The 1972–73 season was the 44th season of competitive football played by Hereford United Football Club and their first in the Football League following election from non-league at the end of the previous season. The club competed in Division Four, as well as the League Cup, FA Cup and Welsh Cup.
Background Hereford ended the 1971–72 Southern League season as runners-up, two points behind champions Chelmsford City. They also reached the final of the Southern League Cup and enjoyed a run to the fourth round of the FA Cup which included a famous win over Newcastle United that put the club in the national spotlight. Hereford applied for election to the Football League and were duly voted in at the expense of Barrow.
Summary Hereford made their league bow in a 1–0 defeat away to Colchester United. The following weekend, Kenny Wallace scored their first league goal in a 3–0 home win over Reading, although the honour of Hereford's first scorer in a competitive match as a league club went to George Johnston in a midweek League Cup defeat to Aston Villa.
After 14 matches, Hereford had notched up only one further win and lay 21st in the division, but they doubled their tally in the next two matches by beating Northampton Town and leaders Mansfield Town. This started a 14 match unbeaten run that saw Hereford surge up the table to become promotion contenders. They maintained this good form, losing only three of their last 17 matches, but still needed at least a point from their final match against Crewe Alexandra to guarantee promotion. In the event, Hereford managed a 1–0 win courtesy of a goal by David Jenkins.
Hereford's average home crowd of nearly 9,000 was the highest in the Fourth Division (Reading's 5,521 being the next highest) and higher than all bar six clubs from the Third Division. They lost only once at Edgar Street and dropped just a single point from their last 17 home matches.
This was the only season at the club for goalkeeper David Icke. Despite suffering from rheumatoid arthritis which would force him to quit the game at the age of 21, Icke kept 18 clean sheets in 37 league appearances and did not once feature on the losing side at home.
Squad Players who made one appearance or more for Hereford United F.C. during the 1972-73 season Pos.Nat.NameLeagueLeague CupFA CupWelsh CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKDavid Icke370001040420GKFred Potter90100000100DFSteve Emery0000000(1)00(1)0DFRoger Griffiths7(2)00000108(2)0DFAlan Jones281101010311DFMick McLaughlin321100030361DFKen Mallender450101040510DFTommy Naylor35(2)010103040(2)0DFBilly Tucker428101041489MFColin Addison161000000161MFHarry Gregory393000020413MFRon Radford283101020323MFDavid Rudge31(2)3000(1)03134(3)4MFClive Slattery3(5)010102(1)17(6)1MFColin Tavener28(1)100104133(1)2FWColin Hall (on loan from Bristol City)5000000050FWIvan Hollett112100000122FWDavid Jenkins (on loan from Brentford)8(2)30000008(2)3FWGeorge Johnston15(3)50(1)1002217(4)8FWDavid Layne (on loan from Sheffield Wednesday)4000000040FWBrian Owen31(5)1110104237(5)13FWEric Redrobe269001020299FWKenny Wallace26(6)410103131(6)5
League table
Results
Fourth Division
League Cup
FA Cup
Welsh Cup
References
Bibliography