Edgar Street
| Edgar Street | |
The Blackfriars End with the Cathedral and Church in the background
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| Full name | Edgar Street Athletic Ground |
|---|---|
| Location | Hereford, HR4 9JU |
| Coordinates | 52°3′38.59″N 2°43′3.76″W / 52.0607194°N 2.7177111°WCoordinates: 52°3′38.59″N 2°43′3.76″W / 52.0607194°N 2.7177111°W |
| Owner | Herefordshire Council |
| Capacity | 4,913 |
| Field size | 114 x 76 yd (69 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | late 19th century |
| Opened | late 19th century |
| Tenants | |
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Hereford United (1924-2014) Hereford F.C. (2015-) |
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Edgar Street is a football stadium in Hereford and was the home of Hereford United Football Club from the club's formation in 1924 until December 2014, when the club was wound up. It is now the home of Hereford FC, a phoenix club formed to replace the former club. It is the largest football stadium in the county of Herefordshire and is located on the edge of Hereford City Centre, adjacent to the former cattle market (now a shopping centre). The name of the stadium directly derives from the name of the street where it is located, which is also the A49.
The site has been used as a stadium since the late 19th century, although the year in which it was opened has not been widely recorded. The stadium was originally owned by the Hereford Athletic Ground Company and was also used by amateur football side Hereford City. In those days the ground's official name was Edgar Street Athletic Stadium, there was a running track around the pitch which explains the curious curved "dead" areas behind each goal in front of the terraces. Even in the early days Hereford United struggled financially and the landlord obligingly reduced the rent to help the club. In 1931 the stadium was purchased by Hereford City Council for £3,000, and in 1952 United secured a lease on the stadium for the first time.
Although now showing its age, the ground's history does have some notable landmarks, such as the installation of floodlights in March 1953, before many large clubs. In 1974, following the most recent major development seen at Edgar Street, it was the only one outside the First Division with two cantilever-roof stands. At 76 yards (69 m) the ground had, until the advent of new stadia, one of the widest pitches in the Football League. The extreme width of the pitch was created when the old running track was turfed over.
Due to the club's financial crisis in 1997, the lease was handed over to developers. In 2000 an electronic scoreboard was put up at the Blackfriars Street End, using funds bequeathed to the club by a supporter.
On 19 February 2015, Herefordshire County Council rejected a proposal by Redditch United, a team based 50 miles away, to play at Edgar Street. Later that same week, on 24 February, the council confirmed that Hereford FC, a phoenix club formed following Hereford United's demise, had been granted a lease, allowing them to play at Edgar Street.
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