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Hereford FC's new manager has spoken to BBC Hereford and Worcester this afternoon just a few hours after he was appointed.
"First and foremost I must admit I'm excited, I am really excited," said Downes.
"I know the size of the club, I know the infrastructure that's behind it and it does excite me.
"Obviously there is a big challenge ahead, I'm not naive, I'm not deluded. There is a real uphill challenge that we are going to have to attack.
"But I've been in similar situations before, I've been in a situation like this as a player. I know what's needed, I know what we need to get out of this situation and I'm working hard to try and put that into action.
"I've seen a lot of Hereford in the last couple of days, done a lot of research, and I know there is enough within this squad with a couple of key signings to get us out of trouble.
"We've got the games in hand, those games will come thick and fast I know that but I've no doubt we will have enough come the end of the season.
"I haven't met the players, obviously the appointment only happened today. My first contact with the players physically will be tomorrow before the game. Between now and then I'm sure there will be several conversations had in order to prepare the players.
"I'll be doing everything I can between now and tomorrow 7.45 to make sure we are organised, we're ready and we've got a structure and a set up to go and defeat Darlington."
Reminded how passionate the fans are Downes felt it would be key to get back to Edgar Street.
"Our supporters are going to be massive, they are going to play a vital role in being supportive and cheering the lads on.
"I know how difficult it is at Edgar Street and you are shooting towards the home end where all the fans are.
"They know how vital they will be in our fight for survival. I look forward to meeting them and I hope they can support us in every way they can.
"Obviously I'm bringing Harry Pell in with me. He understands the football club inside out and he'll be a great source of information and resources for me.
"There are six/seven games in hand we have on numberous teams above us.
"We have got to make sure we hit the ground running as soon as possible, we have got to make sure we have got energy, enthusiasm, a bit of passion is really key, and make sure we all understand our roles and responsibilities.
"We've got to get points on the board, we've got to get wins on the board as soon as possible.
"All being well we start tomorrow night against a decent Darlington side but a side that can be beaten."
Following the news that Hereford have appointed Aaron Downes as their new manager, chairman Chris Ammonds spoke to BBC Hereford and Worcester.
"Discussions have been on-going since we took the decision to remove Paul from his post," said Ammonds.
"We had quite a lot of applicants which is pleasing to see. It's nice to know the club still remains an attractive proposition.
"Aaron was somebody who we hadn't heard about but once he had put in a formal application we were really keen to speak to him and after discussions on Sunday we decided he was the right man for the job and he was really fired up for the job.
"I think it was important to try and give everybody some clarity to make the path forward clear.
"We were really grateful for Adam Rooney for stepping into the game on Saturday and we are really pleased Adam is to remain at the club as part of Aaron's coaching staff.
"Harry Pell is returning alongside Aaron. They are close friends, they know each other well from their time at Cheltenham Town and Aaron was clear that he really wanted to bring Harry with him.
"Harry is a lovely character as anybody who knows him will know. Hopefully he will provide a lift alongside Aaron's coaching expertise.
"The games are going to come thick and fast between now and the end of the season. I think he really wants to get his teeth into it as quickly as possible.
"I'm sure it will take a little while for him to really start to influence things and put his mark on things but equally we've still got almost half the season to go.
"There is plenty of time to turn it around and hopefully improve our form. One win could change everything, hopefully we'll get that sooner than later. We might need a little bit of patience for Aaron to make some changes and bring in some new blood but I'm sure once he has had some time with the players and got a couple of training sessions into the players we'll hopefully start to see the improvements we are all looking for.
"We have ten and a half weeks of the season left which seems utter madness given we've still got 21 games to go.
"But I think if you speak to footballers generally they would rather be playing than training so hopefully the fact that in the main we are going to be playing between now and the end of the season will turn out to be a good thing.
"We need more bodies in the squad because we are going to have to mix the team up, we are going to have to rest people.
"So one of Aaron's first tasks will be to try and add more quality, more strength to the squad.
"He's already put names forward to us when we were talking to him during the process yesterday and hopefully we will start to see that come to fruition soon.
"I think we can do this (survive). There are lots of games to go. That doesn't mean anything because you have still got to pick up the points but I absolutely have belief that we can do this and get out of trouble.
"Hopefully appointing Aaron is the first step on the way back towards the mid-table and away from the relegation zone."
There are interviews with both Aaron Downes and Harry Pell on the OS.
https://herefordfc.co.uk/2026/02/a-first-interview-with-aaron-downes/
https://herefordfc.co.uk/2026/02/interview-harry-pell-joins-the-backroom-staff/
London Bull, Tom Gough is joined by fellow fan, Gary “Tango“ Bradley!
On the day that Paul Caddis was sacked, Tom and Gary sat down to talk Hereford.
Of course they covered Caddis being relieved of his duties. Alongside that, they spoke about the season so far and how things could have been improved. Much to say!
They speak about how Gary came to support Hereford and his various roles over the years! And there’s plenty!
Tom and Gary talk about the upcoming games and what and who they would like to see next at Hereford!
Thanks for listening!
YouTube: Managing Upwards - Ep 35with Gary "Tango” Bradley
https://youtu.be/-qh6i-m_xeg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/36g88iTPNJLErrIuv0MtXS
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A long-time Torquay United FC supporter has given his verdict on new Hereford boss Aaron Downes, praising his role in keeping the Gulls up but warning against rewriting history.
Aaron Downes, right, during his time at Torquay United. Picture: Torquay Talk
Clive Hayward, a regular contributor to Torquay Talk, said Downes was “well-liked at Plainmoor” during his spell as assistant and interim manager.
However, he admitted the former centre-back’s close association with Gary Johnson divided opinion towards the end of that era.
“Downesey was well-liked at Plainmoor, although some felt his close association with Gary Johnson tainted his legacy,” Hayward said. “Johnson outstayed his welcome and turned on the fans.”
Downes first returned to Torquay in December 2018 as Johnson’s assistant and spent five-and-a-half years on the coaching staff, a period that saw both highs — promotion from National League South in 2018/19 and a National League play-off final in 2021 — and sharp lows as the Gulls slid back down the leagues.
By February 2024, Johnson had departed, Torquay were in administration, hit with an 11-point deduction and stuck under a transfer embargo. Downes was handed the interim reins with 13 games left and survival on the line.
“To his credit, Downes stayed at the club when administration was announced, and kept us in the National League South despite points deductions — 11 points in total,” Hayward said. “He did unify fans and team to an extent. But his achievement shouldn’t be overstated though, because we only really needed to beat Taunton and a poor Truro to stay up.”
Downes’ playing days were also remembered fondly.
“He was a decent centre-back in his day. Probably had his best spell at Chesterfield. He never let us down as a player,” Hayward added. “Although if you want a laugh, Google his sending off for Torquay at Telford!”
Hayward, who has supported Torquay since 1976, said Gulls fans have sympathy for Hereford’s current position.
“Looks like it’s tough for you at the moment. Obviously we remember the Football League days, and we send you our best wishes.”
Downes now faces a similar survival fight at Edgar Street — this time as a permanent number one. He arrives at Edgar Street via a spell at Cheltenham Town where he was Michael Flynn's assistant before overseeing one game as caretaker boss - a 7-1 defeat to Grimsby Town.
He has also brought former Hereford United midfielder Harry Pell in to bolster his backroom staff, less than a month after he was forced to retire from playing. It is hoped Adam Rooney will stay on as player-coach, and Shaun Edwards as goalkeeping coach.
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With 21 National League North games remaining and Hereford looking nervously over their shoulder, Downes insists the situation is recoverable.
“I am absolutely honoured to be given this opportunity and cannot wait to get started,” he said after being appointed on a contract running until the end of the 2026 season.
The 41-year-old arrives at Edgar Street after spells as assistant manager at Torquay United FC and Cheltenham Town FC, and previously steered Torquay clear of relegation trouble during a testing interim spell in 2024.
A former promotion-winning captain with Cheltenham, Downes now takes on his first permanent managerial role knowing the scale of the task facing the Bulls.
He admitted the league table has not reflected expectations at Edgar Street this term but believes survival is firmly within reach.
“While the league table shows that the season has not gone as everyone at the MandM Edgar Street Stadium hoped it would, I am confident that there is more than enough time to turn things round,” he said.
Chairman Chris Ammonds revealed Downes had already “put forward a detailed plan to navigate us through the rest of the season” before talks were even concluded, underlining how prepared the new boss was for the task ahead.
In a statement, the new gaffer pointed to adjustments rather than wholesale change as the first step.
“With tweaks to our set-up and a few new additions, we will be able to climb the table towards safety.”
Those “tweaks” are expected to come quickly, with chairman Chris Ammonds confirming the club will support the new boss in refreshing the squad in the coming days and weeks.
Downes revealed he had been monitoring Hereford closely before applying for the role and made it clear he targeted the job as soon as it became available.
“After several years as an assistant manager, I have been waiting for the right opportunity to become a number one and as soon as the role at Hereford FC became available, I expressed a strong interest.”
The former Torquay United FC interim boss believes the supporters could play a decisive role in the run-in.
“Having played against Hereford on a number of occasions I know how passionate the supporters here are and have no doubt that, if we all pull together, we will be able to secure the points required from the final 21 games to ensure this great club remains in the National League North going into the 2026/27 season.”
The target has been set and now the work begins, starting with Darlington at Sixways on Tuesday evening.
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So, phew, where to start? And what next? Mo Salah in on loan playing off George Munday?
Newly-led Hereford FC ‘host’ Darlington on Tuesday, and are very generously removing the delights of the A4103 leg of the Quakers’ long midweek journey down south. That last soul-destroyingly slow bit off the motorway that Graham Turner for years pretended didn’t exist has been taken out of the equation given the current state of the Edgar Street pitch, meaning that the visitors will experience multi-lane luxury all the way to Sixways, the venue for this game.
Darlington are generally seasonal slow starters, tending to move up the table in spring, like neighbours Spennymoor. However, this season Spennymoor are doing a very good impression of not being good enough to lurch into life at all (sounds familiar), whereas Darlo have been all over the top half of the table for some time.
The Quakers’ game on Saturday at home against Kiddy was postponed (we’re not alone!), so they’ll be fresh for this.
When these teams met in September Mike Parker and Sam Osborne were instrumental in rescuing a point for Hereford, both now long-gone of course. I suggested at the time, not hugely insightfully, that ‘a solution to that early leakiness does need to be found, pronto’. Now-departed Paul Caddis never did find such a solution, and sides are still not having to try too hard to score against Hereford. Can the new management team arrest that tendency?
Last season Darlington did the double over the Bulls, with Matty Cornish and Jack Maskell being notable thorns in the side of the Hereford defence. 21-year-old Maskell is scoring a goal every other game this season, but Cornish has been in and out. Alongside Maskell, ex-Gateshead player Tom Allan and ex-York centre forward Cedric Main, the latter with 11 league goals, comprise a potent attacking threat.
They lost influential midfielder Will Hatfield to injury for the rest of the season in October, after he’d scored three goals in eight appearances. At 34 his best years are behind him, but their squad is populated with such good players, players whose more southerly equivalents don’t seem to be coming to Hereford, for whatever reason, presumably money. Again, can the new management team do more over the coming weeks to attract those more southerly equivalents?
Darlo are currently a point shy of the play-off positions behind Macclesfield and Telford, two clubs a regenerated Hereford should next season aspire to be at least on a level with, along with Merthyr. That’s assuming they can stay up this season; that ‘assuming’ is doing increasingly heavy lifting in sentences as the weeks go by.
To attempt to start building a ‘potent attacking threat’ of their own halfway through the season, Hereford brought in 6’ 3” 19-year-old George Munday prior to the Southport game on loan from Cambridge. He’s already averaging a goal a game for his new club having scored a consolation penalty on Saturday, so perhaps he’s ‘the one’.
What he isn’t is the experienced and proven goal-getter fans were hoping for, but if it was easy to find one one of those it would have been done already. No manager has managed it in Hereford’s NLN years, which suggests that the playing budget no longer allows it, hasn’t for some time, and is increasingly uncompetitive even at NLN level, as mad egomaniacs in charge of non-league football clubs skew the market by putting players on £2k a week who would make Keith Hicks look like having feet as quick as Ronaldinho’s.
So, plastic pitch, very odd scenario generally, just a few days after getting a mauling from one of the division’s poorer teams, new management team in the dugout. This could be absolutely anything, but a 4-0 ‘home’ win might see supporters wanting to decamp to Worcester permanently. OK, maybe not.
Oh and I see Merthyr, a side I suggested in the Southport preview had gone wonky post-Ricardo Rees, wonkily only scored seven on Saturday. Clearly on the slide. Seven lucky goals. It can clearly be done even when you’re not obviously cut out geographically for the National League North, and don’t have ridiculously deep pockets.
Finally, with the news that Adam Rooney is still at the club and assuming no new signings are brought in by the new management team ahead of this - maybe he should start here. I’d be tempted to have him in at centre back playing the same role Michael Gash did in his later years for Peterborough Sports, very successfully. There have been times over the last couple of seasons when his authoritative direction on the pitch has instantly given shape and structure and threat where it had been lacking without him. All of that was lacking for the final hour on Saturday.
Welcome Aaron, welcome back Harry, this feels potentially very good, and if the 'bounce' didn't come on Saturday it may well come here and then who knows, maybe even an extended 'honeymoon period' all the way to safety and renewed contracts for next season.
COYW
Harry Pell is back at Edgar Street - this time in the dugout.
Pell celebrates a Marlon Jackson goal at Edgar Street
The former Hereford United midfielder has been confirmed as part of Aaron Downes’ coaching staff following the new manager’s appointment at Edgar Street.
It marks a return to familiar surroundings for Pell, who made 60 appearances for the Bulls between 2011 and 2013 during the club’s final seasons in the Football League.
Signed initially on loan from Bristol Rovers before joining permanently under Jamie Pitman, Pell became a regular in midfield during a turbulent period at Edgar Street. He scored a penalty in the final game of the 2011/12 season, a 3-2 win over Torquay United, but it was not enough to prevent relegation.
Now 34, Pell steps into coaching a month after calling time on a playing career that brought more than 500 professional appearances.
He announced his retirement after struggling to recover from a serious ACL injury while at Cheltenham Town in 2024. A brief spell with Bath City followed, but after further medical consultations, he confirmed his body was “telling me enough is enough”.
In a statement in January 2026, Pell said he was proud to have reached 500 appearances, “an achievement I could only ever dream of as a young pup", and thanked supporters across the country for their backing.
After leaving Hereford in 2013, Pell went on to build a lengthy Football League career, representing clubs including AFC Wimbledon, Colchester United and Accrington Stanley. Known for his physical presence and combative style in midfield, he became a familiar figure across League One and League Two.
His return to Edgar Street comes as part of Downes’ first move as Bulls boss, with the new manager assembling his backroom team ahead of a crucial run-in in National League North.
The duo arrive at Edgar Street five days after Paul Caddis was sacked, with the Bulls now 11 points from safety in National League North with 21 games to play.
Hereford have appointed Aaron Downes as their new manager on a contract running until the end of the 2026 National League North season.
The Hereford side at Southport on Saturday ahead of a heavy 5-1 defeat
The 41-year-old steps into the hotseat at Edgar Street with 21 league games left and the Bulls in a relegation battle, lying 23rd in the table and now 11 points from safety.
So who is the man now tasked with keeping Hereford in National League North?
Born in Mackay, Queensland, and raised in New South Wales, Downes came through the Australian Institute of Sport before moving to England in 2004.
He signed for Chesterfield and went on to spend eight years with the Spireites, making more than 250 appearances in all competitions. In 2007 he was appointed club captain following relegation to League Two.
Despite suffering a serious knee injury in 2009, he signed a new two-year contract and remained a regular figure at the heart of the defence until his release in 2012.
Downes joined Torquay after leaving Chesterfield, with then-manager Martin Ling admitting the club were “taking a punt” on a player who had suffered two cruciate ligament injuries.
He went on to be voted the club’s supporters’ Player of the Season and signed a new two-year deal in 2013, eventually making more than 100 appearances.
In 2015, Gary Johnson made Downes his first signing at Cheltenham. He captained the Robins to the National League title in 2015/16 and led them in their first season back in the Football League.
He retired from playing at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Downes moved into coaching at Cheltenham, working in academy and first-team roles before returning to Torquay in 2018 as Johnson’s assistant.
In February 2024, he was appointed interim manager at Plainmoor following Johnson’s departure. Torquay were in administration, had been deducted 11 points and were under a transfer embargo. He was at Edgar Street when the Bulls beat Torquay 2-0 in the FA Trophy in January 2024.
Downes oversaw the final 13 matches of the season and guided the club away from the National League South relegation places before leaving that summer.
He returned to Cheltenham in June 2024 as assistant to Michael Flynn. In September 2025 he took interim charge for one match before departing after the appointment of Steve Cotterill.
Now Downes gets his first permanent managerial role.
He will bring former Hereford United midfielder Harry Pell, who has just been forced to retire through injury, onto his coaching staff and hopes to retain Adam Rooney as a player-coach and Shaun Edwards as goalkeeping coach.
Downes said he had been “waiting for the right opportunity” to become a number one and believes there is “more than enough time to turn things round”.
His immediate job is clear: climb the table and secure National League North football for 2026/27.
Four National North League fixtures are set to be played tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.
Given it's half-term week it's surprising there are so few games taking place.
Hereford v Darlington
Leamington v Spennymoor
Southport v Buxton
Telford v Chorley
Who Should We Appoint?
Bill Thomas from Bradford on Avon Praises Jerry Gill.
I felt incredibly sad when I found out that Paul Caddis was leaving. I think he’s a decent genuine bloke, and whilst I can’t criticise the decision at all, I can’t help feeling sorry for him. He increased our attendances, and our two highest pyramid finishes since the new club were formed were under his management. The club also have a lot more money in the bank than they did when he started. Obviously I wish him well in the future.
What the club need to do now of course is make the right appointment, which is obviously much easier said than done. I’m not going to try and tell the club who they should appoint, but I will say that when I found out that Jerry Gill was interested, I got very excited by the idea.
As well as supporting the Bulls, I also watch Bath City and Bradford Town, so I’ve seen quite a few Bath City games during Jerry Gill’s management. Naturally, I am pleased to read the positive words about him from Bath City fan Adam Matravers, who obviously knows him well.
I don’t know a lot about him, I just watched his teams play, but during his time as manager, it was very rare for me to come away from a game without the feeling that I’ve been entertained. Since I started watching them, Bath City have always tried to play decent football, and Jerry Gill fitted in well with the Bath City way. If he was Hereford manager, I definitely think that we’d be entertained.
His record at Bath City over 335 games was 144 wins, 76 draws and 115 defeats, with a win percentage of 42.99 %. If this record were pro rated to 46 games it would equate to just under 70 points, which is about the same as Paul Caddis achieved in season 23/24. He had more good seasons than bad seasons, and I think he did a really good job. He made the play-offs three times and I was really sorry when he left.
I would also like to add that the average gates from the season when he was first appointed to his final full season gradually rose from 691 to 1495. Bath City have more competition for support than Hereford, so they’ve done really well to increase their gates.
A lot of this was probably down to the excellent off the field work that was done by the club since it became community owned, but I’m pretty sure that Jerry Gill’s teams were a contributory factor.
Obviously I can’t and won’t try to tell our directors who they should appoint, but if they did decide to appoint Jerry Gill, then I think he could be a great choice.
Bill Thomas … Bradford on Avon
Editors Note: BN welcomes 'opinion' articles on any revelent subject. However it should be noted that just because they are posted on BN does not mean that BN endorses any such opinion.
With more than 30 applications for the vacant Hereford FC manager post, a short list is expected to be drawn up this week.
It had been thought that the board might have allowed more time for applications to arrive, but yesterday's 5-1 defeat at Southport is likely to have put pressure to make an early appointment.
Before previous manager Paul Caddis was chosen, a group including Graham Turner looked through the applications.
However the former chairman has had an operation recently and is unlikely to take part.
Three or four of the applicants will be short listed and, hopefully, interviews will take place as soon as possible.
Highlights from yesterday's game between Southport and Hereford are online.
To watch: https:herefordfc.co.uk/2026/02/highlights-southport-5-1-hereford-fc/
Peter Beadle and his side at Wembley for the FA Vase final in 2016
According to the Non-League Paper, former Hereford manager Pete Beadle is understood to be interested in a a remarkable return to the club.
The article leads with ex-Bath City boss Jerry Gill being a leading contender. Mark Cooper - who was previously at Yeovil having manager Forest Green - is also mentioned mentioned, as well as Andy Whing, who went on to manage Banbury, Solihull and Barrow after being Russell Slade's assistant at Hereford.
However, the NLP also say that Beadle is also interested in a director of football style role at the club.
Beadle was first in charge of the youth team at Edgar Street before becoming Hereford United's first team manager at the end of the 2013/14 season when Martin Foyle was sacked.
Featuring players like Jarrod Bowen, Beadle kept the Bulls up in the Conference thanks to a memorable final day win at Aldershot. However, off-field issues led to the club being thrown out of the league, and they started the following season in the Southern Premier.
Further turmoil ensued and Hereford were wound up in the High Court in December 2014.
Beadle would return to the club the following summer when Hereford FC was formed. In his first season, he led the club to a historic treble, including a first trip to Wembley for the club. That was a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Morpeth, with many Bulls fans still perplexed why he didn't start Mustapha Bundu and John Mills.
Under Beadle's stewardship, Hereford went on to gain two more titles to earn promotion to National League North in 2018, where they've remained to this day.
At the start of that season (2018/19), the Bulls claimed 10 points out of their opening four games. However, three defeats in their next four - followed by a County Cup loss to Westfields - saw Beadle axed.
Beadle would remain out of the game for two years before he joined former club Barnet shortly before the start of the 2020/21 season.
However, his tenure would only last four months. Since then, Beadle has managed in the lower leagues, first at Yate between May and October 2022, then at Shortwood, where he has been since last September.
Beadle has been approached regarding his reported interest in Hereford.
A selection of pictures from the second half of yesterday's game between Southport and Hereford.
