Gomez The Mexican Cat took in their first game of the season at the weekend:
It has been an odd season for us Bulls fans. I’ve not been to Hereford since the Alfreton game and with away games in some out of the way places; even they have been difficult to attend. By this time last season I’d been to 7 games and was off to see us play Hornchurch in the FA Cup. Roll on 12 months and today I was off to see my first Hereford game of the season at St Neots.
It is usually around this time that I’ve got to grips with who’s who but with no-one at the club remaining from last season, I hadn’t got much of a clue who I was watching. Mind you, with what appears to have been a revolving door to the changing room at Edgar Street since August, I think even the most loyal fan this season would struggle. I’ve been following former Hereford players all season, via the Football League Show watching them on the TV and going down to Welling United to see how Chris Bush is getting on and seeing various other former Hereford players turn out for their new clubs. Bush has done well this season and it was unfortunate that his most disappointing display was in front of the cameras at Kidderminster when he was lucky not to be sent off, but did incur a subsequent 3 match ban for violent conduct. While I’ve been entertained down at Park View Road, it just isn’t the same. The atmosphere down there is non-existent, though to be fair it picked up a bit when Dartford visited and apparently for the Barnet game there will be segregation!
I will admit to being excited all week at the prospect of seeing Hereford, no idea why really, as reading what I can about what I was likely to see, there hasn’t been a lot to inspire me on the pitch and certainly nothing off it. Worry would be a better adjective really, especially after the end to the Slough game and the continuing debacle that is Hereford United these days. The remarks by our new manager Jon Taylor haven’t exactly helped. Just because we aren’t there, it doesn’t mean we don’t care about what is happening on and off the pitch.
The club playing chicken with the council over finances also livened up Friday. As I monitored the Twitter overload, I did wonder whether if at last when I was actually going to make it to a game, it would be called off, but fortunately not. Quite why they couldn’t have paid it before then if they had the money, which obviously they could find when they had to, brings yet more questions.
So finally to football itself. Saturday’s game wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, though I suspect that was more down to the players of St Neots who are riding high, played well, especially second half and if they’d had their shooting boots on, it would have been far worse than 1-0. We had a couple of chances, but really were never in the game. It is amazing what you get used to – squad numbers with names on the backs of shirts makes life so much easier. As a first timer this season, it was hard to work out who was who and I didn’t come away with any particular impressions of the team, apart from the fact that our goalie is decent. There was no lack of effort, though I thought we tired towards the end and we are lacking confidence up front – but how many times have we said that over the seasons. St Neots have a very tidy set up and with the town expanding and new residential developments near the ground, should continue to flourish.
The one disappointing aspect of the day was the lack of support, particularly from the south-east. I only saw one other person from the region and with the railway station right next to the ground, it was probably one of the easiest fixtures to get to this year. Whatever one’s opinion of the boycott at home, I think we should be supporting the team away when we can. By that we are not giving any money to Lonsdale et al and yet we are still supporting a young team who can’t be oblivious to all the goings on surrounding the club.
What the future holds for us, I have no idea. At times the situation seems to change by the hour. The current owners are dicing with extinction and the longer this goes on, the harder it will be to put back together again. People will find other commitments on a Saturday afternoon and what was once a way of life will disappear, for some never to return. While I support the boycott, the likelihood of my going complete cold turkey on visiting Edgar Street is tested every Saturday home game and I am targeting 18th April as a possibility – if we still exist then. It is said a cat has nine lives, I need mine, I’m not loaning them to HUFC 1939 Ltd! So Lonsdale and crew – pay up or get out, it really is that simple.
Gomez the Mexican Cat