Hereford FC are highly consistent during their visits to far flung Northern outposts. They consistently return with no points. Just one last season and none at all the previous term. Central to this is the annual defeat without scoring at Spennymoor.
Albeit with one glorious exception, when I found myself celebrating next to a highly excited ex-Chairman Andrew Graham. We bashed through Brackley recently, so can we now subdue Spennymoor? Test Two you might call it. A challenge which feels much bigger for our team after their teeth-grinding defeat by Needham Market. The distance adds an extra challenge for the fans too. The Midlands’ best supported non-league club has a sizeable turnout reputation to maintain. We need you, Northern Exiles.
Moors always seems to be a team of long-serving giants although that’s no longer accurate. Their fifth manager in 4 years ex goalkeeper Graeme Lees has changed half the squad this summer adding mainly 10 normal height signings. Three of those are young loanees in another attempt to move the club forward. Spennymoor last qualified for the play-offs in 2019. The only long servers remaining are (inevitably) top striker Glen Taylor, now 34 but still finding the net. He was club top scorer for 7 straight seasons. Plus their midfielder Rob Ramshaw who joined Moors in 2017, some 250 games ago.
Their home record is outstanding with 11 straight home wins being ended recently by a 90th minute Brackley equaliser for a 2-2 draw. Away from home, they’ve lost their first three 24/25 fixtures before taking advantage of Radcliffe’s leaky defence to win there 4-2. This season they’ve netted 13 times, just one behind top scoring Hereford.
The home side have lost their regular keeper James to a hamstring injury and have a stand-in Mitchell, a free agent with 170 EFL games behind him. Glenn Taylor was subbed early on Tuesday night with a tight hamstring. Which sounds heartening, but Taylor is not top scoring this season. That title lies with midfielder Isaac Fletcher who has 6 goals already. For the Bulls, its fingers crossed that Howkins can return in central defence and the players with knocks on Tuesday can recover quickly.
Spennymoor is a particularly welcoming venue with proper beer aplenty. Segregation is rarely necessary. You can pre-pay for tickets but it is just as easy to pay on the door.
If you can’t make it, the game is live streamed https://www.nationalleaguetv.com/packages or listen to free-to-air Radio Hereford FC featuring Keith Hall and “Jonah” Sandford.
Simon Wright