Given Hereford FC manager Russell Slade left Edgar Street yesterday, it's opportune to repost two statements from the board which were published a few days after Peter Beadle was sacked.
At the time the board had decided to move away from a manager/coach senario to a head of football/head coach idea.
Monday September 17th:
The board of Hereford FC have issued the following statement:
‘As a board we understand concerns raised by supporters over the past few days, but can offer reassurance that the Directors unanimously believe the decisions that have been made are in the best interests of this football club.
‘Over time we have been taking the opportunity to speak to a number of respected figures from within the game to try to understand the type of structure that will best suit the club as we look to continue our progress up the football pyramid.
‘We have spoken to people with a long track record in the game, who clearly have far more knowledge and experience in football than we do, so we can give Hereford FC the best possible chance of further success through maximising the resources we have available.
‘We believe we cannot just focus on the here and now, and that we have to start to develop a scouting network that will help us secure the services of players with bright futures in the game by attracting them to Edgar Street and giving them a chance to perform and develop to their full potential.
‘We not only want to recruit players for our first team, we also want to bring our own players through our academy and feel we need greater expertise at the club to do that. In addition, we also need to consider when we might be able to go full time, which in itself is a huge project for us to be thinking about.
‘With all that in mind, as a board we feel we need to go down a different route in terms of the football leadership and will therefore be recruiting a Head of Football to manage all aspects relating to the playing side of the club.
‘A Head Coach will be brought in to focus on the management of the first team squad, and he will report to the Head of Football and work closely with him to ensure all football areas are pulling in the same direction. The recruitment process for both these positions has started in earnest and supporters will be provided with updates as soon as they are available.
‘While the Directors understand that the recent changes to the management structure here at Edgar Street have come as a shock to many, the board all agree the new direction is the best approach to give us success on the pitch and ensure we become as professional as the clubs we are now competing against.
‘Rest assured the Board are under no illusions about how important this football club is to its supporters, but we also feel that the club cannot stand still and that making changes now, from a position of strength, will potentially have enormous benefits for the long-term success of the club.’
Thursday September 27th 2018:
‘Over the course of three fantastic seasons, Pete Beadle, working
with both Bish (Matt Bishop) and subsequently Jenks (Steve Jenkins),
achieved three championships and a Wembley appearance for Hereford
Football Club – an exceptional performance from the management staff and
their teams, aided by Jonny Evans, Roger Lloyd and Rhys Evans.
‘This success was down to the football foundations they put in place
and Beads, Bish and Jenks have rightly been congratulated and lauded for
putting football in Hereford firmly back on the football map.
‘Their achievements during the three-year period will never be underestimated by the club’s current Board and everyone will always be grateful for the foundations they put in place and the fabulous memories we all have from their time in charge.
‘While we are unable to discuss the specific details relating to the recent changes, we feel it is fair to explain to fans that several months ago a review panel was established to look at the club’s football strategy. The panel included people who are well qualified to advise on this subject, given they all had an intimate knowledge of football at both National League and Football League level.
‘As a Board, while we are all enthusiastic football fans, we accept that we do not have the detailed knowledge of football that people who have worked in the game do and external experts were approached to be part of the review panel.
‘As a result of that review, and the recommendations that came from the panel, it was decided that when the time was right we would implement the recommended structural changes that had been put forward.
‘Essentially, this involved moving away from the more usual non-league coaching team of a Manager and an Assistant Manager, to an experienced Head of Football working closely with a Head Coach with support from an experienced player as assistant player-coach.
‘One of the many advantages put forward by the panel was that this structure, as well as bringing a wealth of football experience, would introduce a clear separation of responsibilities, but still with a close working relationship between the two.
‘For example, having worked together to identify the type of players required, the Head of Football would have the contacts, experience and knowledge to identify and locate potential signings, as well as then taking responsibility for negotiations, dealing with agents, the pay and the contracts.
‘The two would work together in the more practical elements such as training and tactics, as well as in other areas to ensure much closer integration with the Academy and also to improve communication on football-related matters at board level with the Head of Football acting as the bridge.
‘While the decision to go down this route was made some time ago, at what point to implement it was a different matter. There was probably never going to be a ‘right’ time.
‘However, having recently spent time reviewing all the factors that needed to be considered, including the movement of players to and from the club, the management of the playing budget, training sessions, and other relevant considerations, the Board concluded, with considerable regret, that a management change was needed.
‘The Board was unanimous in the view that having secured promotion to the National League North, the players and the club itself deserved to have the best opportunity possible to be competitive at this higher level and beyond. We all firmly believe that the structure change was necessary at this point and therefore we believe this very difficult decision was made in the best long-term interests of our individual players, the team, the club, and also our Youth Academy players too.
‘As mentioned before, as there was never going to be an ideal time to implement such a change – other than perhaps waiting for the incumbent management team to move on of their own choice – we decided to act now as opposed to delaying until later in the season when it may have been too late to affect this year’s finishing position.
‘We hope supporters understand why we cannot go into specific detail about the recent departures, but we can offer complete reassurance that it was not a knee-jerk reaction based on any single thing that has occurred.
‘We do, however, understand that unless you were aware of the background that we have tried to set out in this statement, the decision will have come as a very big shock to all fans. To be perfectly clear, there was and is no ulterior motive for this move, but we recognise that we will never be able to prevent others coming up with unsubstantiated theories and allegations.
‘Every single member of the Board hopes to see Beads and Jenks back in football management very quickly if that is what they want, and we wish them every success wherever they are offered their next opportunity.
‘They leave behind a legacy at Edgar Street of which they can be justifiably proud and that will never be forgotten.’
‘Their achievements during the three-year period will never be underestimated by the club’s current Board and everyone will always be grateful for the foundations they put in place and the fabulous memories we all have from their time in charge.
‘While we are unable to discuss the specific details relating to the recent changes, we feel it is fair to explain to fans that several months ago a review panel was established to look at the club’s football strategy. The panel included people who are well qualified to advise on this subject, given they all had an intimate knowledge of football at both National League and Football League level.
‘As a Board, while we are all enthusiastic football fans, we accept that we do not have the detailed knowledge of football that people who have worked in the game do and external experts were approached to be part of the review panel.
‘As a result of that review, and the recommendations that came from the panel, it was decided that when the time was right we would implement the recommended structural changes that had been put forward.
‘Essentially, this involved moving away from the more usual non-league coaching team of a Manager and an Assistant Manager, to an experienced Head of Football working closely with a Head Coach with support from an experienced player as assistant player-coach.
‘One of the many advantages put forward by the panel was that this structure, as well as bringing a wealth of football experience, would introduce a clear separation of responsibilities, but still with a close working relationship between the two.
‘For example, having worked together to identify the type of players required, the Head of Football would have the contacts, experience and knowledge to identify and locate potential signings, as well as then taking responsibility for negotiations, dealing with agents, the pay and the contracts.
‘The two would work together in the more practical elements such as training and tactics, as well as in other areas to ensure much closer integration with the Academy and also to improve communication on football-related matters at board level with the Head of Football acting as the bridge.
‘While the decision to go down this route was made some time ago, at what point to implement it was a different matter. There was probably never going to be a ‘right’ time.
‘However, having recently spent time reviewing all the factors that needed to be considered, including the movement of players to and from the club, the management of the playing budget, training sessions, and other relevant considerations, the Board concluded, with considerable regret, that a management change was needed.
‘The Board was unanimous in the view that having secured promotion to the National League North, the players and the club itself deserved to have the best opportunity possible to be competitive at this higher level and beyond. We all firmly believe that the structure change was necessary at this point and therefore we believe this very difficult decision was made in the best long-term interests of our individual players, the team, the club, and also our Youth Academy players too.
‘As mentioned before, as there was never going to be an ideal time to implement such a change – other than perhaps waiting for the incumbent management team to move on of their own choice – we decided to act now as opposed to delaying until later in the season when it may have been too late to affect this year’s finishing position.
‘We hope supporters understand why we cannot go into specific detail about the recent departures, but we can offer complete reassurance that it was not a knee-jerk reaction based on any single thing that has occurred.
‘We do, however, understand that unless you were aware of the background that we have tried to set out in this statement, the decision will have come as a very big shock to all fans. To be perfectly clear, there was and is no ulterior motive for this move, but we recognise that we will never be able to prevent others coming up with unsubstantiated theories and allegations.
‘Every single member of the Board hopes to see Beads and Jenks back in football management very quickly if that is what they want, and we wish them every success wherever they are offered their next opportunity.
‘They leave behind a legacy at Edgar Street of which they can be justifiably proud and that will never be forgotten.’