Hereford United F.C.

Hereford United F.C.

Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they play in the Conference National having been relegated from League Two at the end of the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The Bulls' after the local breed of cattle. The club's motto is "Our greatest glory lies not in never having fallen, but in rising when we fall". The club is affiliated to the Herefordshire County FA.

Hereford shot to national prominence in 1972 when, as a Southern League team, they knocked top-flight Newcastle United out of the FA Cup. In the same season they were elected to the Football League, and reached the old Second Division by 1976. But after a rapid decline into the Fourth Division, where they spent nineteen seasons, they were eventually relegated on the final day of the 1996–97 season with serious financial troubles.

Graham Turner purchased the majority shareholding in 1998 saving the club from probable extinction and, after nine seasons in the Conference, Hereford returned to the Football League by winning the 2006 Conference Playoff Final.

Turner purchased just two players between 1997 and 2008 for a combined total of £40,000. At the end of the 2007–08 season Hereford were promoted to League One, despite being tipped to struggle, by finishing third in League Two. 2008–09 saw the club play in the third tier of English football for the first time since 1978, but a season of struggle saw them relegated back to the fourth tier on 18 April 2009. Turner subsequently stepped down as manager, paving the way for John Trewick to become manager. However, Trewick did not last a full season after a disappointing campaign and was dismissed on 8 March 2010; and Turner once again took over first team duties on a temporary basis.

David Keyte was announced as the new club chairman on 4 June 2010 with Tim Russon as the new vice-chairman. They appointed Simon Davey as manager on 22 June 2010. Davey was sacked on 4 October 2010 after poor league form. He was succeeded by physio Jamie Pitman who acted as caretaker manager until he was made manager on a full-time basis until the end of the 2010–11 season.