The Best Footballing Side In The Conference

Continuing BN's look back at the Turner era, we've reached 2003/04 and what was perhaps the best ever footballing season at Edgar Street.

Pre-season it was announced that in the year to May 31 2002 the club had recorded a loss of £21,670 but this was for a season when the average gate was around 1500. Last season that gate had increased to over 2,000 and so Graham Turner had a little more money to build a squad. There were 14 signed by July 1st.

"I think when we look through our side, we have got a sprinkling there of people like Steve Guinan and Andy Tretton," said Turner. "But in the main they are a fairly young eager bunch and I would think that will pay dividends for us."

Turner was doing much of the scouting as former scout Ron Jukes had moved to Telford. And supporters were very pleased to see the Bulls put 13 past Ludlow in a friendly including five from on trial striker Daniel Carey-Bertram.

At the end of July a crucial signing - Ryan Green joined Hereford United. By the first week of August the Bulls looked like this: Matt Baker, Ryan Green, Michael Rose, Jamie Pitman, Andy Tretton, Tony James, Danny Williams, Ben Smith, Steve Guinan, David Brown, Paul Parry, Rob Purdie, Richard Teesdale, Rob Sawyers, Jordan King, Danny Carey-Bertram, Dean Craven and Ben Scott.

The first Conference match was at Tamsworth on a very hot day. Graham Turner's son Mark plays for the Lambs.

"Mum is in a state because Dad keeps asking her to get information out of me and I keep quizzing her on what Dad is up to," said Mark.

"I have played against Dad's teams before and they are always very challenging games. The rivalry certainly makes Sunday dinners more interesting."

The Bulls won the game 3-1. The following Tuesday in front of 3195 the Bulls defeated Forest Green 5-1 then Morecambe 3-0. Although away at Barnet they could only draw 1-1 it turned out to be the only game they dropped points in the first eight games. Top of the League with 22 points from 8 games.

During this run. Aldershot were the visitors on Bank Holiday Monday and 4,985 packed the Street to see a 4-3 win for the Bulls.

The match had everything, goals, a re-taken penalty, a bust up in the Shots dressing room at half-time, yellow cards galore, and a red one near the end. Yet it wasn't a dirty match and a number of cards given were for enthusiatic challenges more than real fouls.

Those fans who set off for the ground at their normal time were faced with queue of ten to fifteen minutes to gain entrance!

"That was one of the most exciting matches in the eight years I've been at Edgar Street," said Turner. "Everything we did wrong was exposed in the first ten minutes, but we stuck at it."

It was September 19th before the Bulls were defeated 4-1 by Burton.

"It's in on Sunday to get things sorted out in time for Telford on Tuesday night," Turner vowed. "Burton worked very hard for their victory. There can be no complaints from us. The only thing is if you're going to lose you might as well lose in style."

The game was marred by trouble between both sets of supporters.

At this time rumours persisted that Paul Parry might be tempted away from Edgar Street by old foes Yeovil. Then in early October a defender by the name of Tamika Mkandawire joined the Bulls from West Bromwich.

After a 5-1 win at Northwich, the Bulls went through a poor patch with just two draws in four games. Then a win against Margate before, perhaps, the most disappointing scoreline of the season, a 4-1 hammering at Shrewsbury.

"They were more determined than us," said Turner. "I have to say that Shrewsbury looked a good side and caused us problems. We were out-muscled and out-fought.

"It's been an embarrassing scoreline. I feel for our supporters. We brought up a terrific following here."

The Bulls were now third in the table and needed a win.

They got it the following Tuesday in front of the lowest gate of the season at Edgar Street just 1875, less the the number who travelled to the Gay Meadow the previous Saturday. Halifax scored first then it was all one way traffic - the result 7-1 - and the Bulls were back in second place in the table.

Supporters had to wait just under a month to see another feast of goals this time away at Forest Green on a cold and wet December evening. Paul Parry scored a hat-trick in front of Lennie Lawrence who was there for Cardiff City.

On January 7th it was announced that Parry had joined Cardiff.

"The deal is worth £75,000 initially but the club could get as much as £200,000 because it is performance related," said Turner.

The sale helped finances at Edgar Street but it was the performances on the field that made the real difference.

"We have had a reasonable season as far as finance is concerned because of the increase in attendances, but if you go five weeks as we will have done without a home match, you are still paying wages every week. You have still got all the expenses of running the club and it can cause a cash-flow problem so the income at the moment from Shrewsbury ticket sales is very welcome," commented Turner.

Four weeks before the Shrewsbury game was an away game at Dagenham. Sky had decided to cover this game which persuaded some supporters to stop at home. Nevertheless the Bulls won 9-0.

Hereford United equaled a Conference record this evening (February 27th) as they thrashed Dagenham & Redbridge 9-0 at Victoria Road in front of Sky TV cameras and a crowd of 1617. The record was previously held by Sutton United, who beat Gateshead 9-0 in 1991. This result will act a reminder to Chester City that the Bulls have certainly not given up hope of bringing the title to Edgar Street.

It was, however, the Daggers who started the better of the two sides. Dagenham played some nice passing football in the opening quarter of an hour and produced many difficult crosses from both flanks, one hitting the cross bar and another needing the finger tips of Hereford 'keeper Matt Baker to divert the ball away from goal.

United's first goal was scored against the run of play following a good passing move. Ryan Green played a neat one-two with Rob Purdie and then beat Danny Shipp to the ball who tripped the wing-back in the area. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, and showing Shipp a red card for a professional foul. Tony James hammered the ball home low to the right of the goal for his 6th goal of the season, all of which have been from the penalty spot.

The red card was a turning point in the game and from then on Hereford were rarely troubled by Gary Hills' play-off chasing team. United had chances for a second through David Brown and Steve Guinan and finally doubled their advantage in the thirty-eighth minute. Brown was played in behind the defence by Guinan then turned his marker and fired a left footed shot into the bottom corner at Tony Robert's near post.

Baker was called into action late on in the first half when a free-kick was layed on to Danny Hill whose first time shot was saved well by Baker, who tipped it round the post. Hereford broke down the other end with pace and won a throw in on the left wing which Green took. Rose played the ball to Scott Willis, who found Green once again. His tidy chip found Brown on the left of the box who drove a powerful cross to Guinan who capped a brilliant Hereford move and made it 3-0 at the break.

United took just two minutes to open up their second half account when Rose crossed a free-kick for Guinan to tap in from close range. After the fourth Hereford took their foot off the pedal and slowed their game down allowing Dagenham to have a period attacking the Hereford goal but didn't look like scoring. The closest anyone came to beating Baker was Jimmy Jackson, who headed just over the bar.

Hereford scored five goals in the last twenty minutes as Dagenham began to tire. Each time Hereford attacked it looked like they were going to score. In the sixty-nineth minute Baker began a counter attack as he released the ball down the left to Rose. Rob Purdie and Brown found themselves with just one defender to beat, so Purdie squared the ball to Brown who beat the advancing 'keeper only to see his shot headed off the line by a covering defender. The resulting corner, well taken by Rose, was headed in at the near post by Brown.

Danny Williams, left out of the starting eleven to make way for new signing Simon Willis, took just three minutes to find the net after being subbed on for Willis. His effort from twenty yards hit the inside of the post and then found the back of the net for United's sixth. Guinan was also replaced by Marc Beesley and Jamie Pitman made way for Dean Craven as Graham Turner looked to rest key players for Tuesday nights trip to Telford.

Beesley scored his first for the club following his transfer from Chester. He met a Rose corner from the right with a half volley at the far post for Hereford's seventh. Two minutes later Green played Williams one-on-one with Roberts and he netted his second. In the eighty-nineth minute man of the match Brown completed the rout and his hatrick when one-on-one with the 'keeper. This was United's eightieth Conference goal this season.

"I'm sure one or two people will look at that result and it will open a few eyes," remarked Turner. "We have graced the Conference this season with some quality football. We are perhaps not the most physical of sides which is our undoing at times but the players have shown a lot of skill."

Including the Dagenham victory the Bulls won their last eleven games of the season including a 2-1 win over champions Chester in front of 7240 at Edgar Street on the last day of the season.

So the Bulls went into the play-offs with confidence. They were drawn against Aldershot and the first leg at the Recreation ground was drawn 1-1. 7044 packed Edgar Street was the second leg.

The game although drawn 0-0 was not without incident. Referee Andy Woolmer sent Andy Tretton off after 20 minutes and with ten men the Bulls couldn't make the required break through. The game went to penalties and the Bulls lost 4-2.

"We were disappointed with the sending-off for a professional foul," said Turner. "We had cover round to clear the ball.

"A decision like that basically has cost us dearly because the ninety minutes and the extra time hasn't half taken a lot out of the players. You would not have thought we were a man short throughout the game."

And a comment from Shots manager Tery Brown:

"I do feel real heart-felt condolances for Graham Turner. His team have been a credit to the Conference, the best footballing side in the Conference. If the sending-off had not happened you don't know what would have been."

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