Hereford FC is disappointed to announce that the friendly fixture planned for Saturday 26 July against Leicester City Under 21s has been cancelled.
This difficult decision has been taken after detailed discussions between Groundsman, Ben Bowen, Bulls boss, Paul Caddis and Chairman, Chris Ammonds, and is due to ongoing concerns about the condition of a small section of the MandM Edgar Street Stadium pitch in front of the Len Weston Stand.
While 95% of the pitch is in excellent condition, significant damage caused by the tracking put down for the heavy machinery used to install the club’s new floodlight pylons means there are short-term concerns that playing on the pitch too soon will not only cause more issues, but also present an increased risk to the players.
Bulls Chairman, Chris Ammonds, said:
“This is obviously a big blow to our plans on and off the pitch but sometimes you have to make difficult decisions even if you don’t want to.
“After detailed discussions over the weekend, involving all the key individuals, it was felt there was no option but to take this course of action, even taking into account the obvious disruption it causes.
“Ben, our groundsman, has been going above and beyond in terms of the time he has spent trying to repair the damage caused during the floodlight installation process, but unfortunately time has just beaten him and us.
“I’m gutted for him and would like to thank him for his efforts, but now this decision has been made, he can at least solely focus on getting the pitch ready for the start of our National League North campaign.
“To give more detail on the pitch situation, where the tracking in several areas the new grass has taken very well, but unfortunately, as is shown in the photos released, there is a section close to the touchline in front of the away terrace where the grass is yet to come through at all.
“Those areas are currently bare, which is why we have concerns about player safety and that has to be paramount out of respect for our own players, and those from Leicester City.
“On behalf of the club I would like to apologise for any issues this postponement causes. While this is the right decision in relation to a situation that is completely out of our control, it is hugely disappointing on several levels and is a tough decision we have only taken as an absolute last resort.”
Please note, anyone who has already bought an online ticket for this fixture will be automatically refunded within 7-10 days.
We can also confirm that Bulls boss, Paul Caddis, has already started looking at alternative options for his players on Saturday.
