2000-Present Day

In the 1999/2000 campaign, United savoured FA Cup success again. After defeating York City and Hartlepool United at Edgar Street both with 1-0 wins, The Bulls’ were drawn at home again in the Third Round, but to Premiership outfit Leicester City. Hereford had by far the better of the play, and almost snatched a late winner when young winger Paul Parry hit the post after carrying the ball from inside his own half.

In the replay at Filbert Street, United did take the lead against their much higher graded opponents with a Paul Fewings header, and were just twelve minutes away from a monumental upset when a controversial goal from Matt Elliott levelled the tie. The former Scotland international appeared to be in an offside position when he bundled home a rebound after an initial shot had been saved by Hereford ‘keeper Jones.The linesman’s flag stayed down, much to The Bulls’ dismay, and the match headed into extra time.

Muzzy Izzet finally headed the Foxes into the lead after over a hundred minutes of football, but United fought bravely and it needed a goal-line clearance in the dying seconds to stop an Ian Wright header from sending the match to penalties. Leicester went on to draw Arsenal at Highbury in the next round.

In the Conference, the team performed consistently each season without ever mounting a serious promotion challenge until the summer of 2002 when manager, Graham Turner, cleared out all but six of his squad and replaced them with young players who had been released by higher graded clubs and were looking to improve themselves to get back into the Football League.

Hereford finished in sixth place the following season, just one place outside of the Play-offs, but it would be the next campaign where United would show their title credentials.

In 2003/04, under the guidance of Graham Turner and, coach, Richard O’Kelly, Hereford’s mix of talented youngsters and fit players took the Conference by storm, setting new records left, right and centre. The Bulls’ free-flowing, passing football notched up a record equalling 11 straight league victories, and scored 103 goals throughout the season, including a record 61 away from home.

United hit 7 goals in a match twice against Halifax Town and Forest Green Rovers respectively, as well as humiliating Dagenham & Redbridge 9-0 on their own ground live on Sky television.

However, at the end of the campaign, it would all have, cruelly, resulted in nothing. The 91 points Hereford notched up was still only good enough for second place in the league, as Chester City also had an impressive season, accumulating one more point and taking both the title and one automatic promotion place.

As unfair as it seemed, the rules dictated that Hereford settle for a place in the end of season Playoffs, and met Aldershot Town in the semi-finals, who they had finished a huge 21 points ahead of in the league. A very tight first leg at the Recreation Ground ended 1-1, setting up a thrilling return match at Edgar Street.

Unfortunately, the game will forever be remembered by Bulls fans, not for the match itself, but for the dubious sending off of Hereford central defender Andrew Tretton in the 20th minute.

Everybody in the stadium seemed to be expecting a yellow card for Tretton after he had bundled over Aldershot forward Aaron McLean, but were stunned to see a red card emerge from, referee, Mr Woolmer’s pocket. The decision immediately changed the hosts’ approach to the game, tactically, but Hereford could still have been ahead at the interval, with both Danny Williams and Steve Guinan going agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock.

The match eventually finished 0-0 and, with no goals in extra time, the tie was settled with a shootout. Despite the Shots hitting the crossbar with their first spot-kick, they triumphed 4-2 on penalties and progressed to the final at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium, leaving Hereford to ponder how such a wonderful season could go unrewarded.

Aldershot were beaten in the Playoff final (also on penalties) by Shrewsbury Town, who Hereford had finished 17 points ahead of in the league season. Despite the incomprehensible heartbreak of the previous season, everybody associated with The Bulls picked themselves up and prepared for another championship assault. Graham Turner made a number of moves to try and secure the title that everyone craved. Coach, Richard O’Kelly, departed to become the assistant manager at AFC Bournemouth, and was replaced by the equally experienced and respected John Trewick.

Key players, Guinan, Ben Smith, Rose and Baker had all departed over the summer, but were replaced by vastly experienced heads including Graham Hyde, Lee Mills and Jonathan Gould, as well as younger heads Adam Stansfield, Craig Stanley and Tamika Mkandawire.

It was always going to be a near impossible task to replicate anything close to the previous season, and so it proved. However, despite Barnet running away with the league championship, Hereford held out for another Playoff position and, on the final day of the league campaign, pinched second place from Carlisle United to ensure that United had finished Conference runners-up for a second successive year.

Stevenage Borough were the semi-final opponents this time around and, when a tight first leg appeared set to end goal-less at Broadhall Way, Bulls striker Danny Carey-Bertram lit the blue-touch paper with a stunning twenty-five yard shot that went in off the post to give the visitors the lead. Hereford were minutes away from taking a slender advantage back to Edgar Street for the second leg, when Jon Brady’s pinpoint centre was headed home by Dino Maamria to leave the tie on a knife-edge.

Hereford dominated the first half of the return match, but could not break the deadlock despite several decent opportunities.

Several United fans moaned at the interval that the hosts may get punished for not taking any of their chances, and so it proved in the second period when a single headed goal from Maamria was enough to send the Hertfordshire outfit into the Playoff final.

Anthony Elding’s fierce shot from a short corner was tipped onto the bar by Bulls’ stopper Craig Mawson, with the ball looping up into the air before being nodded home by the Iranian, Maamria, to send Hereford packing in the Playoffs for a second successive season.

Financial uncertainty has continued to plague the club ever since its relegation in 1997, but the situation has steadily improved over the years. Consistently large attendances in the 2003/04 campaign boosted Hereford’s coffers significantly and this, added to the sale of Paul Parry to Championship side Cardiff City in the same season, allowed the club to recently come out of its CVA (Company Voluntary Arrangement), meaning that The Bulls are now able to pay a transfer fee for a player – something that they have not done for around ten years.

In 2005/06, with the majority of the squad being retained by Hereford chief Graham Turner, the mood within the city was that it was surely ‘third time lucky’ for the Bulls, and thankfully, so it eventually proved.

Impressive pre-season additions, including Wayne Brown, Dean Beckwith, Andy Ferrell and Guy Ipoua appeared to give United, arguably, their strongest squad ‘on paper’ for many years. A 4-0 opening-day drubbing at home to Scarborough saw Hereford top the table, and had the town buzzing; optimistic that the title really could be coming to Edgar Street, but the Bulls would not have it all their own way.

Inconsistency hampered United’s progress during the autumn, as they only triumphed in four of their next 12 Conference outings, leaving them well outside the Playoff positions after a 2-1 reverse at eventual champions Accrington Stanley in early October.

However, as the new players gelled within the squad, results improved and, after losing 2-0 at home to rivals Exeter City on November 26, Hereford would go on to lose just one more Conference fixture for the rest of the season! A 2-1 win at Edgar Street over Aldershot Town on February 21 saw United climb to 2nd spot in the table, and that is where they would stay for the remaining 13 league matches, giving Hereford the Conference Runners-Up spot for a third successive season.

The Bulls’ opponents for their third Semi-Final appearance in as many years were Morecambe. Rob Purdie’s penalty cancelled out Jim Bentley’s first-half header in the First-Leg at Christie Park to leave the tie on a knife-edge at 1-1. It was the third successive Semi-Final First-Leg that Hereford had drawn by that score-line, leaving supporters with a nagging feeling that, like in the previous two Playoff campaigns, United could crash out on home soil in the Second-Leg. In the return fixture at Edgar Street, 6,278 spectators saw Tamika Mkandawire head United into an early lead, only for the visitors to reply instantaneously from the penalty spot.

Hereford-born Andy Williams restored the home side’s lead, before Michael Twiss equalised again midway through the second period for the Lancastrians in a half which they dominated. But for all their pressure and possession, Morecambe could not find a third goal, and in a repeat of Hereford’s Playoff clash with Aldershot in 2004, the match headed for extra-time.

There would be no need for penalties on this occasion though, as two-minutes into the second period of extra-time, substitute Guy Ipoua powered through a tired Morecambe rearguard, and unleashed a rocket of a shot into the back of the net to spark scenes that, arguably, had not been seen since the FA Cup victory over Newcastle United in 1972! An agonising 13 minutes remained, but the Bulls held on to seal a memorable night at Edgar Street as fans celebrated Hereford’s long-overdue place in the Conference Playoff Final.

Halifax Town were United’s opponents at Leicester City’s Walkers Stadium, where around 10,000 Hereford supporters, travelling by car, coach, train, limousine and aeroplane, made up an attendance of 15,499. In what was an incredible game, Hereford fell behind on two occasions, only for them to show the character and determination consistently shown since Christmas by equalising twice – substitute Guy Ipoua heading the Bulls’ second goal after 80 minutes.

Extra-time followed for the second successive match involving Hereford and, once again, the Bulls struck just minutes into the second period. This time full-back Ryan Green was the hero, curling in from 18-yards to send the United faithful behind the goal into shocked delirium! As in the Semi-Final, around 13 minutes stood in the way of Hereford and their place back in the Football League, but a concussion to goalkeeper Wayne Brown meant a further six minutes of injury-time would be added on.

Nevertheless, Lady Luck was finally going to be on United’s side when it mattered most, as the final whistle blew to spark jubilation and relief for Graham Turner, his staff, the players and the supporters. Hereford United were finally back in the Football League after a nine-year absence! Financial uncertainty continued to plague the club ever since its relegation in 1997, but the situation has steadily improved over the years.

Surprisingly, Hereford’s promotion from the Conference to the Football League saw more players leave the club than the previous season, with one or two faces departing that bemused some supporters. The long-serving duo of Tony James and Jamie Pitman, as well as Playoff hero Ipoua, were released by Graham Turner, whilst Adam Stansfield, Craig Mawson , Danny Carey-Bertram and Craig Stanley all chose to sign for Conference sides. Ryan Green, who sealed United’s promotion in May, chose to sign for, now, League 2 rivals Bristol Rovers.

As for new signings, Hereford’s obsession with Gillingham continued, as Richard Rose and Jon Wallis joined former Gills, Dean Beckwith and physiotherapist Wayne Jones. Fans-favourite Wayne Brown joined the club on a permanent deal following his successful loan spell from Chester City, whilst defenders Phil Gulliver, Martyn Giles and Trent McClenahan and strikers, Tim Sills and Alan Connell, also signed up for the Bulls’ first season back in the Football League.

Let us all hope that Hereford United never have to get ‘back’ into the Football League ever again!