HEREFORD UNITED your local club

[silent bull]

I'm a massive Hereford supporter, have been for a long long time but how many 'locals' have been to watch your 'professional' club??

 

It's heart breaking to think that the last few home games maybe the last that will be played at Edgar street.
I'm not going to bore you with the details because I'm guessing you've all read about what's going on already but to be frank its the same old story with a small club
Club gets taken over
New owners promise the world
New directors overspend
Bad management
Bad leadership
Supporters lose patient's
Now there's quite a lot going on to try and SAVE HEREFORD UNITED to raising money to a March through the city centre starting from the 'Victory' pub
'Yes' its not much (or not enough) but we CAN'T GIVE UP! !!
But the one thing that 'will help' is to get as much bodies through the turnstiles so please PLEASE for these last few games TURN UP BUY A PROGRAMME BUY A PIE even TRY THE SPICY SOUP! !
DONT LET THE CLUB DIE BECAUSE OF A FEW - SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CLUB! !!

[Roger]

I appreciate your loyal and passionate support of the Club silent bull but what ,realistically, will another whip round achieve? Possibly partially fill a small hole in the HMRC collection bucket? At most? 

 

The mistakes have been made already ~ which have resulted in the current situation. 

 

The recent home gate's have been about 1000 have they not? That is probably a good acid test of the loyal supporter base in the most leanest and desperate times here. Bringing in so little revenue which has left even the players' unpaid.

 

I hope the gate is a good one against Grimsby. And I hope the Club survives. But I think it's spiraled into a lost cause ... 

[Mick]

It will be a shame to see the club disappear but over the years they have always played rubbish and even when they get a decent player they sell him! They will never do well unless someone invests a lot of money and nobody locally is going to do that, so I think while I admire your passion its inevitable that the end is nigh...

[Biomech]

I think it's wrong that people are going out with collection buckets asking for donations. The club won't be saved, people are taking and wasting their money. You're basically collecting money for the directors pockets.

[Colin James]

I have added the club logo to your post to add more attraction but I have to agree with Mick's post above. I used to go to virtually every game back 8-10 years ago but I cannot remember that last time I went to a game and came away feeling good, ask yourself the same question...

 

It would be a shame to see Hereford United disappear and although the clubs very loyal fan base may manage to raise the £78,000 now urgently needed to survive a bit longer,   :Cha ching: I think that will only go towards stalling the inevitable, as sad as that sounds. 

[silent bull]

'Well' that has been the main problem with the smaller clubs

Not enough people supporting 'what should be' there local club and most being happy to watch overpaid premiership clubs on tv.

Sadly its happening all over the country, local clubs struggling money wise

With 'just' one weeks wages of some premiership players a club like Hereford United can tick along quite nicely for a whole season? ? How is that right???

The more smaller clubs that go out of Business there's a chance that the whole ' football pyramid' will suffer, and with that the lesser chance of local football talent getting through and in time the national team suffers (my own view is that the national team has been suffering for years and getting worse)

Support your local side

[H.Wilson]

You are throwing money down the drain in my opinion. I wonder how many of these club directors are going to put their hands in their pockets for the sake of the club, they have all enjoyed the kudos of being a 'Hereford United Director' in name, lets see how passionate they really are, time will tell. 

[Roger]

I think it's wrong that people are going out with collection buckets asking for donations. The club won't be saved, people are taking and wasting their money. You're basically collecting money for the directors pockets.

 

More like HMRC I would suspect ... But I'm not an accountant ... :-S

[Biomech]

 I wonder how many of these club directors are going to put their hands in their pockets for the sake of the club

 

 

 

Exactly. I know some have, but if they wanted to save the club they would be doing more themselves and stop letting fans throw away their money for no reason

 

More like HMRC I would suspect

 

 

Indeed. But do people honestly think collection buckets are going to save the club? Much better off taking that money and donating it to a worthwhile cause. Saving a club that will not be saved is not a worthwhile cause. I'm absolutely convinced that football fans are blinded by their passion.

[silent bull]

Exactly. I know some have, but if they wanted to save the club they would be doing more themselves and stop letting fans throw away their money for no reason

 

'Sadly' i agree with you on this, they've put the club in this mess they should (especially the chairman) get us out of it 'but' most supporters of this great football club can't just 'stand back' and watch it die.

There's still a very small chance that we can still save our LOCAL FOOTBALL CLUB! !

 

 

Indeed. But do people honestly think collection buckets are going to save the club? Much better off taking that money and donating it to a worthwhile cause. Saving a club that will not be saved is not a worthwhile cause. I'm absolutely convinced that football fans are blinded by their passion.

But it's not only "collection buckets" the supporters associations 'HUST' & HUISA have received money from all over the world to help save this great club, and the money IS NOT going straight to the club its being CONTROLLED by the supporters associations! !

Support your LOCAL FOOTBALL CLUB! !

[Colin James]

Good article in the Mail Online

[silent bull]

Thanks for posting that Colin

The more people that knows about the club and the trouble its in the more chance its going to be saved!!!

Even though I'm disgusted at the lack of support from the people of Hereford towards there local football club

[Biomech]

But it's not only "collection buckets" the supporters associations 'HUST' & HUISA have received money from all over the world to help save this great club, and the money IS NOT going straight to the club its being CONTROLLED by the supporters associations! !

Support your LOCAL FOOTBALL CLUB! ! 

 

 

 

But they are always hundreds of thousands in debt, what are you expecting from this? Postpone administration for another week? If it takes the fans collecting every week just to keep the club going, it's clearly a dead horse. Take that money and invest it in a local league, amateur or youth football schemes. Just think what that money could do to help local football instead of paying off the clubs debts.

 

It's almost like Tesco's failing to pay their tax and all of the shoppers gathering to pay it for them!

A company has failed to pay the tax it knew it had to pay because of bad management, and they are getting you fans to pay it for them. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that is out of order.

 

Don't let your passion blind you, this is ludicrous!

[Biomech]

... unless, of course, you want to pay my tax bill as well?

[silent bull]

Ha ha No thanks I'm paying enough tax

And 'no' I'm not blind and I don't expect it to be delayed

The club is in this state because of bad leadership 'from the chairman at the top right down to the players at the bottom' and it's been going on for years!!! (I know that)

But if it's worth saving, which I believe it does then I'm going to fight for it,

You don't agree with me 'that's fine' by the look of it around Hereford 'sadly' you're not in the minority.

I'm not going to lie down and allow the current directors + the chairman to drag this great club into the history books

Support your local football club

[bobby47]

Silentbull, you keep going kiddo. It is worth it. This tiny football club represents a great deal more than a business. It's a part of our culture and heritage and once its gone, its gone forever.

[Biomech]

I'm not going to lie down and allow the current directors + the chairman to drag this great club into the history books

 

 

But you are, in fact, you're paying them to drag it down.

 

I get that you're a big supporter and I'm not knocking that. I'm just saying that it isn't a great club, they have a history of bad management, they don't play well and now they are getting the fans to pay off their debts.

 

If someone with a good management background was coming in to take over with better club management, better use of the grounds and better players, and they needed a little boost to get going, I'd support you. But as it stands, the fans are just throwing money at a failing club in order to allow it to continue to fail. To me that's just nonsensical

 

You know what they say; "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome"

[Alex]

But you are, in fact, you're paying them to drag it down.

 

I get that you're a big supporter and I'm not knocking that. I'm just saying that it isn't a great club, they have a history of bad management, they don't play well and now they are getting the fans to pay off their debts.

 

If someone with a good management background was coming in to take over with better club management, better use of the grounds and better players, and they needed a little boost to get going, I'd support you. But as it stands, the fans are just throwing money at a failing club in order to allow it to continue to fail. To me that's just nonsensical

 

You know what they say; "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome"

 

I am with you on this one Biomech, I can't remember the last game they won, too many wannabe directors, where are they now? probably out begging their fans for money too no doubt. The club is finished, unless a real serious investor comes forward but to me that is clutching at straws, it's a sad day for the real HUFC fans but I think the club died years ago.

[Harry Beynon]

In my humble opinion, the present construct is finished. The club is principally owned by David Keyte and Mike Roberts who have treated their investment in the same way they regard their horse-racing interests. Indeed, David Keyte, the Chairman, famously said when buying the majority share from Graham Turner - ' if it costs me £300,000 and I have ten years of fun, it will be worth it'. In other words, HUFC has been his plaything. However, unfortunately for DK, it has cost him £600,000 and he has had nothing but grief!

 

Successful ownership these days involves much more than swanning around in the Directors' box, smoking cigars and glad-handing visiting dignatories. It requires very deep pockets and an astuteness sadly missing among the present Board.

 

Well-meaning supporters are now scratching round trying to pay an outstanding HMRC tax bill. Even if they achieve it, there will be another one along soon. The Club acknowledge that they need £300k just to survive until the end of May. Administration would mean certain relegation and cannot work because the administration has to be exited by a CVA requiring agreement from all creditors, including HMRC. On top of this, all 'football creditors' - the players - have to be paid in full. The money just does not exist.

 

This dire financial position was well known to the Board when they took £60,000 from loyal supporters last year in return for totally worthless shares. At the same time, existing shareholders had their shares rendered worthless by the Directors voting themselves a loans for shares swap which swamped all existing interests. Incidentally, the loans for shares swap granted the present Board a greatly increased proportion of ownership so that they would be in a better position to benefit from the recently granted new Leases on the ground and adjacent development land.

 

So, unless someone with far more money than sense chooses to invest, the present company will go bust. All shares will be worthless and all loans written off. It will then be in the gift of the FA to grant a licence to a Phoeonix club (AFC Hereford?) and for the Council to grant new leases to the fledgling club. The Hereford United SupportersTrust would be the ideal vehicle with which to launch this new club although the new baby would find itself in a league only marginally higher than Westfields and with part-time football a reality.

[Roger]

Administration would mean certain relegation and cannot work 

 

The date (last Thursday) has gone for a points deduction to apply this season. Any Administration now would lead to a deduction starting from next season.

 

After today's result the Bulls are 1 point above the drop zone. Recent record is 3 points from an available 30. So relegation form in anyone's book.

 

6 games to go and the 3 home games are versus teams above them ~ two in play-off places. 

 

Looks pretty grim from my viewpoint. 

[Biomech]

Hhrrmmm, the club WILL fall. This has been know by those in charge for a very long time now and yet nothing has been done to resolve the issue. It's almost as if they WANT it to fail. It's on a prime piece of land right next to a new development with plans to further develop....... just me thinking out loud, but this could be very lucrative for a certain set of people...

 

Has there EVER been any talk about an alternative site for HUFC?

[Colin James]

I see they lost AGAIN then even with the additional support on the day, like I said, I can't remember the last time I felt good at the end of a Hereford United game.

[Harry Beynon]

Biomech - The ground is prime development land but does not belong to HUFC. The Edgar Street ground is owned by the Council who, in their infinite wisdom, have granted 250 years' Leases in order to allow development at each end of the stadium. Sound familiar?!

 

However, if the club goes bust, these Leases will revert to the Council.

 

In the Peter Hill years, the Leases were assigned to the BS Group in return for a £500k loan (now repaid) and the plan was for the football club to move to a new ground at Grafton. However, the OLM scheme scuppered that because the Cattle Market was seen as the more desirable site for retail development and Edgar Street lost its attraction.

[Colin James]

And they lost yet again 2-0 yesterday to Woking. When was actually the last time that Hereford United won a game?

[Glenda Powell]

On a positive point if there is one, I read it somewhere that Heineken has given the club £10,000.

[silent bull]

Yes Glenda, there are people out there that care about this little fantastic little football club, Heineken has given £10,000 to the cause and also there's two 'sell out' appearances of the well known actor/writer and comedian 'Omid Djalili' which should raise about £20,000, the rest has been raised off the supporters and other supporters from other clubs.

There are Some people that may not care there are others that can't see the point but there are 'MANY' THAT DO CARE AND WE WILL NOT ALLOW THE CLUB TO DIE because of a few who think it's not worth it!!!

[gdj]

I'm supporter of a different club but I really hope HUFC survive.  However this fundraising is the equivalent of emergency first aid - not a cure for the ills that has led to this situation.  The first aid has to be given but I hope no-one involved confuses it with a cure.   The question for the years ahead is how to actually make the club viable and sustainable and unless this can be done then the emergency fundraising will happen more and more often.

 

The situation must be even more galling for HUFC supporters when compared with the money at the top of the game - one week's wages for a Chelsea or Man City star would pay the tax bill at HUFC and the next months wages for all the staff.

 

And, a finance question that just occurred to me.  Heineken's donation is generous - no argument there - but if they make a tax deductable donation to a community effort,  can that donation be used to pay a tax bill?

[Alex]

And they lost yet again 2-0 yesterday to Woking. When was actually the last time that Hereford United won a game?

 

I am not sure the history holds details that far back lol with regard to Heineken this is a great little advert for them, although it appears that they are being very generous it's also a very clever publicity stunt too make no mistake about that! I would rather of seen £10,000 given towards saving someones life, like the air ambulance or cancer research but hey that's just my opinion.

 

Where are the clubs directors now then? I think this question has been asked before.  :Cha ching:

[silent bull]

I'm supporter of a different club but I really hope HUFC survive. However this fundraising is the equivalent of emergency first aid - not a cure for the ills that has led to this situation. The first aid has to be given but I hope no-one involved confuses it with a cure. The question for the years ahead is how to actually make the club viable and sustainable and unless this can be done then the emergency fundraising will happen more and more often.

 

The situation must be even more galling for HUFC supporters when compared with the money at the top of the game - one week's wages for a Chelsea or Man City star would pay the tax bill at HUFC and the next months wages for all the staff.

 

And, a finance question that just occurred to me. Heineken's donation is generous - no argument there - but if they make a tax deductable donation to a community effort, can that donation be used to pay a tax bill?

[silent bull]

Agree with gdj completely! !

To much money at the top and the people at the top get greedier/richer while the grassroots slowly get poorer

The more clubs at grassroots football level that suffer the less 'home grown' talent is seen at the top, which (I believe) is why the national team is struggling to keep up with other countries! !