Matt Healey gives his views.
Since Hereford have been members of the National League North, I’ve never really understood why the league continues to schedule fixtures on the date of the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round.
With a bit of help from Bulls News with the research, the history is pretty clear:
2018/19 – Hereford were knocked out in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Our scheduled home game against Southport, who progressed, was rearranged for a Tuesday night.
2019/20 – Hereford were knocked out in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Our scheduled home game against York, who progressed, was rearranged for a Tuesday night.
2020/21 – The Covid season, when fixtures were all over the place, with numerous postponements, and the season was eventually declared null and void. We were knocked out by Stafford in the 2nd Qualifying Round, so I’m not counting this one.
2021/22 – Hereford reached the 4th Qualifying Round. Our scheduled away game at Kettering was rearranged for a Tuesday night.
2022/23 – Hereford reached the 4th Qualifying Round. Our scheduled home game against Peterborough Sports was rearranged for a Tuesday night.
2023/24 – Hereford reached the 4th Qualifying Round. Our scheduled home game against Scarborough was rearranged for a Tuesday night.
2024/25 – Hereford were knocked out in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Our scheduled home game against Scarborough, who progressed, was rearranged twice. When we eventually played it, the floodlights nearly failed! With both Hereford and Buxton having been knocked out, we were then able to switch a Tuesday fixture to the Saturday and play at Buxton on 4th Qualifying Round day.
2025/26 – Hereford were knocked out in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Our scheduled home game against Macclesfield was rearranged three times before eventually being played on a Tuesday night.
2026/27 – Hereford were knocked out in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Our scheduled away game at Morecambe, who progressed, will now have to be rearranged for a midweek date.
I maintain that the league shouldn’t schedule National League North fixtures on the date of the FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round.
Even when Hereford have been knocked out earlier in the competition, there’s a very good chance that the team we are due to play will still be involved, meaning the fixture has to be rearranged anyway.
Surely it would make far more sense to play an additional midweek game in August or September, when the weather is generally better and pitches are in better condition, and leave the 4th Qualifying Round Saturday free? Then that Saturday could then potentially be used for a rearranged fixture by rearranging a midweek game later in the season, (if both clubs agree), rather than having to squeeze another game into an already busy winter schedule.
Alternatively, if there’s no fixture to play, it gives the players a weekend break. This is predominantly a part time league still and players have other jobs.
It just seems a much more sensible way of doing things and would reduce the number of rearranged fixtures and additional midweek games later in the season, when the weather and pitches are often at their worst.
After all, the evidence from the last eight seasons speaks for itself.
