1985–86 Hereford United F.C. season

August 2025 August 2025 Hereford United 1985–86 John Newman Peter Hill Edgar Street Division Four 10th Milk Cup Second round FA Cup Second round Welsh Cup Semi-final Freight Rover Trophy Southern Area final Ollie Kearns (13) Ollie Kearns (21) 7,608 v Bristol City, Freight Rover Trophy, 6 May 1986 755 v BSC Shotton, Welsh Cup, 8 January 1986 2,755 10–1 v BSC Shotton (H), Welsh Cup, 8 January 1986 0–4 v Mansfield Town (A), Division Four, 17 August 19850–4 v Cambridge United (A), Division Four, 11 January 1986 1984–85 1986–87 The 1985–86 season was the 57th season of competitive football played by Hereford United Football Club and their 14th in the Football League. The club competed in Division Four, as well as the Milk Cup, FA Cup, Welsh Cup and Freight Rover Trophy. Summary This was a season of disappointments for Hereford. They were unable to mount a promotion challenge and remained anchored in mid-table for the entire season, hampered by lamentable away form (only three wins and 13 points from 23 matches), although their home record was the second-best in the division after champions Swindon Town. In the Welsh Cup, Hereford reached the semi-finals but were knocked out by Kidderminster Harriers after conceding an 88th minute goal in the second leg, having clawed back a 4–1 first leg deficit, and they were seven minutes from knocking Arsenal out of the Milk Cup on away goals in the second round before a Charlie Nicholas goal gave the First Division side a 2–1 aggregate win. The biggest disappointment came in the Southern Area final of the Freight Rover Trophy against Bristol City. Despite winning the first leg 2–0 at Edgar Street, Hereford missed out on the opportunity of playing at Wembley for the first time in the club's history after losing the second leg 3–0, with the decisive goal coming a minute from the end of extra time.Parrott 1998 89–93 Squad Players who made one appearance or more for Hereford United F.C. during the 1985-86 season Pos.Nat.NameLeagueMilk CupFA CupWelsh CupFreight Rover TrophyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKENGKevin Rose46040205060630DFWALWayne Cegielski29(3)22020506034(3)1DFENGIan Dalziel40(1)34000306053(1)3DFENGKevin Davies0(1)0000000000(1)0DFNIRSteve Devine8(3)1000(1)010009(4)1DFENGBruce Halliday30140104020411DFENGMel Pejic45140205060621DFENGChris Price41431205160576DFENGIan Rodgerson14(5)210100(2)00(1)016(8)2MFENGGary Beacock9(4)10000210(2)011(6)2MFENGPaul Butler19(2)02(2)000210023(4)1MFENGMike Carter30(1)92023206142(1)13MFENGJohn Delve38630204140517MFNIRJimmy Harvey429411054615814MFWALPaul Maddy32(1)73020436147(1)11FWENGDanny Corner0000000(1)0000(1)0FWENGOllie Kearns331331213(1)54(1)145(2)21FWENGStewart Phillips18(2)53200102124(2)8FWENGIan Wells32(3)92120435245(3)15 Parrott 1998 250-251Rothmans 1986-87 187–188 League table Fourth Division y HER Results Fourth Division 1985–86 Football League 1 17 August 1985 Mansfield Town 4–0 L Hereford United Cassells 43 62 75Chamberlain 58 Field Mill Mansfield 2,405 2 24 August 1985 Hereford United 4–1 W Swindon Town Delve 14 90Dalziel 72Phillips 87 Calderwood 64 Edgar Street Hereford 4,049 3 27 August 1985 Crewe Alexandra 2–0 L Hereford United Allatt 67Waller 83 Gresty Road Crewe 1,914 4 31 August 1985 Hereford United 1–0 W Cambridge United Phillips 29 Edgar Street Hereford 2,924 5 7 September 1985 Chester City 1–0 L Hereford United Houghton 37 Sealand Road Chester 1,914 6 14 September 1985 Hereford United 2–2 D Burnley Wells 53Carter 87 Malley 17Hird 65 pen. Edgar Street Hereford 3,411 7 16 September 1985 Stockport County 1–1 D Hereford United Sword 16 pen. Wells 19 Edgeley Park Stockport 2,225 8 21 September 1985 Hereford United 2–1 W Peterborough United Phillips 17Harvey 19 pen. Holmes 53 pen. Edgar Street Hereford 3,261 9 28 September 1985 Preston North End 2–0 L Hereford United Greenwood 37Brazil 78 Deepdale Preston 3,397 10 2 October 1985 Hereford United 4–1 W Aldershot Kearns 20Dalziel 29Halliday 47Price 78 Johnson 58 Edgar Street Hereford 2,256 11 5 October 1985 Northampton Town 1–3 W Hereford United Chard 2 Wells 3Kearns 20Carter 23 County Ground Northampton 1,998 12 12 October 1985 Hereford United 4–1 W Torquay United Dalziel 3Maddy 18Kearns 31 36 Dawkins 25 Edgar Street Hereford 3,053 13 19 October 1985 Hartlepool United 2–1 L Hereford United Smith 42Shoulder 65 Kearns 90 Victoria Park Hartlepool 3,490 14 23 October 1985 Hereford United 2–2 D Rochdale Price 22Pejic 36 Taylor 79 81 Edgar Street Hereford 2,761 15 26 October 1985 Scunthorpe United 2–1 L Hereford United Whitehead 47Cammack 64 Wells 54 Old Show Ground Scunthorpe 1,564 16 2 November 1985 Hereford United 2–0 W Colchester United Phillips 7 37 Edgar Street Hereford 3,081 17 6 November 1985 Hereford United 1–1 D Port Vale Harvey 80 pen. Sproson 88 Edgar Street Hereford 3,305 18 9 November 1985 Wrexham 0–1 W Hereford United Wells 52 Racecourse Ground Wrexham 2,190 19 3 December 1985 Halifax Town 1–0 L Hereford United Lowe 56 The Shay Halifax 1,015 20 14 December 1985 Hereford United 1–4 L Tranmere Rovers Delve 23 Williams 37Morrissey 69Ashcroft 72Anderson 89 Edgar Street Hereford 2,731 21 22 December 1985 Swindon Town 1–0 L Hereford United Henry 87 County Ground Swindon 7,364 22 26 December 1985 Orient 2–2 D Hereford United Juryeff 41Hales 90 Delve 47Carter 53 Brisbane Road London 2,700 23 28 December 1985 Hereford United 4–1 W Crewe Alexandra Wells 33Devine 70Pemberton 74 o.g.Kearns 88 Waller 39 Edgar Street Hereford 2,873 24 1 January 1986 Hereford United 4–1 W Exeter City Wells 56 88Kearns 58Delve 73 Harrower 75 Edgar Street Hereford 3,157 25 3 January 1986 Colchester United 4–1 L Hereford United Parkinson 43 82T. English 77Phillips 79 Delve 87 Layer Road Colchester 2,214 26 11 January 1986 Cambridge United 4–0 L Hereford United Massey 2 pen. 47Crown 36Lockhart 52 Abbey Stadium Cambridge 2,149 27 18 January 1986 Hereford United 4–2 W Mansfield Town Kearns 13 51Wells 60Harvey 63 Logan 48Kent 64 Edgar Street Hereford 2,883 28 25 January 1986 Burnley 3–2 L Hereford United Taylor 5 55Lawrence 72 Rodgerson 27Carter 33 Turf Moor Burnley 3,900 29 1 February 1986 Hereford United 0–2 L Chester City Bennett 35 pen. 81 Edgar Street Hereford 3,255 30 4 February 1986 Rochdale 1–1 D Hereford United Moore 27 Rodgerson 26 Spotland Rochdale 1,081 31 1 March 1986 Hereford United 1–1 D Preston North End Harvey 24 pen. Brazil 89 Edgar Street Hereford 1,857 32 8 March 1986 Hereford United 3–0 W Northampton Town Maddy 13 60Carter 80 Edgar Street Hereford 2,478 33 15 March 1986 Torquay United 2–1 L Hereford United Phillips 53Pugh 61 Harvey 47 Plainmoor Torquay 1,438 34 19 March 1986 Hereford United 2–1 W Southend United Maddy 52 85 McDonough 69 Edgar Street Hereford 2,002 35 22 March 1986 Hereford United 1–1 D Scunthorpe United Price 74 Graham 29 Edgar Street Hereford 2,367 36 26 March 1986 Peterborough United 0–0 D Hereford United London Road Peterborough 1,560 37 29 March 1986 Exeter City 3–2 L Hereford United McNichol 33Viney 64Kellow 75 pen. Maddy 8Harvey 58 St James Park Exeter 1,989 38 31 March 1986 Hereford United 3–2 W Orient Price 9Carter 28Harvey 68 Dickenson 17Foster 90 Edgar Street Hereford 2,854 39 5 April 1986 Port Vale 1–0 L Hereford United Jones 23 pen. Vale Park Stoke-on-Trent 3,344 40 9 April 1986 Hereford United 2–2 D Hartlepool United Kearns 2Cegielski 90 Hogan 41 pen.Honour 72 Edgar Street Hereford 2,023 41 12 April 1986 Hereford United 3–1 W Wrexham Harvey 8Carter 45Cegielski 65 Horne 28 Edgar Street Hereford 2,588 42 16 April 1986 Hereford United 3–2 W Stockport County Beacock 21Kearns 58 84 Sword 20Hodkinson 71 Edgar Street Hereford 2,003 43 18 April 1986 Southend United 3–1 L Hereford United O'Shea 8McDonough 28Westley 36 Harvey 84 Roots Hall Southend-on-Sea 1,554 44 26 April 1986 Hereford United 2–1 W Halifax Town Maddy 79Carter 83 Kellock 84 Edgar Street Hereford 2,212 45 29 April 1986 Aldershot 2–0 L Hereford United Fadida 6McMenemy 76 Recreation Ground Aldershot 1,164 46 2 May 1986 Tranmere Rovers 1–2 W Hereford United Hilditch 82 Kearns 28Carter 60 Prenton Park Birkenhead 1,346 Parrott 1998 246–249Rothmans 1986-87 186 Milk Cup 1985–86 Football League Cup First round first leg 21 August 1985 Hereford United 5–1 W Bristol City Kearns 1Price 14Harvey 43 pen.Phillips 59 75 Johnson 65 Edgar Street Hereford 2,449 First round second leg 3 September 1985 Bristol City 2–0 L Hereford United Johnson 6Hutchinson 83 Ashton Gate Bristol 2,373 Second round first leg 25 September 1985 Hereford United 0–0 D Arsenal Edgar Street Hereford 6,049 Second round second leg 7 October 1985 Arsenal 2–1 L yes Hereford United Anderson 25Nicholas 113 Wells 24 Highbury London 15,789 Rothmans 1986-87 438-442 FA Cup 1985–86 FA Cup First round 16 November 1985 Yeovil Town 2–4 W Hereford United Smith 18McGinlay 67 Carter 13 86 89Kearns 45 Huish Yeovil 4,533 Second round 7 December 1985 Reading 2–0 L Hereford United Senior 23Horrix 70 Elm Park Reading 6,096 Rothmans 1986-87 469-470 Welsh Cup Third round 26 November 1985 Hereford United 2–0 W Bangor City Kearns 33 40 Edgar Street Hereford 1,511 Fourth round 8 January 1986 Hereford United 10–1 W BSC Shotton Harvey 4 pen. 70Beacock 11Delve 31Maddy 36Price 38Wells 49 89Kearns 64 75 Owen 85 Edgar Street Hereford 755 Fifth round 6 March 1986 Merthyr Tydfil 1–3 W Hereford United Doherty 69 Wells 16Maddy 46Harvey 71 Penydarren Park Merthyr Tydfil 1,087 Semi-final first leg 7 April 1986 Kidderminster Harriers 4–1 L Hereford United Casey 5 46Davies 64 80 Butler 41 Aggborough Kidderminster 2,368 Semi-final second leg 22 April 1986 Hereford United 3–1 W Kidderminster Harriers Harvey 25 pen.Kearns 36Maddy 63 Tuohy 88 Edgar Street Hereford 3,257 Freight Rover Trophy 1985–86 Associate Members' Cup Preliminary round 15 January 1986 Hereford United 2–0 W Bristol Rovers Wells 29 51 Edgar Street Hereford 1,770 Preliminary round 11 March 1986 Swindon Town 1–1 D Hereford United Hockaday 89 Maddy 48 County Ground Swindon 3,692 Quarter-final 24 March 1986 Orient 1–2 W yes Hereford United Cornwell 2 Carter 27Harvey 111 pen. Brisbane Road London 1,113 Semi-final 2 April 1986 Hereford United 0–0 D yes Swansea City Edgar Street Hereford 3,725 Hereford won 5–4 on penalties Southern Area final first leg 6 May 1986 Hereford United 2–0 W Bristol City Kearns 32Phillips 44 Edgar Street Hereford 7,608 Southern Area final second leg 9 May 1986 Bristol City 3–0 L yes Hereford United Riley 61Pejic 64 o.g.Neville 119 Ashton Gate Bristol 11,558 Rothmans 1986-87 448–452 References Bibliography Parrott Ron Hereford United: The League Era - A Complete Record Desert Island Books 1998 1-874287-18-X Rothmans 1986-87 Rothmans Football Yearbook 1986-87 (Editor: Peter Dunk) Queen Anne Press 0-356-12334-0 Category:Hereford United F.C. seasons Hereford United F.C.