.jpg)
BN spoke to Nenadich and started by asking him about the sale to Agombar.
I was happy for my shares to be used if it meant that the club would avoid administration, effectively writing them off but that action would pay off all creditors and secure our conference premier status. Something that everybody had worked so hard for.
I had resigned as a director in March as I thought my skills could be better used in the Community Trust helping the young people we look after and the community projects we undertake and hope to roll out in the future. However I do believe that football is a great medium for making the City and County a better place. I had committed my time, which with my ward duties is just about full time as it stands particularly with the loss of Jamie Edwards as the Manager of the trust.
I do believe that the community trust holds many of the answers to the future for Hereford United.
To that end I have committed considerable sums of money and time for the betterment of the Club both by straight donations and converting loans to shares. To feel that it has affected so many good people in a devastating way was never my intention. However it may have sparked a massive fire.
On the takeover front, I had one half hour meeting where the aspirations of the new owner were given to me and on face value they seemed pretty good. The negotiation had taken several weeks to my understanding and handled by a legal team, I merely assigned my shares. I did think this was the way to safeguard the future as the directors had for some time had had difficulty in meeting the many finical obligations of the football club, I think that is well documented.
I was initially impressed with the football ideas but began to be fearful that things might not be all I believed when I heard that it was being requested the leases be reassigned. I remain very concerned on this front, given that so many people here at the football club have had promises of money reneged on. I know these people well and they are completely committed hard working people, and I apologise to all of them who have borne the brunt of all this through no fault of theirs. I think that it would have been helpful if the new owners had taken time to meet with the supporter’s officers and paid off the football creditors and staff as agreed on several occasions. Now it seems all trust is lost, which makes going forward very difficult if not impossible. In the process all the key staff are totally demoralised and angry.
I do feel very strongly that the leases should remain with the football club and the conditions associated with should be “enforced". This is a local asset, and no one would object to some profit being made the football club was always supposed to be the main benefactor.
BN - Should you have sided with the offer from HUST?
It was my understanding that the offer from HUST was a fall-back position? That they were happy to pick it up if all failed. I have no issue with HUST, I am a member and know that ultimately the supporters trusts want to make sure their club and football is protected.
BN - Given what has happened should you resign from the Community Trust, now called United in the Community?
Would that make it all better? Look I feel I have blood on my hands but I know what I did I thought was for the protection of the club, it does not feel like that at this precise minute, but I will have to live with that. I have pledged the young people here, the very future of the club that I will do all I can to protect their education and futures. I hope that I can play a part of growing United in the Community into a beacon organisation that ultimately will be the life blood of the Club going forward. The jury is still out but it’s not looking good from here is it? The new owners might see that this community club that people care about. I can only say I thought I was doing something to give the club life, I apologise to all fans that I have inadvertently caused alarm or upset at this stage I assure you this was not how I had envisaged it turning out. I am happy to be judged by my peers who know me.
As far as the Trust (United in the Community) I have been as open as I can, I have invited new trustee 's including HUST and HUISA to be part of that. In a short time we have convened partnerships with The Robert Owen School to use their educational facilities; we have taken on the leases of the pitches at Belmont. I have arranged sponsorship for a dementia sporting memories club and have put in place a programme of walking football for the elderly. In July we hold a Herefordshire World Cup in partnership with the Herefordshire FA bringing the many different nationals here in the county together under the universal language of football.
I can only rely on my track record of trying to deliver things for the many different groups that make up the family of HUFC. If ultimately the people that matter feel I have let them down I will step away gracefully when I am assured that a responsible person will take over the oversight of the development and wellbeing of all the people the trust has a responsibility for.
I hope that helps, as I said I have been as open and frank as I can, all I have ever done is to support various groups through the power of Hereford United. I can only again offer an apology to all those who support Hereford United for now what appears to be an error of judgement.
