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| Planning permission was granted for a new Blackfriars End in 2010. Picture: ACP Architecture/Herefordshire Council |
In fact, the wording from the council's assets chief Cllr Harry Bramer was "I am delighted that the council will be offering a long-term lease to Hereford FC and I hope that this will give the club the security they need to grow and develop in the years ahead".
There was less certainty outside of Cllr Bramer's quote, instead, the council said it was committed to detailed discussions with club officials about the current lease, with "a view to offering a long-term lease in the near future".
Already, that sounds less certain. But the current lease being extended past 2030 has been on the cards for years. Chairmen may have come and gone at Edgar Street, but each have always tried to talk with the council and get things over the line.
Most fans have reacted to today's news with positivity and that's great, but there's a lot to this.
The latest discussions between the club and council come after May's local elections where the political makeup of the council changed. The county saw the Independents-Green coalition crumble and instead be replaced with a minority Conservative coalition.
How significant that is remains to be seen, but it was the Tories in overall control of the council when they granted the first lease to the reformed club in 2015. Cllr Bramer was the cabinet member in charge of assets then as well.
Turning to the redevelopment of the dilapidated Blackfriars End, something the council said it would be "exploring options for" with a view to "increase capacity and help secure the viability of the stadium".
Cllr Bramer said revamp plans are "under discussion" and there is "a view to bringing a project forward in the new year". A sceptic might ask if that was just talk of talk.
Have we been here before though? Well, in a similar situation, yes.
Some 14 years ago, Hereford United were awarded a grant of up to £750,000 by the Football Foundation to help in the rebuilding of the Blackfriars End, closed in 2009.
The Football Stadia Improvement Fund, which supports the Football Foundation, announced the decision after discussions which have been ongoing for some time.
Hereford were awaiting planning permission for the new all-seated, 1,619-capacity stand. There were going to be new floodlights too, but permission was granted on June 23, 2010, the summer David Keyte took over. Plans then never materialised.
Relegation then cut that funding from £750,000 to £450,000, the Hereford Times reported, then Keyte said what initial interest there was has not “moved forward.”
Back to the present day though, the council could be looking this time for something on the rear of the stand. Perhaps student accommodation, as was mooted before 2020.
But the bottom line is the council isn't rolling in money. As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, it is already making cuts and is looking to sell some of its buildings for housing.
That money from any buildings being sold off is apparently going to be reinvested in other capital projects, of which the Blackfriars End could, theoretically, be one. It would be the first major building project at Edgar Street since the Len Weston Stand was built in the 1970s.
On a similar note, the club's finances, though now probably better than at the end of May when there was just £5,000 of the initial investment from shareholders left, will not be anywhere near the level needed to redevelop the Blackfriars End.
Even with the council's backing and grant funding, it would be surprising if the club didn't have to contribute anything. Often with grants, donors expect funding to be matched by the recipient, but even if there is full funding, it would very unlikely be enough to cover the whole cost.
To give an idea of cost, before Covid and surging inflation, Boreham Wood said they were going to be spending £1 million on a 1,400-capacity terrace with facilities, dressing rooms and offices.
But before all of that, the council, as the landlord, actually needs to agree to take the project forward. While there were plans in the pipeline in early 2020, all went quiet when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
So the council still needs to decide the direction and, by the sounds of the latest statement, it will be leading the project.
But that itself might not be straightforward as the ruling party doesn't actually have overall control. That means it'll need the backing of other parties like the Independents and the Greens.
Then when the scheme is being drawn up, if it gets that far, will need to satisfy the planners.
Despite all that, the news today seemed to have a more positive feeling to it than it has done before. It may just be talks about talks, but, publicly, the council and club seem to be on the same page.
What must be said is that communication out of Edgar Street has been better since the arrival of Chris Ammonds as chair and, with this news from the council, it is feeding the continued positive feel at Edgar Street.
With an optimistic outlook, let's wait until the new year and see what sort of project, if any, is brought forward in the new year. A long-term lease is key. A new Blackfriars End is long overdue.
It would do the club the world of good!