The Second HUISA Newsletter

Continuing BN's short series of HUISA newsletters from the early Conference era, here's the second one written on or around July 17th 1997.

Welcome to the second newsletter issued on behalf of HUISA, to all members. This edition as well as providing a general update, on what is (or is not as the case may be) happening at the Club, will also attempt to summarise the main points to emerge from the Fans Forum on 16th July, for the benefit of those who couldn't make it on the night (OO ER Missus!!) and those (including me) who weren't listening.

PLAYER UPDATE:

Tony Agana is now fully committed to the Club, the trouble is if you exclude Scouser he is our only recognised striker. Williams has gone to Plymouth (according to GT) or Walsall (according to the Text), for a months trial despite the offer of a contract from the Bulls (so much for kissing the badge at Lincoln last season). Foster's fee from R&D was �k and this has gone straight into the bank in order to pay the players wages! Hargreaves - Chesterfield have not pursued their interest and whilst GT would say that he had received an enquiry from a Div. 3 Club he would not be drawn (there's still life in the Chalkey swap rumour therefore). We were given the low-down on the Mountfield saga - the man basically has no integrity, though it must be said that the Club missed a trick in not getting his signature on the contract when he turned up for pre-season training. Ntamark has gone to Hednesford for the money - Brough has come to us for the money! Cook and Warner have agreed to sign week to week terms for next season, there has been no interest in either from other clubs (yes I was surprises about that to - not). Two unnamed players (one believed to be OOH Johnny Narbett) declined to join the club on the day of the FF!

Current "agreed" squad is therefore: DeBont, Mackenzie (non-Contract), Norts, Matthewson, Brough, Fishlock, Pitman, Mahon, McGorry, Ian Foster, Jordan, Agana plus Cook and Warner. Bring your boots to the friendly with the Slops therefore.

GT still hopes to be able to play three up front, at the moment it looks like being Agana and his twin brothers Agana and Agana (or perhaps they will photocopy him). Not surprisingly perhaps his expressed priorities for new signings are a Striker, Centre Half and a Central Midfielder, although the latter might have to become another striker. With just �k left in his annual salary budget don't go expecting Baggio! Possible recruits include Steve Thompson (ex. Leicester amongst others), Garry Patterson (ex. Slop), Ian Rodgerson (I don't need to say do I) and Mike Kelly (young local lad released by Huddersfield). There might be some good news on Monday 21st July I'm told????

MORALE: Norts said that the squad's morale was excellent. "There's more in our squad than money can buy" he stated, which is probably just as well. And I'll have a pint of whatever he's on please. Norts having shaken hands on the deal with GT last year, received a better offer from Plymouth (what have they got against us?) and turned it down. Such is the stuff of our Captain - good on you Norts, it's a pity that Mountfield was not made of the same metal.

YOUTH TEAM: Costs about �-80k per year and GT was pressed as to why we were continuing with it, given the state of the first team budget. The simple reason is that the Club were contractually committed to it for 1997/98, but with Bosman on the horizon, its long term future, must be in doubt.

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES:

24th July - Sloppy Town (H) 7.30pm (Note Changed Date)

27th July - Stoke City (H) 3.00pm

29th July - Gloucester City (A) 7.30pm

2nd August - Oxford United (H) 3.00pm

4th August - Westfields (Not sure - could be Belmont or Rotherwas. The Hereford Times said the latter but you can't trust them can you!)

6th August - Newport AFC (A) 7.30pm

9th August - Merthyr Tydfil (A) 3.00pm

FANS FORUM: The date for the next Fans Forum is not yet known (sorry to the guy who complained at the last FF). As requested HUISA has been in contact with Peter Hill's office, and we are waiting for him to come back to us with an answer on whether he is prepared to attend (???) and if so, with suitable dates. If possible we will try to tie it in with a home game/friendly. If you have any potential questions, I am happy to take them now.

OPEN DAY: The Open Day, is to be held on Sunday 3rd August - start time not yet known. Probable format will be: meet players, training session (them not us), penalty competitions (us not them), raffle etc. If you have any ideas for events I am sure GT would welcome them. The new away shirt (a red/black quartered design), will hopefully be available for sale on the day, as will a new range of T-shirts, proclaiming amongst other things that the Bulls are only on temporary loan to the Conference.

BRIGHTON SHIRTS: On sale for �0 a throw, as a souvenir of our last (ever?) League game they are likely to become collectors items. The programme is already selling for �9. Most of the shirts have already sold but there still remain (at time of going to print): DeBont(1), Warner(3), Sandeman(5), and the subs Turner(12), Wood(13), and Pitman(14). If you are interested contact GT direct at the club on 01432 276666. The shirts can be signed by the individual player or by as many of the Team that remain, plus GT himself. Go on you know it makes sense.

NEW STADIUM: The financial concerns associated with the relocation, remain unanswered. Unfortunately the meeting scheduled with Peter Hill and Robin Sly on 24th June, had to be postponed and we will be looking to reschedule this as soon as possible (in addition to the FF).

GOLF DAY: The HUISA Golf Day at the Herefordshire Golf Club will go ahead on a Wednesday in September (date to be confirmed). It will be a serious competition with good prizes on offer (up to �00), although we also hope to involve the players; GT will make the presentations in the evening. The competition will be for Teams of 4, (max. handicap 20) and the entrance fee is likely to be �0 per team, to include a hot meal (for each member that is, not between them). Any member who has any ideas for possible sponsorship, prizes for a Raffle or would be prepared to help on the day please contact me.

LIAISON MEETINGS: Bit of a cock up on the attendance front, meant that the meeting for 2nd July didn't happen. The next is provisionally scheduled for 31st July at 7pm. If anybody has any points they want raising, please let me know.

THE BOARD: Currently comprises just Hill, Vaughn and Jane Simmons. Efforts made this summer to encourage new members and find new backers for the club have as yet proved unsuccessful. GT has been talking to the ex-Wolves Chairman Dick Cantspellsurname, but his Missus won't let him come out to play.

DEAN SMITH: The Club are still pursuing their complaint with the FL about the basis of the ruling at Deano's tribunal. They cannot afford the costs/risk of legal action however. To add insult to injury, Darren Moore (crap Doncaster Centre Half) has been sold for to Bradford at a Tribunal set fee of �0k. HUISA has written to the Football League asking them to comment on this apparent anomaly (for anomaly read stitch up).

ROBIN SLY: Rumours of his death have been greatly exaggerated but GT confirmed that he no longer has any involvement with the day to day running of the Club. Neither is he involved with the re-development of Edgar Street; his interest is now solely in the site on the Ross road in which his company (Cosworth Developments - Directors Mr R Fry and Mr P Hill) have an option on the land allegedly.

SUPPORTERS CLUB: There is no more news at present on possible improvements to the Carlsberg Suite - its beginning to feel a bit like taking a large riding crop to tins of Shergar!

SEASON TICKETS: Still a bargain and if what GT says is right, the Club need all the help they can get. Please buy one if you can afford to and are intending to go to the majority of the games. The club are budgeting for crowds of 2500 + season ticket holders (a total of 2512 at the moment) and GT is desperate for the fans to get behind the team from the start.

FA CUP: We enter at the 4th Qualifying Round according to GT or the 1st Round proper according to the Hereford Times (take your pick). Either way I can't see Peter Hill getting his rug in the national press! Hednesford and Stevenage definitely get byes to the first round proper, because they aren't called Hereford United FC.

MATCHDAY VOLUNTEERS: No response from anybody to the call included in the last edition of the Newsletter. Must do better. See me after class!

HUISA DONATIONS: Again not to put to fine a point on this, the response has been poor. I know I said it was voluntary, but I was only being polite! If every member of HUISA contributed �, we would have close to �00, to put to helping GT. At present we have just �0, the total of just 8 individual donations (you know who you are - please take a bow). I know we can do better, and as was said at the FF, we would like to give a lead in this area (to Peter Hill perhaps - "If we can put our hands in our pockets why can't you?") and show the Team that we the Supporters are behind them 100%.

�5) in the name of HUISA; our Association's name is then in the programme every week. The next idea is to sponsor the first game of the season (cost about �0) against Welling, again simply under the HUISA banner. We won't look for any of the normal goodies that go along with match sponsorship, (food, free tickets, etc.), just a signed match ball, that we can then either raffle or auction, amongst HUISA members. If anybody has any violent objections to this initial use of HUISA funds or better still alternative ideas (no pub crawls Turvey), can they contact me.

HUISA MEMBERS MEETING: With increasing membership and much to discuss about the future of the Association and its direction, I believe that we should have a first formal Members Meeting. If anyone has any ideas about where we can hold such an event (a room capable of holding approx. 100, plus beer), at little or no cost ideally, then please let me know. Again it seems sensible to try and aim to have the meeting on the same day as a game, to save on the travelling (I do live in Sloppyland you know).

BACK THE BULLS - BACK TO THE LEAGUE

MIKE "GFB" QUARRELL

HUISA CO-ORDINATOR AND AMAZINGLY STILL A FAT BLOKE

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