Parking at Sheffield £4
Sheffield-Derby train £11-30
Derby-Birmingham train £16-70
Birmingham-Hereford train £16-40
Entry £8
Tea £1
Programme £3
Provisions £3-68
Total £64-08
Just over 10 years ago I briefly visited Hereford on a cold January morning. In my external photo of the ground from that occasion, the wall of the ground is visible but the rest is pitch black! So I felt it was time to finally visit what is regarded as a classic league ground. The club have had a tumultuous time recently, and (like King’s Lynn) went bust before reforming and starting to climb the leagues again. They are currently storming to the Division 1 of the Southern League, having only dropped a couple of points all season.
I set off early for this one, joining Mrs Groundhopper on a train to London, before changing at Derby and Birmingham. Catching three trains was worth it as I saved a considerable amount by breaking the journey. Hereford can be reached on a direct train from Birmingham, which takes you through the changing landscapes of Worcestershire, the Malvern Hills, before finally landing in the county capital. The trains were predictably packed with travellers to Christmas markets so I was relieved to arrive at Hereford at about 1PM.
The town has intrigued me for some time. Technically, it is a city, with a prominent cathedral in the centre, and also acts as something of a border settlement. Wales is nearby, and yet it has a very English feel to it. For me personally, seeing the ground was of significance as it was one of the last ones I have left to see north of the diagonal line from the Wash to the Bristol Channel.
Making the most of my visit today, I visited local grounds at Pegasus Juniors (near a metals plant just outside the city) and Westfields (nestled near a park barely a mile or so from Edgar Street). The Step 5/6 Midland League and its South West equivalent are relatively unfamiliar to me, so I was interested to have a gander at these new grounds. I headed back into the centre past Edgar Street, taking some external photos of the magnificent floodlights, before heading to the cathedral, one of the more impressive pieces of architecture I have seen on my travels!
3PM crept closer, and I headed up to the ground to get in early. Based on advice on the website, I headed to the only cash turnstile in the Merton Meadow End (they still ask that supporters buy tickets beforehand which is unusual for this level). What a cracking ground!
On my entrance, I was at the top of 24 sweeping terraces, which curved around to form a c-shape behind the goal. At the far end was the Blackfriars Street End, which has been closed off (possibly – like Wrexham – due to safety concerns). To my right was a narrow seated stand running alongside the main road – I vaguely recognised it from my futile attempt to get a decent photo in 2006. On the left was the less interesting Family Stand. On all sides supporters were starting to fill into the ground, and the ground reminded me of Victoria Park (Hartlepool) and the Racecourse Ground (Wrexham).
So were Totton – the visitors from Devon – going to make a fight of it? They tried their best but the gulf between the sides was obvious from the first whistle. Hereford took the lead through Tristain Plummer, and then doubled it with a tap-in from Pablo Haysham. The away keeper made a great finger-tip stop to prevent a third, but shortly afterwards the unfortunate Totton left-back (Jamie Oliver!) turned the ball into his own net. Could it get any worse? Yes! Mike Symons was brought down in the Totton box, and coolly converted the resulting penalty to make it 4-0. Then – to rub salt into the wound – Symons found himself clean through and took his chance confidently to make it 5.
This could end up a cricket score, and I hoped that the game didn’t fall flat in the second period. Totton had an early shot wide and showed some resilience at the back when Plummer’s effort was turned away by the busy Charlie Searle. Symons and then Plummer rained in further shots, and it seemed that a sixth was inevitable. But it did not arrive, and Totton have to come away with some credit for the way they stuck at this game, and prevented further goals in the second half. Their 21 fans in attendance – out of the total of 2522 – also deserve some credit for their travelling and support.
The temperature had dropped considerably in the second half and it was with some relief that I headed to the centre for provisions. The train was at 5:40 so I also attempted to find somewhere to buy a cup of tea but ran out of time, so headed to the station. After further delays on both trains I arrived through the door at about 9:45PM. The trip was long and tiring but I was delighted to have finally seen a game at another classic ‘Football League’ ground.
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