Neo
First It Giveth
Making a Difference
The year is 1972. Striker Ronnie Radford and his Southern League club Hereford United have just shocked the nation by knocking top-flight Newcastle United out of the FA Cup. As hundreds of jubilant fans celebrate, they forget to contemplate how long this glory will have to last them for.
37 years later, Hereford are a club in dire straights both on and off the field. If it wasn't for now chairman Graham Turner's acquisition of the club in 1998, it wouldn't exist and previous triumphs would have faded into memory. After this, nine seasons were spent in the football wilderness until 2006 when Hereford were finally promoted back into the football league via the playoffs.
Despite being tipped to struggle, another tier was leapt at the first time of asking. Hereford finished third in league two, a feat hailed by pundits as one of the best overall club performances over the course of a season for some time. 2008 saw the club play in League Two for the first time since 1978, but they struggled due to a lack of financial backing from the chairman who refused to buy any players, only agreeing to bring in the likes of Lionel Ainsworth from Watford on loan, as well as other established lower league talent.
This saw the club relegated into the fourth tier once again. With Graham Turner stepping down from his position as manager (although remaining as chairman) in July 2009, a press-conference was soon called to announce the swift appointment of a new manager.
"After many hours of hard work from our backroom staff, Hereford United are pleased to announce the appointment of former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright as our new manager."
"I can't tell you how ecstatic we are to have brought in such a recognisable face and talented person, and I'm sure our fans are now feeling the same way." "This club needs a figurehead. Someone who shows that we mean business. I am 100% certain that Ian is the man to achieve this."
When asked about why he decided to take the step into management at Hereford United, Wright commented about how he used to admire the club as a child after seeing their FA Cup victory over Newcastle, and how he believes that he has a real opportunity to "make a difference" at the club.
Hundreds of fans made their way to Edgar Street as Ian Wright was unveiled to the fans on the pitch itself. Despite his lack of experience as a manager and his often controversial views on the game, every fan interviewed outside the stadium was thrilled about the appointment. Once the hype had worn off slightly however, the eyes of the media began to analyse the size of the task at hand.
With a squad as thin as any in the conference encompassing a distinct lack of names recognisable to even the most ardent league football fanatics, as well as serious financials problems, the sceptics of Hereford's survival chances could hardly be criticised or argued with. Mark Lawrenson wrote on his blog for the BBC, "Fabio Capello couldn't keep this club up. I wouldn't be surprised if this put Ian Wright off management for the rest of his life".
OOC: Should be a tricky one. Legendary difficulty, 6-minute halves, semi-assisted everything. I'll update every 2-3 matches, possibly more frequently if I feel so inclined. Enjoy.
