Hereford FC have appointed a new Commercial Director following the decision by Nigel Edmondson to step down from his role on the board.

Edmondson, an initial shareholder, was appointed to the board in January 2021 and has played a key role in ensuring that the commercial targets continued to be met throughout the Covid pandemic. Nigel will continue to provide occasional operational back up in the future and will carry on supporting the club in his role of an initial shareholder.

Replacing Nigel will be James Smith who has previously been involved with the club as the Bar and Events Partner. James has significant relevant business experience and a strong network of business and community contacts that we feel can benefit the club going forward.

James will take on the unpaid Commercial Director’s role with immediate effect, and will have responsibility for helping to continue the growth of all commercial aspects of the club, including sponsorship and advertising and bars and hospitality.

Hereford FC Chairman, Jon Hale, said: “I would like to place on record publicly, as I have personally, my sincere thanks to Nigel for his huge efforts, time commitment and passion he demonstrated throughout his time as a Director. Nigel has been a big asset to the Board and the club and I am sure we all wish you well as you take a back seat.

“In James Smith, we have a ready-made replacement and someone who possesses fantastic business attributes and connections to dovetail perfectly into the role of Commercial Director, with back up from Nigel during the handover. We are excited about the future, across all our commercial capabilities and I know James is extremely enthusiastic about what can be achieved.”

James Smith said: “I’m excited to be given this opportunity and I am keen to hit the ground running, we’ve certainly got a busy five weeks ahead of us as we prepare for the new season.

“I know the importance of getting off on the right foot and I’ll be looking to meet many existing and potential new supporters over the coming weeks. The commercial side of this club has an important role to play in helping to ensure the on-field success, but commercial doesn’t just stop at advertising and sponsorship, I want to work with the whole community to try and drive attendances and to help make the atmosphere at Edgar Street as best as it can be.”