BN's look back at the summer of 2014 continues with concerns by the Herefordshire Council over safety issues at Edgar Street.
Council Statement About Edgar Street Safety
Herefordshire Council have issued the following statement:
The council and emergency services, acting in a Safety Advisory Group capacity, have held two emergency meetings with club representatives this week to discuss the club’s general safety certificate, which is issued by the council to ensure spectator safety at the ground. The meetings were primarily to discuss the arrangements in place to ensure compliance with the safety certificate, in light of recent staff and ownership changes.
Unfortunately, the council is not fully satisfied that the club can currently meet the requirements of the safety certificate and has therefore advised that no football matches are to be held in front of spectators at Edgar Street until this has been properly addressed.
The council has agreed with HUFC that the Help for Heroes match on Sunday 6 July and the friendly match with Cardiff City Football Club on Saturday 12 July will be postponed.
The Safety Advisory Group is working with the club to ensure that they can fully meet the requirements of their safety certificate to allow these fixtures to be reschedule as soon as possible.
The council hopes to meet club representatives again next week along with colleagues from the emergency services to review the situation.
Meanwhile Andy Lonsdale has released a statement on behalf of Hereford United about the postponements.
"It is with dismay that we have to announce the postponement of the forthcoming Help for Heroes match that was due to be played this coming Sunday," he told the Hereford Times
"This is a very worthy cause and one we were fully committed to supporting.
"A further date will be announced in due course."