For this morning's archive article BN looks back to May 28th 2004 and worries that gates might drop at Edgar Street.
'The loss of Telford from the
Conference is a blow for Hereford United as the game usually drew a good
attendance to Edgar Street.
With Shrewsbury and Chester promoted, the matches against Telford would have been the closest local derbies of the season. Now it looks as though the Bulls nearest matches will be against Forest Green Rovers.
But more worrying is the possibility of poorer gates at Edgar Street, because these three near-neighbours have left the Conference.
Last season 4190 fans watched Hereford United play Telford at Edgar Street, 5850 fans watched the home game against Shrewsbury, and 7240 saw Hereford defeat Chester at Edgar Street on the last day of the Conference season. Altogether for these three games some 17280 fans passed through the turnstiles. Take these three out of the attendance figures and the average for the season drops from 3704 to 3361.
However just over 3000 fans watched the home games against Leigh RMI and Northwich, both of whom are now to stay in the Conference. And the new recruits, Canvey and Crawley, are unlikely to be as big a draw as local sides.
So it is possible that the Bulls could lose about £50,000 in gate receipts, compared with last season, because of the changes in the teams in the Conference.
Hopefully Hereford United will be close to the top of the table at the end of the forth-coming season so that gates stay high. But it will be difficult to match the superb attendances against local sides that bring in much extra revenue for the club.'
With Shrewsbury and Chester promoted, the matches against Telford would have been the closest local derbies of the season. Now it looks as though the Bulls nearest matches will be against Forest Green Rovers.
But more worrying is the possibility of poorer gates at Edgar Street, because these three near-neighbours have left the Conference.
Last season 4190 fans watched Hereford United play Telford at Edgar Street, 5850 fans watched the home game against Shrewsbury, and 7240 saw Hereford defeat Chester at Edgar Street on the last day of the Conference season. Altogether for these three games some 17280 fans passed through the turnstiles. Take these three out of the attendance figures and the average for the season drops from 3704 to 3361.
However just over 3000 fans watched the home games against Leigh RMI and Northwich, both of whom are now to stay in the Conference. And the new recruits, Canvey and Crawley, are unlikely to be as big a draw as local sides.
So it is possible that the Bulls could lose about £50,000 in gate receipts, compared with last season, because of the changes in the teams in the Conference.
Hopefully Hereford United will be close to the top of the table at the end of the forth-coming season so that gates stay high. But it will be difficult to match the superb attendances against local sides that bring in much extra revenue for the club.'