Gomez the Mexican Cat reviews Saturday's events:
As my train neared Hereford on Saturday I received the following text from my brother “Parked in usual place got tickets & progs sat in Oxford Arms. Normal service is resumed!
But there was nothing normal about Saturday. Pre-season friendlies, if this was your first, aren’t usually like this. As I neared the ground, the buzz was palpable; in all the years going to Hereford games – including big FA cup occasions and play-off semi-finals - I’ve never experienced an atmosphere like it. Oddly it felt like just 3 months since we’d beaten Aldershot and were returning the following season in celebratory mood, having just achieved the great escape, almost as if the 15 month wait had never happened. We were back in our spot on the Len Weston Terrace, meeting up with friends we hadn’t seen since the Alfreton and Aldershot games, the Meadow End was packed, the score board was working, familiar players were warming-up on the pitch, it was back to business. Edgar Street looked as good as I can remember. The works, particularly to the Meadow End stood out and huge credit must go to everyone involved.
Pre-season friendlies are usually pretty tedious affairs. On the basis it wouldn’t go down very well if I didn’t visit my family from April to August, I usually pencilled in a weekend up in July which would coincide with such an occasion. The last one I went to was in July 2013, when Hereford played a WBA team. I remember sitting on the Meadow End as there was plenty of space to sit and watch the game, I can remember nothing about the players we were trialling, or the game itself but apparently we lost 2-1. In fact over the years the only player who I can remember from a pre-season friendly standing out to me as a possible Hereford star was Guy Ipoua. Saturday was different on so many levels, not least seeing an entertaining game. Yes, the referee was kind, I think under other circumstances several of our players should have been booked, perhaps he was aware of the occasion and took that into account. Everyone on the pitch ran their socks off, it all seemed to matter so much more and the opposition certainly knew they had been in a match. The goal was the icing on the cake. At the end no-one seemed to want to leave, we watched the players in their huddle before applauding them as they came round the ground, followed by the FCUM players , their keeper especially popular.
And so we are up and running. My next game will be 8th August, obviously hoping for a home fixture, but that is yet to be decided. Of course the reality of being at Step 5, and not Step 1 of the non-league pyramid will not be easy. For many of the teams who come to Hereford, we will be their cup final, the chance to play at a large former league ground in front of a decent crowd will spur them on. The standard of the officials will not be what we are used to. If we used to complain before, well let’s just see how it goes now. The fare we see on the pitch will be different. The signs on Saturday were very promising, but much will depend on the older pros as we face established teams who tackle hard on pitches that are not of the quality we played on, even at Conference level. Even the fact we still don’t have the fixture list, arranged so much later in the summer, makes planning ones year ahead more problematic.
But back to Saturday – after that magical day at Aldershot, we’ve waited a long time to see Hereford play at home again. I did go to two away games last season but it really wasn’t the same. That is not to denigrate the players who turned out for Hereford United last season, they were just footballers looking for somewhere to ply their trade they were just as much pawns in a bizarre set up as the supporters were. That is history, let’s celebrate what we have now, get behind the new team and let’s get back up that pyramid!
COYB
Gomez the Mexican Cat