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16 years ago this coming Wednesday, Hereford United travelled to White Hart Lane for a third round FA Cup replay. Captain of the Bulls at the time was Dean Smith. A couple of days before the game he spoke to the Independent.
As the only player at Hereford who the club paid a transfer fee for - I think I'm the record signing - it was inevitable that when I joined in 1994 I was ribbed a bit - but I wouldn't have it any other way. In the dressing-room atmosphere you are just one of the team, and that's exactly what I am.
Hereford are an ambitious club. When Graham Turner took over at the start of the season, we were very optimistic. When we beat Barnet 4-1 in the opening game, we were even more so. But we are too near the bottom of the League because we have drawn some matches which should really have been victories.
We felt like that about the Tottenham game. The atmosphere at Edgar Street was superb and I honestly felt we were the better side. There was a terrible mood of anticlimax after the game. We didn't quite know how we should feel: happy, sad, or what?
Everybody outside Hereford expects us to get turned over at White Hart Lane in the replay, but we matched them in the last game and so we have definitely still got a chance, still got something to prove. People say we haven't got anything to lose, but we have - if we lose, we are out of the FA Cup.
The financial rewards of the replay are of massive importance for the club - the bank manager is very happy. In fact, in missing the penalty in the first game, I've actually made the club a lot of money!
We'll maybe surprise a few in the replay, but we have a good chance of reaching Wembley anyway in the Autoglass Windscreens Shield. It would be absolutely superb for the whole town if we could get there, but the priority has to remain getting out of trouble in the League, and then to push for promotion.
I believe the team is capable of promotion. And if our performance against Tottenham hasn't given us confidence in ourselves, then I don't know what will.
Hereford lost the replay 5-1 in front of a gate of 31,534.
As the only player at Hereford who the club paid a transfer fee for - I think I'm the record signing - it was inevitable that when I joined in 1994 I was ribbed a bit - but I wouldn't have it any other way. In the dressing-room atmosphere you are just one of the team, and that's exactly what I am.
Hereford are an ambitious club. When Graham Turner took over at the start of the season, we were very optimistic. When we beat Barnet 4-1 in the opening game, we were even more so. But we are too near the bottom of the League because we have drawn some matches which should really have been victories.
We felt like that about the Tottenham game. The atmosphere at Edgar Street was superb and I honestly felt we were the better side. There was a terrible mood of anticlimax after the game. We didn't quite know how we should feel: happy, sad, or what?
Everybody outside Hereford expects us to get turned over at White Hart Lane in the replay, but we matched them in the last game and so we have definitely still got a chance, still got something to prove. People say we haven't got anything to lose, but we have - if we lose, we are out of the FA Cup.
The financial rewards of the replay are of massive importance for the club - the bank manager is very happy. In fact, in missing the penalty in the first game, I've actually made the club a lot of money!
We'll maybe surprise a few in the replay, but we have a good chance of reaching Wembley anyway in the Autoglass Windscreens Shield. It would be absolutely superb for the whole town if we could get there, but the priority has to remain getting out of trouble in the League, and then to push for promotion.
I believe the team is capable of promotion. And if our performance against Tottenham hasn't given us confidence in ourselves, then I don't know what will.
Hereford lost the replay 5-1 in front of a gate of 31,534.
