The 2008–09 season was the 88th competitive season of Hereford United Football Club, fifth ever season in the third tier of English football and 28th season overall in the Football League. The club competed in League One following their promotion from League Two in the previous season. Hereford's previous season at this level was the 1977–78 season when they suffered a second consecutive relegation, finishing 23rd, despite having won the same division just two years previously. The club also competed in the FA Cup, FA Trophy and Football League Trophy.
Hereford reached League One on the back of two promotions in three seasons, having won the Conference play-offs in 2005–06, and finished third in League Two in 2007–08. Graham Turner was voted League Two Manager of the Year by the League Managers Association for the latter achievement and entered his 14th season at the club.
Hereford struggled in League One, and after the first 15 matches they were bottom with 9 points. For the vast majority of the season the Bulls were in the relegation zone and were relegated on 18 April after a sixth consecutive defeat – their worst form of the season. Hereford did manage to achieve the double over both Cheltenham Town and Carlisle United. Their two other notable results were a 5–0 home win over Oldham Athletic, and a 2–0 home win over Leeds United.
The top goalscorer of the season is Steve Guinan with 15 goals, all scored in the league. Guinan is the club's longest serving player with 68 goals in 176 appearances. In a cumulative four and a half season spell, he has featured for the club in the Football League, Conference, Play-offs, FA Cup, Football League Cup, Football League Trophy and FA Trophy during his three spells with the club – having been signed twice and loaned once.
Graham Turner stepped down as manager following confirmation of relegation and appointed John Trewick, first team coach for the last 5 seasons, as the new manager for the remaining two matches of the season and beyond.
First-team squad
Transfers
In Date Player Transferred from Fee Ref. 17 June 2008 MF 22 Matt Done Wrexham Undisclosed 1 July 2008 DF 5 Garry Breen Free agent Free transfer 7 July 2008 GK — Nick Jordan MF 4 Toumani Diagouraga Watford 16 July 2008 FW 10 Bradley Hudson-Odoi Fulham 21 July 2008 GK 14 Craig Samson Free agent 7 August 2008 DF 12 Sam Oji 28 August 2008 MF 17 Stephen O'Leary 4 September 2008 DF 21 Richard Jackson 10 September 2008 FW 24 Nick Chadwick 20 February 2009 MF 24 Michael D'Agostino
Out Date Player To club Fee Ref. 16 May 2008 GK 14 Michael Ingham Free agent Released DF 5 John McCombe 19 May 2008 FW 12 Trevor Benjamin GK 33 Ryan Esson MF 17 Jordan Fitzpatrick FW 19 Marcus Palmer 5 June 2008 GK 1 Wayne Brown Bury Free transfer 30 June 2008 DF 2 Trent McClenahan Free agent Released 29 August 2008 MF 21 Luke Webb 8 January 2009 FW 24 Nick Chadwick 3 February 2009 DF 5 Garry Breen 5 February 2009 DF 12 Sam Oji 3 April 2009 MF 11 Clint Easton 14 April 2009 GK 14 Craig Samson 21 April 2009 MF 23 Simon Johnson
Loans in Date from Date to Name From club 11 July 2008 11 January 2008 GK 1 Darren Randolph Charlton Athletic 16 July 2008 5 January 2009 DF 3 Robbie Threlfall Liverpool 5 August 2008 3 January 2009 FW 7 Moses Ashikodi Watford 1 September 2008 End of season FW 20 Andy Williams Bristol Rovers 25 September 2008 25 November 2008 DF 27 Bruno Ngotty Leicester City 12 November 2008 12 December 2008 GK 25 Matt Murray Wolverhampton Wanderers 20 November 2008 22 January 2009 MF 26 Lionel Ainsworth Watford 27 November 2008 21 January 2009 GK 33 Chris Weale Bristol City End of season DF 29 Josh Gowling Carlisle United 5 January 2009 5 April 2009 MF 30 Sam Hewson Manchester United 23 January 2009 23 February 2009 MF 31 Jennison Myrie-Williams Bristol City 2 February 2009 End of season GK 33 Péter Gulácsi Liverpool 3 February 2009 FW 7 Febian Brandy Manchester United 17 February 2009 17 March 2009 DF 27 Godwin Antwi Liverpool 13 March 2009 13 April 2009 DF 32 Darren Dennehy Cardiff City 26 March 2009 End of season MF 12 Marc Pugh Shrewsbury Town MF 31 Jennison Myrie-Williams Bristol City
Loans out Date fromDate toNameTo club 12 December 2008 10 January 2009 MF 19 Craig Jones Redditch United 6 March 2009 6 April 2009 FW 10 Bradley Hudson-Odoi Grays Athletic
Pre-season
Competitions Overview
League One
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches Date OpponentsH / AResultF – AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition9 August 2008Leyton OrientA1–2Beckwith 14'4,72718th16 August 2008Yeovil TownH1–2Hudson-Odoi 82'3,47622nd23 August 2008Bristol RoversA1–6Guinan 90'6,73524th30 August 2008Crewe AlexandraH2–0O'Leary 48', Hudson-Odoi 56'2,89422nd5 September 2008Swindon TownH1–1Hudson-Odoi 68'4,06120th13 September 2008Southend UnitedA0–16,39323rd20 September 2008Scunthorpe UnitedH1–2Chadwick 25' (pen)3,00424th27 September 2008Leeds UnitedA0–125,67624th4 October 2008WalsallH0–03,90024th12 October 2008Oldham AthleticA0–45,46824th18 October 2008Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–05,60824th21 October 2008Carlisle UnitedH1–0Williams 60'2,30023rd25 October 2008Stockport CountyH0–13,21023rd28 October 2008MillwallA0–19,07123rd1 November 2008Peterborough UnitedA0–26,08724th15 November 2008Cheltenham TownH3–0Guinan 15', 26', Gwynne 55'3,76122nd22 November 2008Northampton TownH0–23,06122nd25 November 2008Milton Keynes DonsA0–37,18922nd6 December 2008Colchester UnitedA2–1Guinan 29', Ainsworth 39'4,79422nd13 December 2008Hartlepool UnitedH1–1Guinan 18'2,49023rd20 December 2008Huddersfield TownA0–213,07023rd26 December 2008Tranmere RoversH2–2Diagouraga 45', Guinan 65'3,49523rd28 December 2008Leicester CityA1–2Broadhurst 79'22,92023rd17 January 2009Oldham AthleticH5–0Guinan 3', 10', 41', Ainsworth 27', 62'3,34222nd24 January 2009WalsallA1–1Guinan 58' (pen)4,43822nd27 January 2009MillwallH0–23,001 22nd31 January 2009Stockport CountyA1–4Hewson 26'5,58623rd14 February 2009Cheltenham TownA3–2Brandy 13', Hewson 67', 80'4,66022nd17 February 2009Leeds UnitedH2–0Myrie-Williams 39', Brandy 62'6,12022nd21 February 2009Peterborough UnitedH0–13,21723rd28 February 2009Leyton OrientH2–1Brandy 6', Guinan 16' (pen)3,28623rd7 March 2009Crewe AlexandraA1–2Diagouraga 79'5,19523rd10 March 2009Bristol RoversH0–33,19923rd14 March 2009Southend UnitedH0–12,66323rd17 March 2009Scunthorpe UnitedA0–33,67223rd21 March 2009Swindon TownA0–37,12923rd24 March 2009Carlisle UnitedA2–1Guinan 7', Smith 24'4,22323rd28 March 2009Huddersfield TownH0–12,97923rd4 April 2009Hartlepool UnitedA2–4Brandy 11', Pugh 28'3,57923rd7 April 2009Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–2Taylor 90'2,03323rd11 April 2009Leicester CityH1–3Guinan 29' (pen) 4,38923rd13 April 2009Tranmere RoversA1–2Guinan 90' (pen)5,94524th18 April 2009Colchester UnitedH0–22,10024th21 April 2009Yeovil TownA2–2Myrie-Williams 27', Guinan 61'3,78024th25 April 2009Northampton TownA1–2Williams 51'5,51824th2 May 2009Milton Keynes DonsH0–13,22424th
FA Cup
League Cup
Football League Trophy
Herefordshire Senior Cup
Squad statistics
Appearance and goals
The plus (+) symbol denotes an appearance as a substitute, hence 2+1 indicates two appearances in the starting XI and one appearance as a substitute Players with zero appearances are not included Statistics from the HFA Senior Floodlit Cup are not included
!colspan="14" style="text-align:center" | Players who left during the season but made an appearance
References