Experts at the New Football Pools have been examining 42 years of club records and have separated five of the best for Hereford United. They looked at all sorts of factors including club honours, involvement in title/relegation races, play-offs, points achieved, home and away records, goals scored, individual matches that make a season particularly memorable and the impact of individual players on a season.
1972-73:
If beating Newcastle United in the FA Cup and getting elected into the Football League weren’t enough for the Hereford fans, they then watched their team win promotion in their first season in the Fourth Division.
Remaining unbeaten for their final 19 home games was what took them into second place, behind Southport, by the end of the season, but it still took a 1-0 win at Edgar Street against Crewe on the final day to secure that historic promotion.
1971-72:
We have to include it, we just have to. Hereford, as a non-league side, beat Newcastle United in the FA Cup third round, and then took West Ham United to a replay.
It was that 2-1 win over the Magpies, however, that has gone into Cup folklore. Goals from Ricky George and Ronnie Radford won the game for United, and sparked a joyous pitch invasion that seems to have appeared on TV on every third round day ever since. For the 14,000 who packed into Edgar Street, it was a moment that could never be beaten.
2005-06:
After nine years in the Conference, Hereford beat Halifax Town 3-2 after extra time in the play-off final to give their fans cause for wild celebration. The Bulls’ hero was Ryan Green, who curled a ball from just inside the area past Town keeper Jon Kennedy.
It was just reward for Graham Turner’s men, who had finished second in the Conference three years in succession, but in both previous seasons had lost in the play-off semi-finals.
1975-76:
Four years earlier, Hereford had been a non-league club, but now they were celebrating a place in the Second Division, and the chance to play the likes of Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Wolves.
The Bulls set club records galore during the season – most points, most goals and longest scoring run – and they finished the season as Third Division champions, six points ahead of Cardiff.
2003-04:
Hereford won more league games (28 out of 42) than ever before, set a club points record (91) and scored a record 103 goals (61 of them away), but still they had to settle for the runners-up spot in the Conference.
Hereford scored nine at Dagenham, seven at Forest Green and seven at home to Halifax, but they scored only one in the play-off semi-final against Aldershot. The two-legged tie was eventually decided by penalties, which the Shot won 4-2.
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Next Game: Boston At Edgar Street On Saturday April 20th Kick-Off 3.00pm