Played at Edgar Street on the 18th November 2001, the game was shown live on BBC1 to a Sunday lunchtime audience. Gary Lineker, Garth Crooks, Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen were the presentation team. Hereford were in the Nationwide Conference (Now National League) Wrexham were Division Two (Now League One) The Bulls and the Dragons had been rivals going back to the 1970’s.
In the previous round Hereford had beaten Dover Athletic 1-0, a first half strike from Gavin Williams settled the tie and earnt the club £20,000 in prize money, the financial landscape at Hereford that era was awful.
Goalkeeper Matt Baker told us “What got us to Wrexham was that we were away at Dover in the previous round, it was a horrible day, freezing cold, we got told in the dressing room, that if we didn’t win we probably wouldn’t get paid next week, it was a nervy last 20 minutes, but we got through with a 1-0 win”
A few weeks earlier Graham Turner had relinquished the management of the team and concentrated on his role as Chairman, Player Coach Phil Robinson was now in charge of first team affairs.
Turner was a former Wrexham player and he told the Hereford Journal at the time “It’s a tremendous boost, we have got every chance and we relish the draw, its what cup football is all about”
John Motson who commentated on the famous 1972 win over Newcastle would also return to Edgar Street as the commentator, legendary giantkillers Ronnie Radford and Ricky George were also at the game. The stage was set.
Hereford would be without the suspended Matt Clarke and Scott Goodwin, so youngster John Shirley was drafted in at right back and a reshuffle meant Scott Voice would lead the attack with Gavin Williams.
The Bulls took the lead after nine minutes, a well worked corner saw Gavin Williams hit the woodwork from 25 yards and captain Ian Wright reacted quickly to follow up.
Wright told us “It was a well worked set piece, Paul Parry would switch the corner to Gavin Williams who would create plenty of space for himself, he had a cracking shot on him, it hit the bar and I smashed in the rebound”
Hereford then had to soak up constant Wrexham pressure. Baker made a string of stunning saves to earn the Bulls a precious win.
Phil Robinson told the Hereford Journal at the end of the game “Baker has been in unbelievable form this season, he had a great game, we hung on in there, we put bodies behind the ball and kept a clean sheet”
Hereford would face Swindon in the next round, but would bow out 3-2, the cup run saved Hereford United from financial ruin and would set the seeds for the turnaround which happened during the 2002/2003 season and the rise to what is now League One in 2008.
Hereford Line Up
1 Matt Baker, 2 John Shirley, 3 Tony Capaldi, 4 Phil Robinson, 5 Ian Wright, 6 Tony James, 7 Jimmy Quiggin, 8 John Snape, 9 Scott Voice, 10 Gavin Williams, 11 Paul Parry Sub Rob Elmes
Attendance 4,107
Photos supplied by Hereford Journal
