NEXT HOME GAME - TBC
NEXT AWAY GAME - SUPPORTERS XI ARE PLAYING WORCESTER AT MALVERN ON SUNDAY AUGUST 3rd AT 3.00pm

Sunday, March 02, 2014

Hall Reflects On Matters At Edgar Street


Keith Hall has been following the Bulls for a long time and will have seen some highs and some lows at Edgar Street.

Yesterday after the end of the game, Hall, who had commentated on the game for BBC Hereford and Worcester, discussed the present situation with Trevor Owens.

After Owens had read out a selection of texts (some reprinted in a BN article yesterday), he asked Hall for his thoughts.

"I've not seen it for a while, but there were some people with 24 minutes to go who started to leave. Firstly a trickle then more and more.

"Hereford supporters must have thought we are not going to score, we are not going to get back into this match, I might as well go now. That's a very sad state of affairs.

"It's lack of a strike force really, they just never look like scoring. I know Chris Sharp was upfront on his own. If Rob Purdie was trying to play in the hole behind Sharp, he got precious little service and hardly touched the ball in the first half.

"Danny Leadbitter showed up well down the right wing, he is a threat as he takes people on and young Cory Williams when he came on did likewise.

"Frankie Artus is well below the level he was in January. Kingsley James has come back in after a lengthy lay-off.

"I'm not trying to make excuses for the players, I think some of the players are decent at this level. We were talking about the Hereford defence being one of the best in the division before the turn of the year.

"It's not necessarily the backline, it's further forward. If you are playing five effectively in midfield and you are not getting the grip, (Wrexhams) Dean Keates and Joe Clark dominated in there, we just didn't get at them, full stop."

Owens then repeated Martin Foyle's statement that he only has nine fit players for Braintree next Saturday.

"I think he's looking at the first team. not the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Cory Williams, he's looking at his genuine squad players he brought in.

"We obviously lost Rhys Evans due to that injury with Daniel Lloyd Weston in. That's why he's concerned over the England 'C' match in the week that Lloyd Weston comes back fit or we won't have a goalkeeper for next weekend.

"I think some of the players really do they want to be here anymore. That's something I shouldn't have to say. Spectators are here, they've seen it, they know what it's like. 

"Where is the direction as well, what are we doing as a football club?"

Owens then asked Hall about the latest statement from the chairman about his meeting with the players last Thursday. (http://bullsnews.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/keyte-has-talks-with-management-and.htm )

In particular Owens mentioned the chairman's pledge that 'contracts would be met in full'

"I'm just struggling to think where this money has come from to be able to do that. That's why the players are worried, that's why the players want it in the public domain.

"Potential investors etc who want to come in, they are going to look at those things not just as positive spin that the chairman has put on it.

"We question where that money is going to come from. If he is going to honour the committments, is he honouring them himself, is that further loans, will those loans be converted into further shares, does that mean that the Chairman has an even firmer grip on the control of this football club.

"There are more questions coming out as a result of that statement. 

"If those players were paid up, they knew they were paid up by whatever means I'm not sure, I think things would be different. And that is a concern.

"We've got players, I'm not going to start finger-pointing, but there are questions.

"Are players actually injured, are players genuinely ill?"

Rod McDonald didn't play yesterday and Martin Foyle didn't seem sure why suggested Owens.

"He's just the man in the firing line at the moment. I know people will say those are the players you brought in you make them work. But if they are totally and absolutely fragile, their confidence is absolutely shot and they are not bring paid at the end of the day then I feel for some of those players.

"But I would like to see them giving full committment when they are on as professionals.

"If they want a club next year, they want a contract somewhere next season then they should be showing more than they are at the moment."