Season Preview - The Opposition (Part Three)

We continue our look at Hereford FC's opponents this season, starting today with the Quakers...

Darlington

It’s easy to look at Darlo’s squad builder figure of £162k enviously, but let’s face it there’s nothing else to do in Darlington other than go to the football, whereas in Hereford there are countless attractions diverting people’s money away from the football club, like the Mappa Mundi and Flip Out round the back of Home Bargains. Nevertheless, it’s an impressive total and has allowed manager Alun Armstrong to sign 23-year-old attacker Mitchell Curry on a one-year contract. He started his career at Middlesbrough eight years ago when Armstrong was on the coaching staff there, and after loan spells at Harrogate and Inverness, Curry moved to Sunderland in 2020. He has most recently been playing in the USA. With that slightly scatty CV he could be vindaloo, but he could equally be korma.

Darlo were in the top three for much of last season before utterly running out of puff, which admittedly coincided with losing prolific goal machine Mark Beck to the bright lights of, er, Solihull.

Hereford entertain the Quakers in the first home game of the season following the opener at Kings Lynn. The fixture computer could perhaps have been kinder.

Farsley Celtic

Like Curzon, another of the smaller clubs in the NLN. This Celtic don’t have a huge amount in common with the version Paul Caddis is more familiar with, and their Citadel ground won’t be too reminiscent of Parkhead when he arrives there unless he’s ingested vast amounts of LSD on the coach up.

New striker Marley Blair arrives from Icelandic football, which either suggests an impressive scouting network or an act of desperation.

One of the few sides who don't usually feature in the giant blob of mediocrity in the middle of the table as they're too busy battling against relegation. The same fate looks likely this time around.

 

Gloucester City

2022/23 was a funny old season for the Tigers. The owner pulled out, and on announcing that fact in mid-season his employees then went on a smashing run that got them to the play-offs, where they lost to serial chokers Brackley.

Dom McHale, who it seems Hereford missed out on a couple of seasons ago having been close to signing him, is still at the club and is always a threat. (EDIT - he's not still at the club apparently, he's gone to Brackley (thank you readers!)). Matt McClure has been lured to the Manchester City of the National League South, Chippenham, presumably not for the glamour or rocking atmosphere. His goals and experience will be missed.

Harry Pinchard takes over from Tommy O’Sullivan in the ex-Hereford playmaker role for Gloucester.

So, a bit of a mystery package given the relative uncertainly behind the scenes, which include the departure of last season’s manager Steve King and a fairly dicey financial situation which has necessitated a return to part-time status. They’ve addressed that financial situation by employing Tim Flowers, Yan Klukowski and Stuart Fleetwood as a management team, which seems like a very Planet Football approach to living within one’s means.           

Flowers has signed former Forest Green Rovers and Cheltenham Town striker Danny Wright, who is 38. Given that CV I can only assume he lives in Gloucestershire, and at that age possibly in a retirement home. Joining Wright up top will be Elliott Durrell, a 33-year-old with vast experience in the National League North and above, and a comparative spring chicken.

Also signed are Spencer Hamilton, Joe Hanks and Joe Parker. All have played for Gloucester before, and all played last season for Chippenham, which suggests that Tim Flowers did a big chunk of his player shopping in the summer with one quick phone call. Lazy.

On paper at least that little lot isn’t too terrifying, and it would be nice just for once to not do really badly against Gloucester.

Kings Lynn Town

Along with Chester and Fylde, Kings Lynn were markedly better than the rest last season. They crashed out of the play-offs to Kidderminster though, and in a development as potentially significant as Kurt Willoughby’s departure from Chester, and something that will have rocked the Norfolk town to its very core, Gold Omotayo, with 25 goals last season, has moved up a level to Fylde.

Aaron Jones, Tai Fleming, Tyler Denton, Theo Widdrington and captain Michael Clunan have all also left the club, to be replaced in the main by youngsters, which suggests that they might not be the same force this season that they were last. Some experience has been added to the mix in the shape of Sion Spence, Quaine Bartley and Kian Ronan. Forward Bartley arrives on a season-long loan from AFC Wimbledon, while midfielder Spence was previously with Gloucester City, and defender Ronan is a Gibraltar international, but then so was Reece Styche.

Bulls fans can perhaps travel across there with more optimism than usual for the opening game of the season.

Part four to follow tomorrow.