[themaclad]

Non-league club Hereford FC are hoping to redevelop the fourth side to the ground at their local council-owned Edgar Street home - as part of a mission to extend their lease.

The National League North club, who were liquidated as Hereford United in 2014, reformed as Hereford in the ninth tier for the 2015-16 season.

But what used to be the away terrace at the Blackfriars End has stayed closed.

Now Herefordshire County Council are talking about how to redevelop it.

Hereford FC chairman Chris Ammonds is also hoping to extend the lease on the ground so that they could then have greater access to government grants.


"The council have come to us and are looking at what they can do with the Blackfriars End in terms of making it look better towards the retail development," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"Hopefully we can tie that in with getting a lease extension.

"The council have been very good to us since Hereford FC was reformed.

"But we are down to the last seven years of the lease. Not a cause for any concerns but we want to get a more significant extension.

"Once you have a lease beyond 20 to 25 years, you get options of ground funding which is going to be important if we are to progress to the next level.

"From two meetings we had with the council in December, they were very forthcoming in terms of their willingness to agree that lease. It wasn't like we were arm wrestling them into making these promises.

"They were very keen to tie the two things together and to get Hereford FC settled here for the long term.

"It's the council's project but we're really pleased they came to us and wanted us on board.

"They want to move quickly on this. There could be a lot of conversations over the next two months. It might be demolished over the summer, as soon as the season finishes."

Hereford are seventh in the table and in the play-off places under boss Paul Caddis.