We have chosen to avoid making statements in the past few weeks as we all directed our support to the players and the caretaker management team of Peter Beadle and Steve Jenkins.
What a magnificent result they achieved on Saturday. A feat that ranks, for differing reasons, alongside the Brentford result, the victory at the Walkers Stadium and the Newcastle/West Ham results.
Crucially, the most telling success of the past month however has been how quickly Pete and Steve assessed the situation and identified those that were up for the fight and those that were not.
Close on 800 travelling supporters was another reason why we came through. You were fantastic support to the players and carried them through those harrowing final minutes although the emotional rollercoaster that went with it was draining for us all.
We salute all of you for a great job well done.
There has also been quite a lot of work happening off the pitch, including ongoing negotiations with possible investors and the equally important coordination of fundraising ideas as witnessed at the first meeting last week.
Both are essential to ensure the future of the football club. A local fundraising/commercial committee with a realistic annual target each season will be a real boost to the football club’s finances.
Thank you to those that have attended the first two meetings and for all the ideas that have been forthcoming.
The Board of Directors met two weeks ago with the committees of HUISA and HUST to air some facts about the level of funding required to reach the summer and to identify ‘building block’ targets to help achieve that funding.
The meeting was designed to be about all groups working together for the football club and at the meeting HUISA offered to fund the team coach to Tamworth and HUST followed suit by offering to fund the coach to Aldershot.
Two excellent, and much appreciated, gestures as examples of working together. HUISA have paid over their donation of £600.
HUST however seem to have altered their position since our meeting held last Summer when the stated line was that they had no intention of taking over the club, nor did they know if they wanted a place on the board.
As directors we have always stated that a united support base with a strong voice is a key ingredient to the football club.
It has been disappointing therefore to read in the local press and on unofficial websites that the Supporters Trust continues to wish to operate separately to other Supporters bodies and has even been quoted as suggesting that the club’s Board of directors would be “willing to leave the club and write off their loans for £1 in exchange for guaranteed investment.” (Hereford Times 24th April 2014). It seems that they have suggested that guaranteed investment to be £300,000.
For clarity, the board of directors would like to state that before receiving an email from the Chairman of HUST on Tuesday 29th April there has been no dialogue with the Supporters Trust whatsoever on this subject.
Tuesday's email presents an offer to buy the club “on the basis that the club is available for sale for £1, with all Directors writing off all existing loans and transferring their shares to HUST.”
The Board of directors have replied to invite the HUST to a meeting to present their offer but has also stated in the reply that the Board is still in discussions with interested parties and, though not finalised nor signed, the detail under discussion offers the potential of a significantly better outcome for the current board than the Trust’s offer.
The discussions are at quite an advanced stage including dialogue with the local Council over the property development opportunities at Edgar Street.
Following the revision of the ground leases and the Council’s clear support for the club to attain funds through the sale of land at each end of the ground these discussions must continue until exhausted.
The leases represent an asset with a value of approx. £1M with a potential inflow of cash to the football club of an estimated £1M-£1.5M over the coming years from the sale of each end, the majority of which will be used to re-shape the terracing as described previously, these discussions, in the opinion of the Board, currently represent the best financial deal for the football club.
The board of directors look forward to meeting with the HUST committee members in the near future to discuss their offer.
As Club directors we do intend to pursue our preference that the football club continues into the future as Hereford United (1939) Limited, with our goal being to once again reach Football League status, an aim shared we believe by the vast majority of the club’s supporters. Both of the external investors share that ambition.
Thank you again for your support this season. Saturday’s performance and result gives us all fresh hope for the future provided we stay United.
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