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Player drops two tiers in hope to take Hereford back to the EFL

He was competing at League Two level last season but now one player drops down two tiers in the hope to take Hereford back to the EFL.

The 33-year-old is a left-back who has played for clubs such as Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday, Port Vale, Chesterfield, Notts County and more recently Cambridge United.

Yes, that man is Dan Jones, who has this week spoken with the club’s newest manager, Josh Gowling, about his latest move.

Jones said: “I’m delighted to come and it’s nice and local for me and I was just excited by the opportunity,.

“Josh (Gowling) spoke to me about how he like to play, what his ambitions are for the club and it suited everything that I’m about.

“I’m very attack minded and like to get up and down using my athleticism. I enjoy defending first and foremost and love my one versus one battles.”

It was a friend that got the player and manager together before the Bulls manager made contact with him and convinced him to join the National League North side.

Jones added: “I couldn’t wait to come down.

“It is my first time (in non-league), I don’t look at it like that though. You pass to your own team-mates and score past the opposition and you keep goals out, it’s the same way.

“I know there are many different ways of playing, but the way the gaffer wants us to set up, we’re going to be very fluid, very organised and very fit which I don’t think a lot of teams at this level will be able to handle.

“If we get it right with the players he wants to bring in with experience in certain areas of the pitch we could be very successful.

“I’m here to be successful, I want the club to be successful and that’s why I’ve joined to get back into the Football League with the club.

“That would be an amazing achievement for me. I haven’t come here to fail.

“It’s been tough but I did a lot of travelling last year and I’ve had a few things go on in my home life which bring a lot of realisation to you.

“It makes you realise what’s more important to you. For me this is the perfect situation to come to this football club.”

DAN JONES’ PLAYING CAREER:

2005–2010 – Wolves – 10 games
2007–2008 → Northampton Town (loan) – 33 games (3 goals)
2008 → Oldham Athletic (loan) – 12 games (1 goal)
2009 → Oldham Athletic (loan) – 11 games
2009 → Notts County (loan) – 7 games (1 goal)
2010 → Bristol Rovers (loan) – 17 games
2010–2013 – Sheffield Wednesday – 37 games
2013–2014 – Port Vale – 36 games (1 goal)
2014–2017 – Chesterfield – 66 games (1 goal)
2017–2019 – Notts County – 40 games (5 goals)
2019–2020 – Cambridge United – 14 games
2020 → Solihull Moors (loan)

In other news, forward Demetri Brown is the latest player to extend his stay at Edgar Street.

He joined the Bulls less than a month before the season was halted, and then cancelled, and is has yet to make his debut, however boss Josh Gowling is keen for Brown to make his mark with the Bulls:

“Demi has huge talent and was very unfortunate last season with his niggling injury. Demi has all the attributes to be a big asset to this Football Club.

“Hopefully we can all see him on the pitch this season and then he can drop the nickname ‘The Phantom’ because we will actually see him!

“I’m buzzing. I actually want to get started properly this time. I just got over an injury then COVID-19 started so it’s time to get going.

“I’m a fast, strong, aggressive striker and I’m ready to go.”

Photo Credit: HerefordGoals

HEREFORD’S LEAGUE HISTORY AS SUCCESSOR CLUB

2015–16 – Midland League Premier Division – Level 9, 42 games, 35 wins, 3 draws, 4 defeats – 1/22 position – manager Peter Beadle
2016–17 – Southern League Division One South & West – Level 8, 42 games, 33 wins, 8 draws, 1 defeat – 1/22 position – manager Peter Beadle
2017–18 – Southern League Premier Division – Level 7, 46 games, 36 wins, 5 draws, 5 defeats – 1/24 position – manager Peter Beadle
2018–19 – National League North – Level 6, 42 games, 11 wins, 16 draws, 15 defeats – 17/22 position – managers Peter Beadle/Marc Richards
2019–20 – National League North (abandoned) – Level 6, 35 games, 9 wins, 12 draws, 14 defeats – 16/22 position – managers Marc Richards/Russell Slade/Josh Gowling

It was seven months ago that the club first revealed plans to become a ‘sustainable’ Football League club again.

Hereford chairman Andrew Graham said: “In the first three seasons we had a nucleus of a team and a sense of a belonging and it just felt like we were on that journey.

“Obviously positive results helped with that feeling but we felt like we were on a journey together which was consolidated by a Wembley appearance [FA Vase Final 2016].

“Mustapha Bundu, Pablo Haysham and John Mills, they would just turn it on and excite the crowd.

“But it’s consistency that gets you out of a division and now we’ve got to this level, National League North, we’ve suffered with consistency.

He added that the club and the ground are in its current position thanks to voluntary time that the supporters and board members have put in.

“Anyone will tell you who was here at the time the key was turned in the door, there was a lot of work to be done in this stadium,” added Graham.

“A significant amount of money has been spent on this stadium, getting it to the level it’s required by law but also that provides some kind of experience for football fans.

“The time and effort that was put in, people have thrown and committed so much time to this project and lived it as their passion and hobby.

“The vision is to become a sustainable Football League club. I’m still a great believer that we can achieve that vision, but there is a lot of work to continue doing.”

There was plenty of reaction on social media as the player drops two tiers in the hope to take Hereford back to the EFL…

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