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Hereford have appointed Aaron Downes as their new manager on a contract running until the end of the 2026 National League North season.
The Hereford side at Southport on Saturday ahead of a heavy 5-1 defeat
The 41-year-old steps into the hotseat at Edgar Street with 21 league games left and the Bulls in a relegation battle, lying 23rd in the table and now 11 points from safety.
So who is the man now tasked with keeping Hereford in National League North?
From Australia to the Football League
Born in Mackay, Queensland, and raised in New South Wales, Downes came through the Australian Institute of Sport before moving to England in 2004.
He signed for Chesterfield and went on to spend eight years with the Spireites, making more than 250 appearances in all competitions. In 2007 he was appointed club captain following relegation to League Two.
Despite suffering a serious knee injury in 2009, he signed a new two-year contract and remained a regular figure at the heart of the defence until his release in 2012.
Rebuilding at Torquay United
Downes joined Torquay after leaving Chesterfield, with then-manager Martin Ling admitting the club were “taking a punt” on a player who had suffered two cruciate ligament injuries.
He went on to be voted the club’s supporters’ Player of the Season and signed a new two-year deal in 2013, eventually making more than 100 appearances.
Promotion with Cheltenham Town
In 2015, Gary Johnson made Downes his first signing at Cheltenham. He captained the Robins to the National League title in 2015/16 and led them in their first season back in the Football League.
He retired from playing at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Coaching career and interim roles
Downes moved into coaching at Cheltenham, working in academy and first-team roles before returning to Torquay in 2018 as Johnson’s assistant.
In February 2024, he was appointed interim manager at Plainmoor following Johnson’s departure. Torquay were in administration, had been deducted 11 points and were under a transfer embargo. He was at Edgar Street when the Bulls beat Torquay 2-0 in the FA Trophy in January 2024.
Downes oversaw the final 13 matches of the season and guided the club away from the National League South relegation places before leaving that summer.
He returned to Cheltenham in June 2024 as assistant to Michael Flynn. In September 2025 he took interim charge for one match before departing after the appointment of Steve Cotterill.
The Hereford task
Now Downes gets his first permanent managerial role.
He will bring former Hereford United midfielder Harry Pell, who has just been forced to retire through injury, onto his coaching staff and hopes to retain Adam Rooney as a player-coach and Shaun Edwards as goalkeeping coach.
Downes said he had been “waiting for the right opportunity” to become a number one and believes there is “more than enough time to turn things round”.
His immediate job is clear: climb the table and secure National League North football for 2026/27.