It was way back in 1989 that the first issue of ‘Talking Bull’ – the independent Hereford United Supporters Magazine – hit the streets. Just eight pages long Talking Bull existed ‘to give all Hereford United fans their say’.
The fanzine was especially popular, and grew in size over the next 19 years reaching a mammoth sixty-eight pages long in the early years of the new millennium.
Talking Bull was a fanzine for celebration and commiseration for all Hereford fans. Win, lose or draw, the pages of the fanzine became solace for many of us as we stumbled our way through our day to day lives, punctuated by the ups and downs of more match days than any of us care to remember.
Eventually our 100th edition was published in April 2008, and we thought that would be our last.
Especially, as any longstanding fan will confirm, following Hereford has never been easy. But the emotional attachment is not something you cannot easily shake off. It is not just about the cup giantkilling exploits, or the play-off successes, nor the relegation battles. It is the club itself that grips you. It is OUR club.
Or was until the last couple of years. Watching the rapid disintegration of a football club has been painful for some, and torture for most.
However, the total destruction and subsequent liquidation of HUFC (1939) Ltd in December 2014 has in many ways brought the fan base together now galvanised behind the newly formed Hereford FC.
Supporters are demanding a community based, community led football club. One that the City of Hereford and the County of Herefordshire can be proud of.
And so with all that has happened in the past year or so, we believe the time is right to bring back Talking Bull.
The prospect of a new era at Edgar Street is fantastic – at whatever level the Football Association deem appropriate. It may take years to restore Hereford FC onto a national stage, but it will be an enjoyable ride – the fans will make sure of that.
And so, Talking Bull is delighted to return as an outlet for Bulls fans opinions and comments from right across the globe.
We feel it will be a great way for Bulls Exiles to keep in touch with all things Hereford, and enjoy a bit of banter along the way.
It is fitting too that we are now embracing the latest technology, and we would urge all fans to get involved.
Hopefully some of our former contributors will once again ‘hit the keyboard’ and stimulate plenty of discussion.
So why not email an article, letter or comment to: editor@talkingbull.org
We look forward to receiving articles and content from contributors both old and new.
And you never know the return of ‘The Village Idiot’, ‘Talking Billy Bollox’, ‘Yokel’, ‘The Carrot Cruncher’, ‘Camels Corner’, ‘Olde Rosie’ and ‘Twickenham White’ might just be coming your way ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.
Come on You Whites!