hosts and ripped shirts for centre-backs Kyle Howkins and Matt Preston may go some way to showing how difficult Southport were to play against.

"I think testament to lads and the shape and that, when we did go down to 10 men, we were still a threat, especially in that first half," Danns, 42, added.

"Obviously in the second half as you go later in the game, the lads have been running and running and running, you're normally going to end up dropping deeper, but when they did drop deep, they were absolutely outstanding.

"They were throwing the bodies on the line and I think you've seen at the end there the clearance off the line. Chris [Renshaw] has made some great saves today. I think you gain more from these victories, you don't just gain the three points. I think the lads gain a sense of togetherness and willingness to battle for each other, to demand off each other, and that was all evident today."

Debut goal for Bitemo after leaving Edgar Street on loan

Preston Bitemo, second left, has scored on his debut for Kettering Town

Preston Bitemo has made an instant impact at Kettering Town after joining the step three side on loan from Hereford.

This week, the central midfielder joined the Poppies until 3rd January.

He had struggled to claim many first team opportunities at Hereford this season after missing most of the last campaign through injury. 

But as Kettering travelled to Quorn, Bitemo sealed the win with a goal three minutes into stoppage time. As Poppies' keeper Jason Alexander punched the ball clear, Bitemo burst forward and fired over the home stopper.

After the game, Bitemo posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Big win, Debut goal, We go again 💪🏾. Thank you to all travelling fans 👏🏾👏🏾"

The 2-0 win sees Kettering rise to 7th in the Southern League Premier Central table.

Second Half Pictures Hereford v Southport

A selection of pictures from the second half of this afternoon's game at Edgar Street.