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Hereford United manager Martin Foyle was the main speaker at this evening's HUISA fans forum held at the Starlite Rooms. Keith Dodd, the HUISA chairman, took the meeting.
Below is a flavour of what he said in response to various questions.
Michael Townsend broke down with a calf strain pre-season, after five games he hurt his back, then came back, back's fine, now it's his calf again. Club has been excellent to him, they've paid for all the scans. He's going to Lilleshall next week.70% of this seasons budget was already spent before I came here. Next season it is going to be less. At the end of last Saturday's game nine of the young players were 21 and under. That's the future. There will be cuts but perhaps there's somebody out there who will inject a bit of cash to give us a good chance.
There are two different types of young players. Harry Pell loved being here, good rapport with the supporters but his wages were very very high. His wages were very very high, 52 week contract. We could lose Harry but Ryan Bowman and Sam Clucas are lower down - both have been offered contracts for next season, the only two at the moment because some have got to prove fitness. The intent of the chairman is trying to get the new ones who have done well to sign up quickly.
We have got a very good team spirit. The players who have come him are on Conference contracts not League contracts. They don't get paid during the summer, 44 week contracts. Out of contract at the end of April. Dedicated to play for Hereford United. We know the ones who want to be here.
Players can't leave unless they are sold but only one contracted player for next season as yet. You start offering contracts to three or four of the others (over 24's) then you get a little bit of resentment in the changing rooms. I don't know where we are shopping at the moment.
There's a lot of hardship out there - we'll still there with a chance of the play-offs but we have to turn draws into wins. I'm still going to play with two wingers. Unfortunately the pitch isn't brilliant for wingers at the moment but I still want to play a certain way.
Where are we going (if we go part-time) I want a challenge next season. I think we'll be okay. There are things happening in the background. There's certainly a healthy future but at the moment it seems bleak. We all need to push on together.
We want to be full-time coaches, I don't want to come here on a Tuesday and Thursday night and then just turn out on a Saturday. I think that would be a bit dis-respectful to yourselves as you were in the Football League last year.
Home form hasn't been brilliant. We have drawn a lot of games. Luton was last time we won. Then we had six weeks without a home game. Condition of pitch at start of season helped, I thought we played some very good football and it suited certain players. At the moment we're not flowing. Sometime you have to grind out games.
Young players will get nervous especially when you lose two or three games. Young lads - a different type of coaching.
Andy Porter: We took it (the FA Trophy) seriously on the day we looked a yard shorter. We played players that should have been good enough. We didn't look as though we had the fight.
Foyle: I put three players who had league one experience in the Trophy game said Foyle. The FA Cup game that was extra-time absolutely killed the boys. They all didn't perform. We see what we see on the training pitch.
It was a horrible game (Chelmsford). We were well off the pace. I took it seriously but it back fired.
I didn't watch the Cheltenham/Everton game.
29 players here last year and you could play games whenever you wanted to, I've got 20 players now but recently we only had 15/16 players. It's been quite hard to manage.
Porter - I think we were fit enough last Saturday. They had lucky breaks, our mistakes that we can cut out. Second half got the goal back, thought we should have gone on to win it. We'd been to see Southport. Their changes of formation lost us a bit
I think we've got a good bunch of lads here.
Foyle - We've been out to a lot of games just lately, looking for 21/22 year old players with a bit of experience. Can't be certain Stam and Graham will stay fit so brought Rob McDonald in. Big lad, not an ounce of fat on him. He'll be one for the future. Kingsley could be another one.
I'd rather look now than at the end of the season.
I got no scouts, we sacrifised all that. Thousands of pounds of money saved. I want the supporters to look out for players.
We can't cover many Conference games as we are playing Tuesday/Saturday until the end of the season.
We need players who have been taught the game.
I had two hours at Pegasus recently, we're playing them pre-season. I'm trying to target certain people at certain clubs.
We're picking up the boys who are being released. 20/21 bit more mature than 18/19.
Clucas has a great career ahead of him.
AP - The lads cleared the pitch, pulled the sheets back and it was in immaculate condition. Our games were off and we wanted to play a game, nowhere else to go. Put the sheets back on. We had a bit more snow, removed the covers, got rid of the snow. They did say there wasn't going to be more snow but the snow came. They cleared it off the pitch and we played again. It's the only place we can train.
Point4 has been fantastic but it's indoors, we've been up the racecourse for a run round. That's not been used for a bit!
MF - Rob has come in at the right time. He played last night. With Stef and Luke we've got 20 games in so many weeks. Someone is going to break down and Rob is chomping at the bits. I've got a option on him for next season. I know Wrexham were going to take him. I had no option but I know his dad.
Very small bonuses, you have to have incentive at any level. Top ten bonus and we're eleventh. The chairman is happy. Some have got different things in their contracts (especially those with Football League contracts).
Last pre-season was a nightmare, there was nothing done. We've got three local games already sorted out and the final of the Hereford Cup. I want better teams down here. Premier clubs are very hard to get. It's all about bums on seats.
We changed things, you don't always get the right reactions. I'm here to work for yourselves and the chairman. I want things done properly. I want standards.
The youth is very important. I did have a good board meeting with the chairman. It's important for the area. The budget is all wrong. The club was paying more money than they thought they were. The club put in £45K. Next year our funding stops at £33K so they've got to find £78K. A lot of money to run a youth team. There a lot of local boys have that dream of playing for Hereford. If there anyone out there who can sponsor or help the youth team - great. How many staff can we have, can we expand it. There are a lot of questions still unanswered.
Community Links have got to be better. It's one thing we felt that wasn't right when we came here. The boys go into schools. There's a lot going on.
Youth team have come on leaps and bounds. We're watching them all the time, there are some boys that have got a chance. We are building the youth policy, I want 16 youth players here next year.
If our pitch was decent certain players might play more. Can you find me a mid-field two? I do like my wingers. Clucas and Marley are potentially very good players. When we had a good run we were playing three in the middle with Josh just behind the striker.
Jackson is probably different to Bowman and Sharp. They like to play higher up the pitch. Marlon has got the ability to drop and also spin and he's got the pace to get in behind and hurt people. He's got that knack of getting chances in and around the box. You can't coach that. I hope he has a good run because he's had a couple years of injuries and they do catch up on you.
Ryan is learning the trade of playing up top, winning headers, sticking his back-side in and holding the play up.
So that's your two strikers and everybody wants three midfielders!
I think we play better football away. Is that the pitch? I don't know.
The forward players will get better.
We down to travel to Braintree on Friday at 10.30am there will be an inspection prior to us going.
Chairman Keith Dodd then closed the meeting.
We have got a very good team spirit. The players who have come him are on Conference contracts not League contracts. They don't get paid during the summer, 44 week contracts. Out of contract at the end of April. Dedicated to play for Hereford United. We know the ones who want to be here.
Players can't leave unless they are sold but only one contracted player for next season as yet. You start offering contracts to three or four of the others (over 24's) then you get a little bit of resentment in the changing rooms. I don't know where we are shopping at the moment.
There's a lot of hardship out there - we'll still there with a chance of the play-offs but we have to turn draws into wins. I'm still going to play with two wingers. Unfortunately the pitch isn't brilliant for wingers at the moment but I still want to play a certain way.
Where are we going (if we go part-time) I want a challenge next season. I think we'll be okay. There are things happening in the background. There's certainly a healthy future but at the moment it seems bleak. We all need to push on together.
We want to be full-time coaches, I don't want to come here on a Tuesday and Thursday night and then just turn out on a Saturday. I think that would be a bit dis-respectful to yourselves as you were in the Football League last year.
Home form hasn't been brilliant. We have drawn a lot of games. Luton was last time we won. Then we had six weeks without a home game. Condition of pitch at start of season helped, I thought we played some very good football and it suited certain players. At the moment we're not flowing. Sometime you have to grind out games.
Young players will get nervous especially when you lose two or three games. Young lads - a different type of coaching.
Andy Porter: We took it (the FA Trophy) seriously on the day we looked a yard shorter. We played players that should have been good enough. We didn't look as though we had the fight.
Foyle: I put three players who had league one experience in the Trophy game said Foyle. The FA Cup game that was extra-time absolutely killed the boys. They all didn't perform. We see what we see on the training pitch.
It was a horrible game (Chelmsford). We were well off the pace. I took it seriously but it back fired.
I didn't watch the Cheltenham/Everton game.
29 players here last year and you could play games whenever you wanted to, I've got 20 players now but recently we only had 15/16 players. It's been quite hard to manage.
Porter - I think we were fit enough last Saturday. They had lucky breaks, our mistakes that we can cut out. Second half got the goal back, thought we should have gone on to win it. We'd been to see Southport. Their changes of formation lost us a bit
I think we've got a good bunch of lads here.
Foyle - We've been out to a lot of games just lately, looking for 21/22 year old players with a bit of experience. Can't be certain Stam and Graham will stay fit so brought Rob McDonald in. Big lad, not an ounce of fat on him. He'll be one for the future. Kingsley could be another one.
I'd rather look now than at the end of the season.
I got no scouts, we sacrifised all that. Thousands of pounds of money saved. I want the supporters to look out for players.
We can't cover many Conference games as we are playing Tuesday/Saturday until the end of the season.
We need players who have been taught the game.
I had two hours at Pegasus recently, we're playing them pre-season. I'm trying to target certain people at certain clubs.
We're picking up the boys who are being released. 20/21 bit more mature than 18/19.
Clucas has a great career ahead of him.
AP - The lads cleared the pitch, pulled the sheets back and it was in immaculate condition. Our games were off and we wanted to play a game, nowhere else to go. Put the sheets back on. We had a bit more snow, removed the covers, got rid of the snow. They did say there wasn't going to be more snow but the snow came. They cleared it off the pitch and we played again. It's the only place we can train.
Point4 has been fantastic but it's indoors, we've been up the racecourse for a run round. That's not been used for a bit!
MF - Rob has come in at the right time. He played last night. With Stef and Luke we've got 20 games in so many weeks. Someone is going to break down and Rob is chomping at the bits. I've got a option on him for next season. I know Wrexham were going to take him. I had no option but I know his dad.
Very small bonuses, you have to have incentive at any level. Top ten bonus and we're eleventh. The chairman is happy. Some have got different things in their contracts (especially those with Football League contracts).
Last pre-season was a nightmare, there was nothing done. We've got three local games already sorted out and the final of the Hereford Cup. I want better teams down here. Premier clubs are very hard to get. It's all about bums on seats.
We changed things, you don't always get the right reactions. I'm here to work for yourselves and the chairman. I want things done properly. I want standards.
The youth is very important. I did have a good board meeting with the chairman. It's important for the area. The budget is all wrong. The club was paying more money than they thought they were. The club put in £45K. Next year our funding stops at £33K so they've got to find £78K. A lot of money to run a youth team. There a lot of local boys have that dream of playing for Hereford. If there anyone out there who can sponsor or help the youth team - great. How many staff can we have, can we expand it. There are a lot of questions still unanswered.
Community Links have got to be better. It's one thing we felt that wasn't right when we came here. The boys go into schools. There's a lot going on.
Youth team have come on leaps and bounds. We're watching them all the time, there are some boys that have got a chance. We are building the youth policy, I want 16 youth players here next year.
If our pitch was decent certain players might play more. Can you find me a mid-field two? I do like my wingers. Clucas and Marley are potentially very good players. When we had a good run we were playing three in the middle with Josh just behind the striker.
Jackson is probably different to Bowman and Sharp. They like to play higher up the pitch. Marlon has got the ability to drop and also spin and he's got the pace to get in behind and hurt people. He's got that knack of getting chances in and around the box. You can't coach that. I hope he has a good run because he's had a couple years of injuries and they do catch up on you.
Ryan is learning the trade of playing up top, winning headers, sticking his back-side in and holding the play up.
So that's your two strikers and everybody wants three midfielders!
I think we play better football away. Is that the pitch? I don't know.
The forward players will get better.
We down to travel to Braintree on Friday at 10.30am there will be an inspection prior to us going.
Chairman Keith Dodd then closed the meeting.
