Hereford FC may have to play home games outside of the city

​The Bulls have only played nine times at home, and 23 in total, as heavy rain and other issues have caused mounting issues. It means that the club will be playing at least twice a week until the end of the season. Therefore, there is the possibility that the club may have to play some their home games at another venue. Talking at a fans forum on Saturday (February 7), Hereford chairman Chris Ammonds said, the club are close to finalising a contingency plan to satisfy the National League should they be unable to fulfil games at Edgar Street. However, he added that “it’s complex” and, if the club were to ground share, the higher-graded club would have priority over fixtures. Therefore, playing at Gloucester for example may not work due to them playing the league below. Ammonds said the club “are desperate” to host games at Edgar Street if they can, with a three-day programme of work being carried out next week on the problematic corner of the pitch by the Meadow End and the Len Weston Stand. “Plans are ongoing and have been discussed for the best part of two weeks now,” said Ammonds. “They are quite complex, for a variety of reasons. The National League have been really supportive and not expressed any concerns. The first time they really expressed them was when the Oxford City game was postponed (January 27), but we had already proactively been to them to say we were starting to think about what we were going to do. “We are close to having a finalised contingency plan. Obviously, our aim is still to play as many matches as possible here, because if we have to play at another ground, we will lose a significant amount of income that we would normally expect to get. “And if we’re using somebody else’s ground, we wouldn’t get any money from any of the bars. Obviously, there’s a desperation to try and host games here if we possibly can. There is a three-day programme of work planned next week in the bottom corner in the far side, and we are hopeful that will work. “It will take a little time to settle in, but we can’t just sit on our hands at this stage. Looking at the weather, it’s shown no signs of stopping. So, we’ve taken a decision to do something a bit more extreme, which we don’t won’t to do, but we have to try and give ourselves the best chance of having as many games here as possible before the end of the season.” Ammonds believes only three games have been postponed due to the pitch, and others would have been called off regardless because the rain was so bad. The club also had a “perfectly playable” pitch when they were due to host Macclesfield on January 20, but the Silkmen had to play an FA Trophy tie. “It does feel like everything has been conspiring against us,” said Ammonds. “Clearly, we’re not making excuses, but it’s been complex.” 

Caitlin King

Caitlin King is the editor of Herefordshire News, covering stories that celebrate life across the county — from local politics to countryside living. A lifelong Midlander with a background in regional journalism, she’s passionate about telling honest, human stories that keep Herefordshire connected.

More From Author

Peterchurch roads once again look like rivers

Hereford woman released under investigation as four charged in murder investigation

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *