Test

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Bull Confirmed As Stafford Boss

Steve Bull has been confirmed as the new boss of Stafford Rangers this morning.

The former Bulls player-coach will be initially assisted by caretaker pair Neil Grayson and Kevin Street. Grayson told the press: "It will be a big boost for the club and he will get my full backing."

Bull will continue his work at Molineux as and when his new job allows, and wants some Wolves fans to follow him to Marston Road: "If Wolves haven't got a game and Stafford has then it would be good to see some fans from Molineux coming and giving me a bit of support."

News Round Up

Chester have been told they cannot re-sign loanee Craig Lindfield from Liverpool after their wage cap figure was reassessed on recent lower gates. The Football League blocked their attempts to extend his loan, leaving them with just two fit strikers and youth team players for the forseeable future. The club originally budgeted for 3,300 gates but have averaged only 2,488 so far with recent attendances struggling past the 2,000 mark.

Chesterfield have signed Sunderland pair Peter Hartley and David Dowson on loan for a month. Defender Hartley and Striker Dowson, both 19, are both regulars in the reserves but have only a solitary substitute appearance between them. Grays have parted company with manager Justin Edinburgh, with Chairman Mick Woodward taking control of the team.

Stuart Fleetwood was the only ex-Bull on show as England's 'C' team beat Wales 2-1. The summer Four Nations tournament, taking place in Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, and Oswestry during May 20-24th will feature Gibraltar instead of the Republic of Ireland. Gibraltar are the Island Games football champions, beating the likes of Anglesey, Jersey, and Bermuda.

Wrexham have agreed to let loan pair Conall Murtagh and Levi Mackin stay at Droylsden for the rest of the season. Peterboro have formally acknowledged the signing of Cambridge striker Scott Rendell after he pulled out of the England international to complete talks. A sixth group has entered the race for Mansfield Town. An American consortium has joined five other interested parties, but there remain only two actual bids on the table.

MK Dons' goalscoring midfielder Mark Wright will miss several weeks after being diagnosed with a partial tear of a hamstring. He has scored 13 times this season, including five in their last three league matches.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Bulls' first visit to Shrewsbury's New Meadow

This Saturday brings Hereford United's first visit to Shrewsbury Town's new stadium.

Situated on the south side of the capital of Shropshire, the New Meadow replaces the old but quaint Gay Meadow which will be remembered as much for the games played there as for the games postponed because of flooding from the near-by River Severn.

Shrewsbury first moved to the Gay Meadow in 1910. But it wasn't long before a match had to be abandoned because of the river.

On January 14 1911 they played Birmingham City Reserves. After around 70 minutes the Severn started to flow onto the Meadow and the game had to be called off.

Flooding or no flooding Shrewsbury stayed at the Meadow for 97 years. They might still be there if it wasn't for Roland Wycherley.

Wycherley was elected chairman in 1996 and put in motion the move to a brand new stadium. But his dream took eleven years to come true.

At times he appeared frustrated with the Shrewsbury Council who seemed to want to put conditions on the project which would up the already high cost of the construction. There was also opposition from a local action group known as the Sutton Area Residents Association who were concerned about extra traffic on match days.

However the new stadium held its first match last July. Gianfranco Zola brought an all-stars XI to play Shrewsbury and the new era had begun. In November it was jointly officially opened by Lord Mawhinney, the chairman of the Football League and Roland Wycherley.

The New Meadow is a 110m x 75m, 9,875 all-seater capacity stadium constructed by Hall Construction. It has on site supporter's bars, including plasma-screen TVs, showing re-runs of recent Shrewsbury matches. In addition, there are several corporate and hospitality suites, which the club states will be used both on match days and for general community use, therefore assisting the club in gaining revenue.

There are four separate stands each 18 rows high. The main stand, which is named after the chairman Roland Wycherley, has a slightly different layout to the others with a press area and eight corporate boxes at its rear. The North Stand at one end of the stadium where the away fans are located also houses a prominent looking Police Control Box. Leg room is nothing special although the stands are quite steep keeping the fans close to the action and there is good height between rows.

Following consultation with supporters groups, the stadium consists of blue seating, with the club's initials (STFC) spelt out in amber on each side of the ground. Despite originally being blue and white, the club has adopted a distinctive blue and amber colour scheme since the 1970s, which many supporters feel is a unique and distinctive part of the club.

The ground is adjacent to the large Meole Brace Retail Park and the Bannatyne's Health Club/Meole Brace Municipal Golf Course complex, however spokespersons from both sites have stated no car-parking will be available on match days.

With the ground not being centrally located like Gay Meadow, concerns have been raised about travel arrangements. In response, the club has consulted with local authorities and produced a comprehensive brochure for fans, detailing travel arrangements for the new ground.

Many local pubs will use shuttle buses, and the club will be operating a park and ride system for fans, using car parks near to the ground. In addition, special supporter buses will be running in Shrewsbury town centre and from across Shropshire.

Let's hope the first visit is remembered for all the best reasons including a win for the Bulls.

(Article complied from several sources including the official Shrewsbury website)

Meanwhile any Hereford United supporter without a ticket for the game might still be able to obtain one from the club office. May be advisable to telephone 01432 276666 first just in case they have sold out.

Guide To The Salary Cap Rules

Former Chester director Paul Baker offered the following guide to readers of the Devachat forum following Chester's inability to re-sign loanee Craig Lindfield due to wage cap problems:

Outline explanation of the Football League salary cap - How the cap is calculated:

The salary cap works by setting clubs two percentage levels that must not be exceeded by the club. These two levels are set against 'relevant' income and 'related' expenditure.

'Relevant' income: This income does not include loans or any other income that is generated by incurring any debt (i.e. directors' loans). The main areas of relevant income include:

Distributions from the League and FA
TV monies
Grant funding
Prize monies
Basic awards
Match revenue
Season ticket sales
Gate receipts
Commercial income
Club shop gross profit income
Catering gross profit income
Etc…

Other revenue

Net transfer income
Revenue from the stadium
Gifts and donations from lotteries and other third-parties
Donations and investment from Supporters’ Trusts
Equity cash injections (issuing share capital)

Expenditure is split into two categories, players' wages and total salary costs.

Players' wages: These are all the payments due all players registered and on-loan with the club under the terms specified in their contract and includes:

Bonuses
Appearance fees
Employers' National insurance

Total salary costs: Total salary costs take into consideration the monies paid out to non-playing employees of the club.

Calculation: Players' wages must not exceed 60% of 'relevant' income and total salary costs must not exceed 75% of 'relevant' income. Typical example: A club with £5,000,000 'relevant' income would have a budget of £3,000,000 for playing staff, and an overall budget of £3,750,000 for salaries.

Budgeting Preparations for the forthcoming season have to be outlined to the FA in July when an initial budget must be submitted. This is followed up by an interim report in December and a final report the following July. During the course of the season, management accounts must be submitted for review on a bi-monthly basis and are checked against the statutory accounts.

The Football League are able to inspect the clubs accounts at any given time. Statutory Accounts Accounts filed at Companies House following either an audit or review by an independent accountant. Exceeding the cap If the contract of a player being transferred to a club pushes the amount paid on salaries over the threshold, the Football League will refuse the registration of the player.

Benjamin praises new arrivals

Senior striker Trevor Benjamin has told the Hereford Times how well he thinks the two on-loan strikers have fitted in at Edgar Street.

"I think both players have done really well. They have come in and scored a lot of goals. I am very happy for the team. We are a nice bunch and they have fitted in very well.

"They are both quick strikers and good finishers - and that has been evident. You can't play every game - it's a team effort and you can't argue with how well they have done. When the times comes, it's about taking your chance."

Benjamin is hoping the large support for the Bulls at Shrewsbury on Saturday will get behind the team.

"We will be taking a high number of fans to Shrewsbury. The Hereford fans have been superb this season. They were brilliant at Tranmere Rovers and the fans' encouragement can make a huge difference to the players."

News Round Up

Accrington have signed former striker Andrew Mangan on a months loan from Bury. The 21 year old moved to the Shakers in the summer after rejecting a new deal at Stanley. The 'homesick' Romauld Boco, who left Stanley last month, has signed for Irish side Sligo Rovers. Rotherham have loaned winger Sam Duncum to York for a month.

Bradford have confirmed that veteran defender David Wetherall will retire at the end of the season after nine years at the club. The 37 year old has racked up over 500 games for Leeds and the Bantams. Macclesfield have loaned defender Andrew Teague to Hyde for a month. Teague, 22, has missed nearly 18 months with a broken leg.

Good to have support from Hereford says Shrews MD

Rob Bickerton, Shrewsbury Town's recently appointed managing director, says he looking forward to the visit of Hereford United on Saturday to the new stadium.

"I'm really looking forward to the Hereford game as it will be the first game at the new stadium where the visitors have brought a large support. In the three home games I've seen so far there have only been a couple of hundred supporters," Bickerton told the Shrewsbury Town website.

"Having spoken to people at the club I can feel how exciting the local derby with Hereford is and with them looking like bringing more than 1500, based on ticket sales and I know the Shrewsbury fans will be attracted to this game.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the stadium full with a lot of fans and a lot of noise.

"I'm also expecting a good performance from what I believe is an exciting Shrewsbury Town side."

Praise for Hereford from Wrexham

Hereford United has received praise from Wrexham both for calling off yesterday's fixture in good time and suggesting a date for the game to take place.

"We’ve been frustrated again, but I half expected it,” manager Brian Little told the Daily Post.

"We were in touch with Hereford early on in the day and they said there was not much sign of the cloud lifting.

"That being the case, the game was always going to be under pressure and the lunchtime decision at least came in plenty of time to prevent the fans from making a wasted journey."

Meanwhile club secretary Geraint Parry told the Post about rearranging the date of the fixture.

"We looked at March 4, but that meant we would be playing three away games in the space of eight days," he said.

"There are three league games in a week at the end of that month plus the Wales matches, which could involve several of our players, so it’s all getting a bit crowded.

"Hereford have been very prompt in coming up with the April 22 suggestion, which is okay from our point of view, and that’s when it will be played, subject to the Football League’s agreement."

Meanwhile Hereford United have given a signed shirt to help raise funds for 12 year old Jack Hickinbotham has recently been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

According to the Hereford Times his family is hoping to raise £10,000 for a hot-tub through various events such as a race night and auction, psychic evening and a sponsored walk from Ledbury to Hereford.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Uriah Rennie to Referee Shrewsbury Match

Uriah Rennie has been named as the referee for Saturday's match at Shrewsbury when Hereford United are the visitors.

To date this season he has covered 14 games giving out 41 yellow and 4 red cards.

Rennie has refereed at Premiership level.

Thompson's save puts Cardiff out

Former Hereford United goalkeeper Glyn Thompson put paid to Cardiff City's hope of winning the Welsh Cup this evening.

Thompson, in goal for Newport County, pulled off the only save of a penalty shoot out to take his side through to the final after the teams were level at 1-1 after extra time.

Meanwhile Shrewsbury Town have recruited Caersws's Andy Mulliner to become their new goal-keeping coach.

Mulliner, aged 37, will coach Slop's two senior keepers Glyn Garner and Scott Bevan with two sessions per week. He also holds a session each week at Kidderminster.

Finally League Two leaders MK Dons defeated League One leaders Swansea City 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium this evening in the Paint Trophy Southern Area final first leg. The second game is next Monday and the final on March 30th which will be against either Grimsby or Morecambe whose game was postponed.

If MK Dons get to the final, Hereford United's visit to their new stadium will need to be re-arranged as it is due to take place on March 29th.

Shrewsbury Travel

Shrewsbury Town v Hereford United
Saturday 23rd February 2008 KO 3.00 pm.
Football League 2
New Stadium
Oteley Road
Shrewsbury
SY2 6ST
Phone 0871 8118800

Saturday is the day when we all make our shortest trip of the season when The Bulls take on Shrewsbury Town at their new stadium in Oteley Road. The seated North Stand houses the visiting supporters and it will be full of extremely noisy Herefordians come three o'clock. The facilities inside the stadium are good with both alcohol and light refreshments being available although it is understood that alcohol is not served at half-time.

HUISA are believed to be running five coaches, HUMADS three, and LEDBURY and the FUNBUS one each.

The ground is some way from the Town centre and those intending to travel by train are advised to complete their journey by bus or taxi.

For those travelling by car, parking is likely to be the biggest problem as there is no parking available at the ground unless you have access to a permit. Full details of the Shrewsbury travel plan including Park and Ride and Park and Walk can be found at

http://shrewsburytown.co.uk/pdf/TravelPlanNew.pdf

Those travelling by any means other than organised coach are advised to print a copy of this document and take it with them.

For any who are intent on sampling the delights of the local hostelries, jovial Victor makes the following recommendations. Five minutes from The Railway Station is Wetherspoons' Shrewsbury Hotel. Close together are The Coach and Horses (Swan Hill) and The Admiral Benbow whereas The Three Fishes in Fish Street offers both an excellent range of ale and a reasonably priced menu of Pub food. For those content to go without real ale, the Mardol area of the town boasts the usual Lloyds, Yates etc.. Just turn left out of the Railway station and walk up the hill. Please remember that it is a good 20/25 minute walk to the ground from the centre.

The distance from Hereford to Oteley Road is about 53 miles and with the expected traffic, you should allow an hour and a half. Postcode is SY2 6ST

Let's make some noise!

Police Prepare For Big Local Soccer Derby

Extra police will be on duty for the big all-ticket local derby between Shrewsbury Town and Hereford United on Saturday.

The fixture is expected to attract a crowd of around 7,000 and police are urging fans to arrive at the new ground in Oteley Road in good time.

The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday. More than 100 police officers will be on duty helping with traffic and crowd management.

A spokesman said: “This is an attractive match and a large crowd is expected. More than 1,000 Hereford fans will be making the journey up the A49 to Shrewsbury and they will have to allow sufficient time to park up and to make their way to the new ground.

Supporters of both clubs are asked to arrive early to avoid any last minute congestion. “We would advise visiting supporters to check the Shrewsbury Town FC website for directions to the ground and in particular, for parking arrangements.

“There is no general parking for fans at the ground but there are a number of established parking areas, including the Shirehall, with park and ride facilities.”

Police believe a small number of Hereford fans may have bought tickets in the Shrewsbury end of the ground. “We understand about 30 or 40 Hereford supporters have obtained tickets in the Shrewsbury area and they will not be allowed entry. We advise anyone with such a ticket to contact Hereford United FC to make arrangements for changing their tickets. We understand the Hereford allocation has not sold out and that tickets are available.”

Fans are also being reminded it is an all-ticket match and no tickets are being sold on the day.

Meanwhile, although police are not expecting any trouble, they will be prepared to deal with any troublemakers.

“It should be a really good game and we don’t want it spoilt for the true supporters of both sides by a small minority who might be intent on causing problems. Anyone causing trouble or becoming involved in anti social behaviour will be dealt with robustly and is likely to end up in court,” added the spokesperson.

Wrexham Match Postponed

This evening's League Two match at Edgar Street has been called off.

A pitch inspection has just taken place and it was decided that the surface was too frosty.

The decision has been made in good time and before the Wrexham team and supporters were due to leave for Hereford.

It's the first time a match has been called off at Edgar Street for several seasons.

No League Two matches will go ahead this evening - the other three have also been called off.

1 Milton Keynes Dons 32 29 63
2 Hereford 31 22 61
3 Darlington 31 28 59
4 Peterborough 31 25 59

The match has been rearranged for April 22nd, one of the dates for the Champions League semi final matches.

Mkandawire recovering from surgery

Former Hereford United captain Tamika Mkandawire, now at Leyton Orient, had a hernia operation yesterday and is expected to be out for a month.

"Tam has probably been one of our best performers this season and is certainly in our top three players for the campaign," said manager Martin Ling.

"We've been told that all went well and that he could be back within three weeks, but I would probably say that we are looking more likely at being without him for a month.

"Of course it is a big loss to us, but we had reached the stage where his injury was detracting from his performance so we knew we had to get it sorted.

"Hopefully though his rehabilitation will go well and it will be good to go into the home straight of the season with a fully fit Tam back with us."

Shrewsbury looking for 7,000 gate on Saturday

Shrewsbury Town are looking for a gate of at least 7,000 next Saturday when Hereford United visit their new stadium.

According to the Shropshire Star, 6,200 tickets have already been sold. Hereford United are understood to have sold about 1,500 of those tickets.

Shrewsbury are said to be optimistic that sales during the rest of the week will ensure a 7,000 plus gate.

No tickets will be sold on match-day.

1pm Pitch Inspection

Hereford United have called a pitch inspection for 1pm with most of the County still freezing.

Darlington's match with Chester and Rochdale's game with Notts County have already been postponed. Both grounds have frozen pitches, with temperatures across the country not expected to creep sufficiently above freezing for the matches to take place.

The only other League Two match, Stockport's game with Mansfield, will also face a 1pm inspection.

A Win will take us Closer says Turner

Graham Turner has told the Worcester News that although he is looking for three points this evening to put Hereford United on the top of League Two, he is well aware that it's where you are the end of the season that matters.

"Of course it would be nice to go top, but we cannot look at it that way, the only time to make sure that you are top is when you have played all your games," said the Hereford United manager.

"A win will make us another three points closer to where we want to be."

Turner noted that Wrexham have taken points at several clubs recently including Peterborough and Darlington. Much of that success has been since Brian Little took over at the Racecourse.

"The players that Brian has brought in are starting to have an impact," he said. "They have changed a lot recently and we cannot underestimate them."

Meanwhile Turner is well aware that he current strike partnership will only be together for another three games unless he can get the loans extended. Gary Hooper is set to return to Southend at the end of the month and Sherjill MacDonald to West Brom after the Accrington match on March 8th.

"The partnership is looking very good indeed," Turner said. "We have got them both for a month and without a doubt we will be looking to extend that."

Turner faces being without several players this evening including Steve Guinan, Luke Webb, Lee Collins and Toumani Diagouraga.

Ben Smith may return but if there is any doubt Turner could decide not to risk him so as to make sure he's available for Saturday's game at Shrewsbury.

There was another sharp forst around Hereford last night but temperatures were reported not to have fallen quite so low as the previous two nights.

As at 10am the Met Office reported a temperature of -1.3C and misty conditions close to Hereford.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Rest may be crucial says Wrexham's Roberts

The fact that Wrexham's game was postponed last Saturday whilst Hereford United played may be crucial this evening when the two teams meet at Edgar Street says Dragon's striker Neil Roberts.

"It would have been nice to have played at the weekend, but we’ll be that little bit fresher now," Roberts told ic Wales.

"They obviously played on Saturday so we’ll try and take advantage of that.

"They’re flying and they could go top, but we’re not going there just to make up the numbers.

"It’s just as important for us to get ourselves off the bottom as it is for them to get to the top. It works both ways."

Despite going five games unbeaten Wrexham are still at the foot of League Two whilst Hereford have climbed to second and will go top if they win this evening's match.

"That’s the thing with this League – the teams at the bottom seem to beat the teams at the top. No-one, with the exception of one or two teams, seems to have run away with it.

"It’s the same for the teams at the top of the table. I don’t think the League is dead and buried yet."

Pitch Inspections At Darlo And Shrimps

Tuesday's matches at Darlington and Morecambe will be subject to pitch inspections.

The Quakers have scheduled a 1.30pm inspection for their match with Chester, the same time as Morecambe have a test for their Johnstones Paint Trophy match with Grimsby.

Rochdale are getting back to basics to keep their match with Notts County on. After tips from the Walsall groundstaff, they will light a series of oil drums full of wood around the pitch to defrost the ground. The 20 drums will be moved around the pitch during the night tonight, but they fear their efforts will be in vain as they have struggled to get enough wood for the duration.

Very few tickets remain

The Official Hereford United website is this lunchtime reporting that just 112 tickets remain for the game at Shrewsbury Town on Saturday 23rd February. Telephone and postal applications are no longer being accepted but, while tickets are available, personal callers can purchase during the normal club office hours until 4.00 pm on Thursday.

Meanwhile it apears that Shrewsbury striker Dave Hibbert will miss Saturday's game. He was due to miss Shrewsbury's game at Morecambe last Saturday but as that was postponed it is believed his suspension will be carried over.

Beckwith in League Two Team of the Week

Hereford United's Dean Beckwith has made last weekend's League Two team of the Week.

Beckwith gave another fine performance at the heart of the Bulls defence against Chesterfield last Saturday.

Also in the team was former Bull Alan Connell now with Brentford.

Meanwhile Jarnail Singh will referee the Dagenham game next Tuesday. To date he has officiated in 24 matches this season giving out 71 yellow and two red cards.

Mr Singh is no stranger to Hereford United. Right at the end of last season he was the man in the middle at Edgar Street when Shrewsbury Town were the opponents.

Millers File Intent For Administration

Rotherham have filed a Notice of Intention to appoint an Administrator with the courts after failing to find extra investment.

A lengthy statement, issued on the club website, confirms the move is not actual Administration but provides some protection from it's creditors:

"The Club has accumulated a large debt with P.A.Y.E. We are on good terms with HMRC, with whom we have weekly discussions. They have been very sympathetic of the need for the Club to secure its future funding. We have nothing but praise for their considerate yet professional approach. However, it is plain that things can not continue like this and that time is not on our side."

The statement continues: "Clearly the threat of administration will recede if a serious investor can now be found. This is something we all want, and something the Club needs quickly. However, if no deal can be brokered then administration would be the only option for the Club and that would be a great shame as it would mean a points deduction."

Entry into Administration would effectively end their promotion hopes, dumping them down to 12th on the current table once the ten point penalty had been applied.

It is only two years since the club staved off liquidation. Their cash bank was set to run completely dry in February 2006 before a last minute deal was struck to keep the club afloat. They agreed a CVA in May on their £3.7million debt but the club continued to trade at a loss.

They started last season with a ten point deduction, and sold players for a total of £1.2million - a deal that was claimed at a time to cover all losses until the end of 2008. Relegation followed and, with gates continuing to fall, the club have had to face mounting losses.

Albion signing may allow Shergar to stay longer

West Bromwich Albion are understood to have taken Aston Villa striker Luke Moore on loan to the end of the season with a view to a permanent deal.

22 year old Moore joins several other strikers at the Hawthorns.

The deal may influence Albion manager Tony Mowbray to allow Sherjill MacDonald to stay at Edgar Street longer than the initial one month emergency loan deal which ends after the Accrington Stanley away match on March 8th.

Preview: Bulls vs Wrexham

The Bulls will be looking to complete a double over Wrexham when they meet at Edgar Street on Tuesday night.

The Dragons have changed their manager since the last meeting in September. Brian Carey's strugglers were downed 2-0 with goals from Kris Taylor and Trevor Benjamin. Their last trip to Edgar Street in December 2006 also ended up 2-0 to the Bulls with another man, Denis Smith, in charge at the Racecourse Ground. Wrexham's only League win at Edgar Street came in 1988.

The Bulls will look to build on four straight wins. The gloom of the defeat to Barnet has lifted and the team is playing with much more confidence. Ten goal partnership Gary Hooper and Sherjill Macdonald are expected to continue up front while the continued fitness of Clint Easton, the man with the most assists this season, will help to feed them.

Wrexham's fortunes have rapidly improved in recent weeks thanks to a barrage of signings by Brian Little. 39 players have already been used by the Dragons this season as they have struggled at the wrong end of the table yet again. Recent clean sheets against Darlington, Peterboro, and MK Dons suggest they have turned a corner but goals are still a problem. They have scored only 21 times this season with a dozen different forwards tried already.

Hereford United vs Wrexham, Edgar Street, Tuesday 19th February, 7.45pm.

Bulls' Game can't come soon enough - Evans

Wrexham's centre-back Steve Evans has told the North Wales press that tomorrow's game against Hereford United can't come soon enough after the Dragons match at MK Dons was postponed last Saturday.

Wrexham, although propping up League Two, has been on a reasonable run lately. Currently they has gone five games unbeaten.

"The pitch was still frozen and nobody can help it," said Evans. "It is just one of those things.

"We have just got to get ready for Hereford.

"It is disappointing getting all the way down there but we have just got to go again tomorrow, and hopefully get a result.

"It is a good thing considering we did not play at the weekend. The quicker the game comes around the better so we can hopefully keep our run going."

Three Points and Bulls will top League Two

There are four League Two matches this week all taking place tomorrow (Tuesday). Two of them involve the second and third teams in the table, Hereford United and Darlington.

Darlington v Chester
Hereford v Wrexham
Rochdale v Notts County
Stockport v Mansfield

Interestingly the Darlington game starts at 7.30pm so Hereford United, the players and supporters will know the result before the end of the game at Edgar Street which, as usual, kicks off at 7.45pm.

Both Darlington and Chester lost on Saturday. Darlington being surprisingly defeated by bottom but one Mansfield. Meanwhile Chester were beaten 1-0 bt Notts County at the Deva Stadium.

Darlington would be expected to win tomorrow so the pressure is on the Bulls to make sure they take three points from bottom placed Wrexham. If they do they'll top the League Two table for the first time ever and MK Dons will drop to second position.

In the other two games home victories would be expected for both Rochdale and Stockport.

Meanwhile Keith Stroud from Hampshire is due to referee tomorrow's match at Edgar Street. He has officiated in five premiership games this season including the ten goal thriller between Spurs and Reading.

In his 26 games to date he has given out 91 yellow cards and six red cards.

Last season he was the man in the middle at Barnet when Hereford were defeated 3-0 and at Edgar Street in the FA Cup when the Bulls defeated Shrewsbury 2-0.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Hooper happy to stay at Edgar Street

Gary Hooper has told the Daily Mirror that he would be happy to stay at Hereford United if they are promoted. Since partnering Sherjill MacDonald they have scored nine goals between them.

"When my loan is up I'll speak to the gaffer and see where we go from there. I'm enjoying playing and doing well at Hereford.

"We're doing very well at the moment and have a really good chance of going up.

"Sherjill and I have a good partnership and hopefully that will continue.

"We hit it off straight away."

Another Day, Another Striker For The Posh

Peterboro are set to sign Cambridge striker Scott Rendell after the player demanded a transfer.

The 17 goal striker will sign on loan at London Road later in the week before a six-figure summer transfer. The Posh made several bids for the striker over the last couple of weeks, eventually unsettling the player into making a Sunday afternoon ultimatum to the board.

League Two's top scorers have already signed six forwards for six-figure fees in the last twelve months. The most recent, Liam Hatch, has failed to start a game since his arrival six weeks ago.

Early Bird Tickets for Daggers Game

Dagenham and Redbridge football club are offering early bird tickets for their home game against Hereford United on Tuesday February 26th.

Savings of between £1 and £4 per ticket can be made by buying early from the Hereford United club office before noon on Monday Feb 25th.

Admission Prices:

Seated: Adults £16, Concessions and Juniors (under16) £10. Add £2 on match day.

Terrace: Adults £13 Concessions £9 and Juniors £6. On match day £15, £10 and £10 respectively.

Travel with HUISA to Dagenham:

Cost £18 leaving Edgar Street at 2pm.

For more details and/or bookings please contact Hereford United on 01432 276666.

It is expected that the FUNBUS will also travel. Details to follow.

Shrewsbury Travel Update

HUMADS - Three coaches are now fully booked.

FUNBUS - Fully booked

HUISA - Bookings now being taken for fifth and final coach through the Club Office (01432 276666) or in Legends before the Wrexham match on Tuesday evening.

LEDBURY - Jeremy Wolfe has swapped his 35 seater for a larger coach and therefore has some seats available (01531 634387). Departs Ledbury Market Hall at 11.00 am.

Car drivers directions to Shrewsbury's new ground will be posted after Tuesday evening.