Hereford are old Southern League rivals of Yeovil's who shot to fame in the early seventies when they knocked Newcastle out of the FA Cup and went on from strength to strength to win, er, absolutely nothing, not even the Welsh Cup. Never mind though boyos, because incomprehensibly the team that won nothing (that's zilch, zero, nought, not a thing, for the slow of comprehension) were elected to the Football League, replacing Barrow, and the town of Yeovil muttered to itself "that should've been us!". Stupid us for winning the Southern League, perhaps if we had won nothing we'd have been elected as well....

Fast forward to the early 1990's and the paths of Yeovil and Hereford cross in very different circumstances. This time they met in the FA Cup, and Hereford became Yeovil's most vital league scalp (see below). What might have happened if the result had gone the other way, we shudder to think. Unbeknown to many Yeovil fans the club was on the edge of bankruptcy, and the winners home tie against Arsenal probably is the reason why Yeovil are still in existence. Thank you Hereford! (To make matters even more ironic, Hereford's goalscorer on that night, Owen Pickard, went on to play for Yeovil. It's a funny old game).

Forward again another few years and The Bulls were to land back in non-league football. It was always regarded as almost impossible for any club to be relegated out of the 3rd Division in the days of 1-up, 1-down, you had to be especially incompetent and rubbish to manage it - no surprise to see Hereford accomplish the trick with ease then. Whatever, it is ironic that when Hereford entered the Conference league they were the club with the financial problems, and we were the ones heading towards financial security.

To begin with, Hereford were one of those sides that "got by" in the Conference. They tended to merge into mid-table obscurity on most seasons, and on odd occasions they almost flirted with the relegation zone. Gradually though they began to get it together in the season after Yeovil were promoted to the Football League, even if they had a habit of fluffing it at the last hurdle.

In 2003-04, they managed 91 points in the league only to find Chester City pipping them at the post. Surely though a team that had a 21 point advantage on their 5th placed play-off opponents Aldershot Town would breeze through to the final? Nope - the Bulls crashed out in the semi-final on penalties. Oh woe!

The next season they finished runners-up again ... and promptly failed in the play-offs again. This time Stevenage Borough were the side to ensure that they failed to reach the final. Oh woe, twice!

Sadly, there is a theory that the more times to try and pin the tail on a donkey (or in this case, a Bull) that sooner or later, you'll stop making a mess of it. The 2005-06 season proved to be third time unlucky lucky, as again the runners-up spot was reached, but this time neither Morecambe nor Halifax Town could stop them from progressing, and so the nine seasons that Hereford had spent in the Conference were finally over.

Last season saw the Bull******s manage a fairly credibull credible 16th place finish in League Two, rarely threatening to do anything of note, and so the 2007-08 season sees them attempt to build on that start back in the Football League.

Probably one of the reasons for Hereford's slow progress and occasional stagnation is that everyone keeps nicking their best players, and we were probably the guiltiest party in that department. What a shame, never mind, eh? Tony Pennock, Murray Fishlock, Jamie Pitman, Tony Pounder, Adrian Foster, David Norton, M*ch**l McInd**, Gavin Williams have all arrived at Huish Park in the past having been nobbled from Edgar Street, usually at stupidly generous prices. Never let it be said that it's all one-way traffic however: Jamie Pitman and Ben Smith were two such players that flirted with the darkside and Smiffy is still on their books, having returned for a second bout of punishment. This summer they've had the same problem with loss of players, notably Andrew Williams being snapped up by Bristol Rovers although despite that they've made a surprisingly strong start and are currently suffering from vertigo in the dizzy heights of second place in League Two. Gulp!

Tuesday night's JPT match will be an opportunity for a spot of revenge on the field of play. We hardly dare mention it, but the Bull******s may have achieved a result in the Carling Cup First Round earlier this (2007-08) season. We'll say no more. The plucky giant-killers will be attempting to secure a second scalp in the JPT, whilst the Big Club visiting Edgar Street will be seeking to put matters right and restore the order of balance.

A final word about the rivalry between the clubs: Over recent times a very small minority of morons (let's not dignify them by calling them 'supporters') from both sides have found it too difficult to understand the difference between banter and real hatred with matters degenerating into violence at times. To them we say take it outside: A long, long way outside far away from real fans of both clubs who are capable of enjoying a fierce rivalry without resorting to mindless yobbery. After all, our fiercest rivals, the clubs we really love to hate, are more often than not mirror-images of ourselves. Hopefully with this match being a lower key affair than normal, everyone associated with both clubs can enjoy a peaceful, but passionate evening. From what we can gather, the Carling Cup match between the two sides progressed without any issues, so let's have more of the same (although obviously with a different result on the field!)

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Parking

The Hereford Market car park is next door to the ground. This public car park is normally free to park after 6.00pm - double-check on entry, but you should be able to park for free. When you park up, you need to walk back to the car park entrance, turn right, then turn right again to get to the away turnstiles on Edgar Street itself.

By Rail

Nearest Railway Station: Hereford (5 mins from ground).

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Club Bar :

Hereford's club bar is called Legends and is situated by the Market Car Park - if you park there you'll pass it on your left. When Hereford first joined the Conference, we had no problems getting in there and found it to be full of friendly HUISA types (that's Hereford's Supporters Association - not a mis-spelt Yeovil ground). Rather oddly just before we got promoted though, we found that supporters were being turned away and that this was a specific rule for Yeovil fans - odd because it had been one of the few locations around the ground where you could get a handshake and a smile as a visiting Glovers fan. Whether that will have been reversed over the years, remains to be seen.

Local Pubs :

Note to all smokers: With the national ban on smoking that came in on July 1st 2007, we're obviously still updating the guides to amend the referencing to "smoking" and "non-smoking" areas. You can take it as read that if it is indoors, it will be a non-smoking area! If we find that a pub has a designated outdoor smoking area, we'll make reference to it, but initially at least, knowledge is going to be sketchy. If anyone knows whether any of the pubs listed below have allocated such facilities, please let us know.

We are unsure if Hereford supporters greet other Conference fans in the same way as they greet Yeovil, but if this is your first visit to Hereford, you'd be wise to exercise a little bit of caution. This is a shame as outside match days, Hereford is crammed full of excellent pubs with character in them and most within easy walk of the railway station and the football ground.

One of the nearest pubs to the ground is the Oxford Arms on the home side of the ground. We've never been in it, but it does look like a bit of a locals pub, so visit this one with caution or send us back your reports if you know different to us.

Most of what is good in Hereford can be found in the town centre. On the junction of the road that leads from the station into the town, and the towns main through route, you can find the imposing building that carries the Farmhand and Firkin, one of a chain of famous beer drinking pubs.

Down the road from there and heading towards the station, you'll find The Merton Hotel, as its name suggests it's not exactly a footy pub, but it may be a fair bet if you are preferring a "less eventful" afternoon.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

Oh they will probably understand you perfectly! Whether they will like what you're saying is another matter!

Top-Tip :

Save that jibe about us being in the Football League for longer than the Bull******s for when that traffic light turns green just as you're leaving town.

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Elsewhere Hereford's main attractions seem to be based around its Cathedral and its status as a market town. This is Bull Country! The Tourist Information Office is situated at 1, King Street, directly opposite the Cathedral (Tel : 01432-268430).

[No responsibilty is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice.]

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