With Hereford playing Bromsgrove in the FA Cup next week, Hereford historian Ron Parrott looks back at previous meetings between the two teams.
1924/25 Birmingham Combination D 3-3 L 0-3
1925/26 Birmingham Combination W 2-1 W 2-1
1926/27 Birmingham Combination W 5-1 W 5-1
1927/28 Birmingham Combination W 1-0 L 3-5
1948/49 FA Cup (Away) W 4-2
1949/50 FA Cup (Home) W 3-0
1950/51 FA Cup (Away) W 3-1
1971/72 FA Trophy (Home) W 2-1
1951/52 HSC (Home) W 3-1
1930/31 WSC (Away) W 3-2
1947/48 WSC (Away) L 0-3
1959/60 WSC D 2-2 L 1-2
1960/61 WSC (Home) L 0-1
1963/64 WSC (Home) W 2-1
1968/69 WSC D 0-0 L 1-4
1969/70 WSC (Home) L 1-2
1971/72 BCL L 0-2 W 1-0
1969/70 President's Cup (Home) W 5-1
1986/87 Friendly (Away) W 2-1
1994/95 Friendly (Away) D 0-0
1996/97 Friendly (Away) W 2-1
1998/89 Friendly (Away) D 0-0
2002/03 Friendly (Away) W 2-1
2005/06 Friendly (Away) W 2-0
The best of these games was undoubtedly the 1948/49 FA Cup game at Bromsgrove and the following is an extract from the history that I’m writing:-
Rovers' last two matches had produced a total of 17 goals, an 8-3 win at home to Hednesford and a 4-2 defeat at Stourbridge so with United also scoring freely, an exhilarating encounter was in prospect. The club lay on two special trains, carrying over one thousand fans and a further estimated fifteen hundred supporters descended on Bromsgrove in a great convoy of coaches and cars. With almost half of the 5,218 crowd coming from Hereford, the players received a tremendous reception as they took to the field, but 10 minutes later they were shocked into silence as Bromsgrove raced into a 2-0 lead. The home side were playing vigorous “kick and rush” tactics and United simply didn’t know how to counter it. Try as they might, they were not allowed to settle down to play good football and got themselves into even deeper waters. Rovers took advantage of the situation, piled on the pressure and looked like scoring every time they attacked. The defence was heroic and somehow United survived the onslaught and slowly but surely dragged themselves back into the game, with Charlie Thompson once again leading the way. Unbeknown to fans, Charlie had been feeling ill on the journey over, but insisted on playing even though he was feeling sick for most of the game. Quite simply, he was head and shoulders above anyone else on the park and with 10 minutes to go before half-time, he set up Jock Sinclair to reduce arrears. Although they had been on the brink of a heavy defeat, there was a confident atmosphere in the dressing room during the break and having adapted to the opposition’s unfamiliar tactics, the lads were confident they could win it. United's fans sensed the new-found confidence in their team and the crescendo of noise they produced helped their favourites to raise their game to even greater heights.
Rovers’ keeper Ingram was injured just after the break in a collision with Charlie Thompson and Jimmy Duggan and he had to hand over his green jersey to wing-half O'Mahoney. It therefore came as no surprise when Thompson equalised after 65 minutes with a masterly effort from an impossible angle and even less of a surprise, with Ingram now back between the sticks, when he repeated the act 10 minutes later. Lynch raced through a static Rovers' defence but stumbled when he seemed certain to score but the groans of the visiting fans turned to cheers as Thompson appeared from nowhere to hammer the ball into the net. Much to the relief of supporters, United were now well on top as Bromsgrove visibly tired from their sterling efforts and 10 minutes from time, Malcolm Sinclair rounded off a superb recovery with his second of the afternoon. It was a triumphant United that received the accolades of their ecstatic fans when the final whistle eventually blew. They had been close to disaster but showed great character to haul themselves back from the brink and extend their unbeaten run to an incredible 13 games. As October drew to a close, the Reserves managed to lose 5-1 at Worcester City when they played the whole game with only nine men because Pears and Haverty did not receive their notice of selection to play.