Frequently Asked Questions
When is the vote to Bring Back United?
The vote is now open and you can find out how to vote here.
HUST members are voting on 2 resolutions on the same ballot paper.
VOTE 1: RESOLUTION ON HEREFORD FC NAME CHANGE
"HUST to call a general meeting of Hereford FC Limited at the earliest opportunity, at which HUST shall propose a special resolution to change the name of the Football Club to Hereford United Football Club, and whereby HUST shall vote all its shareholding in Hereford FC Limited in favour of such a motion."
This vote is for Hereford FC to change it's playing name to Hereford United Football Club.
VOTE 2: RESOLUTION ON HEREFORD FC NAME CHANGE FUNDRAISER
"If a vote of Hereford FC shareholders to change the name of the football club to Hereford United Football Club is successful, HUST shall run a ringfenced fundraiser; and shall, upon receiving quotes from HFC and subject to HUST's approval of such quotes, either pay such quotes directly or provide the club with funding of up to the amount raised within the fundraiser (minus any actual administration cost). Further, that all monies raised in excess of the final costs to change the name shall be donated to the club for use on the playing budget"
This vote is for HUST to run a fundraiser to cover the costs of the name change (estimated at a maximum of £9,570). This will ensure that the football club do not have to spend any money on this change.
You should vote 'FOR' both resolutions in order to Bring Back United.
How much will it cost?
We have conducted a detailed analysis of the costs related to changing back to the Hereford United name. This has shown a maximum cost of £9,570.
We have proposed two motions for the HUST AGM. The second of these will set up a fundraiser to ensure the name change does not cost the club any money.
You can find a summary graphic below but we recommend clicking here for a full breakdown of these costs.
How will the name change costs be covered?
The Bring Back United group are delighted to announce we have been approached by Keith Hall (Broadcast Journalist and Radio Hereford FC presenter) with an offer to match supporters’ fundraising towards the costs of returning to the Hereford United name.
Keith has offered to match supporter donations of £9,570 (giving a total of £19,140). This far exceeds our estimated cost of £9,570 for the name change. Any money raised in addition to the cost of a name change is to be donated to the football club to go directly towards the playing budget.
In addition to his financial donation he has also offered to volunteer his time to help the football club with any administration surrounding the name change.
This will mean the club has no financial risk to them from the name change. Instead they have a massive commercial opportunity for merchandise and publicity, and the move will also provide renewed financial impetus for the club and its fanbase, once more United.
We are grateful to Keith for this generous offer.
The only way this will happen is if enough supporters join HUST and vote ‘FOR’ both of the resolutions we have proposed for the name change. Find out full details about how to vote at www.bringbackunited.co.uk/how-to-vote.
What do I need to do in order to help Bring Back United?
This will take place in several steps.
For now, we’re asking everyone who wants to see a return to the Hereford United name to join the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST). You can join HUST here for £10.
Here’s a rough overview of the process over the next few months:
Everyone who wants to Bring Back United needs to join HUST as soon as possible in order to be eligible for the vote.
At the HUST AGM (at the Richmond Club opposite the Edgar Street stadium, 19:30 start on Thursday 14th November) you will be able to vote in favour of the name change. If you can’t attend to vote in person then you can vote in advance via a proxy form instructing the chairman of your votes (see here fore more details of how to vote online).
If at least two-thirds of votes cast support a name change then HUST will trigger a vote of Hereford Football Club shareholders.
In the football club vote, HUST will vote yes with all 50% of their shares in the football club. It is then up to the other shareholders to decide whether or not they want to follow the fans wishes.
Hereford United Supporters Trust have already had a vote, why do it again?
The previous vote was conducted at a time when HUST membership was at a low point; when engagement with the football club by supporters was at a low point; and was accompanied by a dubious claim from the football club as to the cost of changing name without time for HUST or its members to consider the veracity of the claim.
Earlier this year we ran a free-to-access poll to gauge fan opinion on the subject, and with a larger data set (844 participants), there was a 76.3% majority in favour of a name change to Hereford United.
Why weren't the previous costings disputed at the time?
The proposed costings from the football club were released at the same time that the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) provided the voting link. Whilst they were queried by fans, there was insufficient time to analyse the costings and raise any resulting queries.
How is a vote triggered?
A vote can be triggered by any shareholder of Hereford FC Limited (see below for full list). Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) is the largest shareholder with 50% of shares. We plan to trigger a vote of the HUST membership later this season and, if successful, they will then trigger a vote of the Hereford FC shareholders.
How would a name change vote become successful?
If two-thirds of votes cast (i.e. if some people abstain, less votes are needed for the motion to pass) in the HUST member ballot vote to Bring Back United then HUST will trigger a vote of the Hereford FC Limited shareholders.
For the Hereford FC Limited shareholder vote, 75% of votes cast will need to support the name change. HUST own 50% of these shares and will vote in favour of the name change. It would then be up to the other shareholders if they wish to respect the wishes of the fans by voting in favour of the name change or not. It would require three of the founding shareholders to vote in favour of the vote unless some founding shareholders abstain from the vote.
Who are the shareholders of Hereford FC Limited?
The complete list of shareholders & number of shares they own (as per the latest Companies House filing) are:
Who are the Bring Back United group?
The Bring Back United group are a collection of Hereford supporters working together on a campaign for Hereford FC to return to the Hereford United name. We have spent the last few months analysing the requirements to change name and assessing the cost. Later this season we will trigger a vote of the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) on a return to the Hereford United name. We are encouraging all supporters to take out a £10 annual membership to the Hereford United Supporters Trust (HUST) ready for the vote.
You can contact us via email at bringbackunited@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook or TikTok or join our WhatsApp broadcast channel.