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As Hereford return to Edgar Street for the first time in more than a month, praise has been heaped on groundsman Ben Bowen for making sure the pitch is playable..JPG)
Hereford groundsman Ben Bowen
The last match at Edgar Street came in disappointing circumstances, when Hereford were stunned 2-1 by 10-man Southport — a result that left Paul Caddis’s side with just one win in their previous nine games in all competitions. Since then, persistent heavy rain has waterlogged the pitch and kept the Bulls on the road.
With the surface passing a precautionary inspection this morning ahead of the third-round FA Trophy tie against fellow National League North side Radcliffe, manager Paul Caddis and chairman Chris Ammonds complimented Bowen.
Club chairman Chris Ammonds paid tribute to the work carried out behind the scenes to get the surface ready for Saturday’s third-round tie, including new drains being installed to combat a problematic area around five by five metres.
In the matchday programme, Ammonds said: "Obviously, we are back at home today and I just want to take a moment to pay tribute to the work our Groundsman, Ben Bowen, has put in on our pitch for the past couple of weeks - I know how proud he is of our pitch and how stressful he has found the ongoing issues this season.
He also thanked Luctonians for the loan of an ‘earthquake’ machine to help disrupt the ground beneath the surface, as well as Neil Box and Burghill Cricket Club for providing a ‘Super Sopper’ to assist with surface water throughout the remainder of the campaign.
Manager Paul Caddis acknowledged the frustrations of recent weeks but was keen to stress that many of the problems had been outside the club’s control.
Also in the programme, Caddis said: "It’s no secret that the last few weeks have brought their frustrations. Postponed fixtures, ongoing issues around Edgar Street caused by the pre-season works, and the recent adverse weather conditions—all of these are factors that have disrupted our rhythm. I want to make it absolutely clear that none of these challenges are down to the football club. These are external issues outside our control.
Caddis was also full of praise for Bowen, who has been Hereford’s groundsman since the club reformed a decade ago and is the uncle of West Ham and England forward Jarrod Bowen.
He added: "What I can say, though, is how fortunate we are to have Ben Bowen working tirelessly on the pitch. I see, regularly, the limited tools he sometimes has at his disposal and the incredibly high standards he still manages to achieve. His work ethic and professionalism are second to none, and we are lucky to have him here.
"The message I give to the players is the same message we apply throughout the club: control the controllables. Some things will fall outside our hands, but how we respond to them will define us."