Hi all,

I hope everyone has enjoyed the down time and recharged the batteries ready for another season ahead. It’s been 5 days since you heard from me (about Omari Sterling-James signing) but in terms of a more broader picture it’s been just about a month, so I thought I’d check in.

I want to address the elephant in the room and put everything to bed. No, I haven’t lost weight but I’m working on it!!

All joking aside there will always be speculation and normally in football that comes when others admire the job you’re doing and it creates outside noise. I have never once in my 26 months as Hereford FC manager applied nor instigated any talks with any other club. I shouldn’t have to make that clear, but disappointingly it’s been pointed out to me that people want to hear that from me so there it is straight from the horse’s mouth.

I have a year left on my contract and security for my young family is paramount, as it would be for any parent with young kids, and until I am told otherwise whether the club want that to be longer or the club see a different direction that doesn’t involve me, then I am as committed to Hereford FC as I was from the day I walked through the doors and that won’t change.

My focus is continuing to do as best a job as I can. We have improved ten-fold in such a short space of time and I am immensely proud of my coaching staff and players for how far we have brought the club forward from what was a false start when we took over. I am continuously looking for ways to manipulate a tough, unrealistic and outright outrageous market to bring the best value to our club and trying to remain competitive. I will continue to make mistakes and I will continue to get better. The best in the business still make mistakes, so as long as I take accountability for it then I am at ease of making mistakes as I do it with the best intentions.

To give you an idea of where we are with recruitment. It’s tough as always but it’s expected with the tools we have and we just accept that. There are frustrations but also positives to it. When players sign for our club it’s for the right reasons and more often than not the right reasons is the opportunity we provide as a club to play in front of brilliant supporters.

Most of the time in football signing the most popular player doesn’t always mean it’s the correct decision. I spoke with a player most recently who would have been a brilliant signing for us but sadly it wasn’t the right timing due to his lack of availability and for me I can’t risk the tools I have to commit to such deals. We have seen some players leave and reject contracts that we offered and that’s natural. Rest assured I have offered very good deals to those lads and they have committed elsewhere for a variety of reasons which I fully respect.

Moving forwards and focusing on the players we have signed for next season. I understand everyone wants new faces and the excitement builds with that. Imagine we had never seen any of our players play for Hereford FC and they were all new signings – we’d be absolutely buzzing so for me getting those players tied down for next season was paramount before looking elsewhere.

However, I’ve always said we need fresh faces and as of now every signing moving forward will be a new signing. Bringing in Keenan and Mitch make up a real strong defensive group of players with varying qualities and for that I am really pleased. We will be looking to bring in another 4 or 5 bodies from now until the start of the season and with the extension of subs allowed this season from 5 to 7 we would like to have a squad of 18-20 players if it allows us to.

I believe season tickets have started really well and hopefully if we can get up to 1500 full season tickets then we can see an impact on the budget and the players we can potentially bring to the football club. I’d like to place on record a huge thanks and gratitude to you for the opening donations to Squad Builder. It is wholeheartedly appreciated by me.

Finally, I think we have to take great pride of our efforts last season as a football club. I am as disappointed as anyone we didn’t make play offs but I can assure you it wasn’t through a lack of effort. The 2 seasons I have been in charge I’m led to believe the points total achieved in both seasons would have made play offs in 7 of the previous 10 seasons in NLN. There is absolutely no doubt we are progressing and we will continue to strive to do that with your incredible support.

I have enjoyed the time to reflect and spend time at home with my family and am now ready to kick on and see where the season takes us. Let’s stick together through the good, the bad and indifferent times and good things will happen.

Remember, don’t always believe what you hear or read! Everyone is an expert and everyone is an ‘in The Know’. I have proven by now if there’s anything to be said I will communicate with you all!

There’s always something to look forward to, something to be grateful for, something to be proud of, something to hold on to. That something we all have in common is Hereford FC so let’s look forward with hope, positivity and a real togetherness.

See you soon,

Paul Caddis