CLUB
Hereford United
You can’t beat a bit of Bully – unless it’s Hereford United and those Bulls have beaten us again. But was that always the case? After all, all those red flashes of our home kit could be like a red rag to a, well, y’know. The short answer is “no”. It actually came as a bit of a shock to look back at how many times we ended up playing them over the years. And the idea that our friends from Edgar Street had it all their own way against us is total bullsh…
Our first match against Hereford United came in the FA Cup, but it wasn’t long before we were both competing as equals; the Bulls relegated to the Conference in 1997. For the next nine years, we were adversaries; Boro’ having the pleasure of edging them out of the 2004-5 Nationwide Conference playoffs. They won the race (back) to the League, though. After reuniting in League Two, the Bulls were relegated to non-league once more in 2012.
This time it was permanent; the club suspended by the FA in 2014 and eventually wound up in the High Court. The reason was because the Bulls’ debts had soared to a mammoth £1.3m – and soon the vultures started circling before the High Court stepped in for good.
Hereford United: The Facts
Head-to-Head
| Played | 23 |
|---|---|
| Won | 9 |
| Drawn | 5 |
| Lost | 9 |
| Goals For | 24 |
| Goals Against | 26 |
| Win % | 39% |
Club History
Who are Hereford United?
Sadly, this is more a case of who were Hereford United. Formed in 1924, the Bulls made their home at Edgar Street from the start and never budged. The club came to be after a merger between two local amateur teams called St Martins and RAOC (Rotherwas). The aim was to bring a higher standard of football to the town. But two others – Hereford City and Hereford Thistle – opted out of it.
After starting out in the Birmingham & District League, the Bulls became members of the Southern League for the 1939-40 season. The Second World War meant it was a bit of a false start at first. But, soon enough, they got into their stride; challenging for league titles throughout the 1950s. They scored their fair share of goals too. They couldn’t quite make it up to the summit, however.
Well, unless you count the North Western zone title in 1958-9. It landed them the overall title after beating Bedford Town, the South Eastern zone winners, in a playoff.
Anyway, let’s move on. The 1960s weren’t amazing to start with and the Bulls went down in 1964; relegated to Division One. The return was immediate, to be fair. And a few years later, the club finished second in the Southern League and joined the Football League. It came after the same season in which Ronnie Radford did a goal. We say “joined”. What we mean is “were elected into”.
Can you imagine a competition where there was no automatic promotion and relegation? No, us neither.
Why do we know the Bulls?
The Bulls rose rapidly up the Football League; reaching Division Two within five seasons. The bubble burst and they returned straight back down to Division Four again. And it was how things stayed for the duration after that. Only twice between 1978 and 1996 were the Bulls able to finish in the top-half. That’s whether it’s Division Four or Division Three.
The 1995-6 season was one of those two; the Bulls ending up in sixth and nabbing a spot in the playoffs. It wasn’t to be as Darlington knocked them out at the semi-final stage. The reason for banging on about this particular campaign is not because we saw title success. It’s actually because it’s the season in which we first met the Bulls. And it was by virtue of the FA Cup First Round.
How to get to Hereford United
By Car
By Road
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By Rail
By Rail
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Parking
Parking
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Previous Meetings
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 2011 8 Mar 11 | npower League Two FL2 | H | 0-1 |
| 28 Sep 2010 28 Sep 10 | npower League Two FL2 | A | 4-1 |
| 27 Feb 2006 27 Feb 06 | Nationwide Conference Conf | A | 0-2 |
| 10 Sep 2005 10 Sep 05 | Nationwide Conference Conf | H | 0-0 |
| 6 May 2005 6 May 05 | Nationwide Conference Playoff SF POSF2 | A | 1-0 |
| 2 May 2005 2 May 05 | Nationwide Conference Playoff SF POSF1 | H | 1-1 |
| 2 Apr 2005 2 Apr 05 | Nationwide Conference Conf | H | 0-1 |
| 28 Aug 2004 28 Aug 04 | Nationwide Conference Conf | A | 1-0 |
| 3 Jan 2004 3 Jan 04 | Nationwide Conference Conf | A | 0-1 |
| 30 Aug 2003 30 Aug 03 | Nationwide Conference Conf | H | 0-2 |
Shared Players
| Player | Profile |
|---|---|
| Danny Blanchett | View Profile |
| Jon Brady | View Profile |
| Wayne Dyer | View Profile |
| Michael Gonzague | View Profile |
| Richard Leadbeater | View Profile |
| Gavin Mahon | View Profile |
| Dean Martin | View Profile |
| Chris McKenzie | View Profile |
| Gary Phillips | View Profile |
| Andy Quy | View Profile |
| Bradley Sandeman | View Profile |
| Tim Sills | View Profile |
| Paul Sturgess | View Profile |
| Simon Travis | View Profile |
| Danny Williams | View Profile |
