"I Think We've Had A Good Start" Said Hereford Chairman

Hereford FC chairman Ken Kinnersley feels that the club has enjoyed a good start to the new season in the National North League.

"I think we've had a good start," Kinnersley told BN.

"I think the manager has done a good job so far.

"We haven't got the top budget in the league so we are no longer the big fish in a small pond, we're now fighting with all the other clubs and there are some big clubs in the National North league.

"The start has been good however I thought we were shown the way on Saturday (at Chorley). But for Horse making one or two excellent saves, I think the score flattered us a little bit. Other people don't agree with me but that's the way I saw it sitting in the stand.

"I do think that when we have a fully fit squad along with the signing the manager has just made, we won't be far off.

"I wouldn't profess to be a football expert, I look at what I see on the pitch and I make a judgement not so much on individual performances but generally on the way we play as a team.

"If we play the attractive football that our fans demand which is pass and move, pass and move, then we won't go far wrong.

"The manager has done a very good job in the past three seasons. Every season when there has been an issue he has corrected it and we've moved forward and I'm sure he'll do the same this season if necessary."

Next Monday's game at Chester is off so that will mean a Tuesday night game later. Slight disadvantage to us as we will take less fans?

"I don't think it suits either club to be honest. It would been much better on Bank Holiday Monday. The finances would have been to Chester's benefit. Similarly, a it would have been a good day out for our supporters and I'm sure a lot of them would have gone.

"Much better for everyone had it been possible to go ahead. It isn't, that's life, so we get on with it."

Recently there was a little bit of trouble at an away game and afterwards the club put out a statement. How did the FA know?

"Anything that breeches the regulations and affects the field of play is reported. It is much more stringent now because we are looking at the criminal law also coming into play at National level.

"The basis for any action the FA takes is the match referee's report. We received the referee's report for the game on the Monday or Tuesday. In it he made reference to one supporter encroaching onto the pitch and other supporters throwing plastic drinks containers and the contents at players.

"So the onus is on us to address that so that in the future if and when the FA raise another issue, God forbid they do, with us they will invariably ask with regards to the previous incident …… what action did the club take?

"So any possible charge and punishment for a second offence would take account of our record of dealing with incidents in the past. That's why it is important we do take action."
 

Has the club spoken to the individual involved?

"It's in hand.

"This season we have been required to appoint a 'Respect' director. That is a board member who is responsible to the board and to the FA for ensuring that the manager, the players and the supporters comply with general principles of the FA 'respect' policies. That board member is Andrew Graham and he is reviewing the matter with a view to action being taken.

"What the final outcome will be will depend on a number of factors and it will be a Board decision."

The club recently appointed new caterers after James Smith ended his contract. Why does the club continue to out-source the catering and bars?

"It starts off with risk management. That's the key - minimising exposure to risk.

"We took a lot of advice from a number of clubs right at the beginning and the advice we received was to out-source.

"I'm aware there are a number of fans that say "bring it in house" and run it ourselves.

"Look at the practicality of it. This is a business that trades three or four days a month, not a week, a month.

"On top of that we have some private events and we do some room hire all to generate revenue for the football club but they are a known quantity and the required stock is known in advance.

"To trade from the bars and the restaurants we need stock. That includes fresh food and drink both of which have limited life. Food in particular but some of the beers as well, which is why on occasions we tend to run out of draught beers in the bars. A judgement has to be made whether or not it is not worth tapping another barrell because of its limited life.

"By having an events partner - and incidentally James Smith did a fantastic job in setting up our hospitality and events service, now we've got Terrence Payen - so through his other businesses he has outlets for all unused stock that would otherwise go to waste.

"Terrence buys it, so it is their stock and anything not used they can then take away and sell it through their other establishments. We minimise the risk doing it that way.

"The other issue is staff. We need a lot of staff for a very short period of time and if staff fail to turn up it isn't another problem we have to address when we're in the midst of trying to run a football match.

"They have the staff resources because they use them regularly so they are retained and they are able to bring them in as and when they need them. We don't have that facility available to us as a football club

"On top of all of that there are the unsocial hours involved in running the private events. Particularly, that six week period before Christmas I would think the events partner is working eighteen hours a day during that time. 

"Given that and all the other events that take place and the responsibility for sourcing stock, "hiring and firing" staff and all the rest of it, if we were to bring that responsibility in house we would be looking at employing someone on a £50,000 to £60,000 salary if not more, because of the responsibility and the hours involved.

"So we've come to an arrangement where we get a basic monthly income and if sales hit a certain target then we receive an additional percentage.

"For us to show a clear profit of £30,000 to £40,000 a year with no risk that is the best option in our view."

How have the news caterers settled in?

"Brilliantly.

"They run the Corners at Kingsland, Ludlow Castle and all the catering for Herefordshire Council.

"They are well established, professional and they know what they are doing.

"The last home game, Leamington on the Tuesday, I went upstairs to see how the walk-in restaurant was going and when I reached the top of the stairs I looked and I thought I've made a mistake, it can't be tonight, this must be a private function, there must have been eighty people in there at that time.

"We never expected that. Normally it's fifteen or twenty for a walk in. There were eighty people and unfortunately some fans had to be turned away as we just couldn't cope. I would like to apologise to anyone who was disappointed on the night but we just didn't expect or anticipate that level of demand.

The club are offering the same meal deal on Saturday before the Bradford PA match.