Turner talks about development

In his weekly interview Hereford United manager Graham Turner has spoken at length about how matters are progressing with the development issues.

"We went over to Wolverhampton last Wednesday to see an architect over there. What we basically want is that he'll be selected to look after the football facilities around Edgar Street and make sure that it's right for supporters," said Turner as reported on the Official Website.

"We're hoping to have a meeting with the big hitters from the Edgar Street Grid, the Council planning department, the Richardson's and the architect. It's a busy time.

"I'm getting ever so frustrated with it all, I've said before that I'll be disappointed if we don't get a planning application in before the turn of the year, I still think that's a target that is achievable, but we need to be moving things on.

"I'm told, by the Richardson's, that there is a lot of interest from a variety of companies that want to get involved, cinemas, hotels, fitness centres, retails, residential, plenty of opportunity I'm told, but we'd like to move it on further and get something into the planning stage soon.

"What we'd like to do is the configuration of the terracing, stay as standing at the moment, with the provision that we can put seats in at a later date if we wanted to.

"There are moves now to try and bring controlled standing areas behind goals, even at Premiership grounds, they've done it in Germany successfully where they do have standing areas for their domestic football.

"I'm told by the Football Licensing Authority that it will never ever come about [In England] it will always remain seating, the higher up you go, the Premiership, the Championship, it's got to be seated.

"There are so many supporters who want to stand, that enjoy standing, we don't particularly want to force the issue here and have to put seats in, we'd rather leave it as the supporters wish, and that is terraces to start with.

"Bearing in mind that we should, whatever is developed around here - we owe the million pound to developers, that's obvious, that's got to be taken care of - but there should be some profit in it for the club from whatever is put on the ground, and that should stand the club in good stead for the future as far as finance and viability is concerned."

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