Our last long haul of the season takes us to the coast at Scarborough. Mid-March isn’t a bad time to visit, a distinct improvement on the miserable early January marathon last season. We are segregated as usual here with our own turnstile block at the Swimming Pool End, next to the free car park. Admission is £16 or £12 for concessions with the usual hot air warning that seniors must carry photo id blah blah. Our section is a mixture of terrace and 51 seats. No alcohol served so best try out the Valley Bar for your pre-match pint. It is a ten-minute walk away from the ground where home and away followers mix freely and sup real ale.
The Seadogs are finding life tougher in Step 2. Poor results mean poorer gates which means less money to attract players, nearly all have to commute from York or much further afield. Being a lower mid-table side, ‘Boro attendances are down 16%, a concern for a fan owned club. Jono Greenings’ men have traditionally been strong at home since promotion but not this term. Their home record of 7-4-7 is frankly unimpressive. Their pitch probably doesn’t help. It’s a bad, patched up with sand 4g surface. The pitch is council owned and is in continuous use throughout the week so the club groundsman has limited access. There is an obvious concern that the surface is not receiving enough maintenance. The club have an option to buy the pitch in a couple of years’ time. By then, it will probably need replacing.
There is a protocol in Hereford v Scarborough matches. The home side wins. That needs to change in theory, but who knows what Hereford side will turn up. Indeed, since the corresponding match at the Street, the Seadogs have only won five, all against clubs below them. Don’t read much into their 5-0 demolition of Needham Market. The Marketman were understrength and frankly knackered after a 5 hour 250 mile coach trip. This season Boro’ have a poor record against top ten clubs.
Big striker Richie Bennett (6 foot 4) has 6 goals and lots of yellow cards. He distracts defences from right winger Dom Tear who is club top scorer with 11. On the opposite flank is Harry Green who scored a hat trick against the Bulls on our last visit, has 7 for the season. Goalkeeper Ryan Whitley who basically threw in our winning goal at the Shire has played every minute of every match. As ever, we travel in hope.
Hereford | Vanarama National League North | Scarborough Athletic FC Tickets
Radio Hereford will be on the case as usual with ‘travelling man” George Holloway alongside Keith Hall who will no doubt be complaining about the state of the 4G pitch.
Radio Hereford FC | Hereford FC – The Official website of Hereford FC
Simon Wright
