A PLAY TELLS THE STORY OF HEREFORD’S PLACE IN FOOTBALL’S HALL OF FAME
It was February 5, 1972 and after three weeks of
non-stop rain turning the Edgar Street stadium
into a quagmire, Hereford United’s FA Cup replay
against First Division giants Newcastle United
was finally on.
The Bulls had grabbed a draw at St James Park
with a 25 yard drive from player-manager Colin
Addison, a goal that would launch the non-league
club to soccer glory and into the annals of FA Cup
history. Fifteen thousand fans packed the ground
for the replay. Few had put their money on United
to win. But it was eight minutes from time before
Newcastle’s No 9 Macdonald scored a goal. Was
this the end of the dream.
City lad Duncan Hill was only five when the big
match was played, but he became a regular
supporter at Edgar Street Now a 35 year old
jewellery designer he got his shirt signed by
Ronnie Radford. It will never be washed, said
Duncan.
No way. Ronnie Radford, a Northern lad and
a carpenter by trade hit a 35 yard drive ramming
it into the back of the net to level the score.
Suddenly Ronnie was a worldwide household
name as the BBC television coverage and John
George Thomas reviews THE GOAL
Motson’s commentary of the forth coming Giant
Killing flashed around the Globe. Motson was a
rookie reporter on his first big assignment . The
result would make him the BBC’s star football
commentator for the next 46 years . He retired this
year.
Ronnie’s name is forever linked to United’s
success, but it was Ricky George, a Londoner
who actually sealed the victory in extra time
setting up a fourth round tie at home to West
Ham. Another draw, another replay. It was the era
of three day strikes and London was in chaos.
Three special trains took thousands of Hereford
fans to the capital, but many failed to get into the
ground because of the traffic jams and returned
home in tears.
The third round cup-tie was one of the most
exciting episodes in the history of Hereford and
the creative folk at The Courtyard, just across the
road from the stadium came up with the idea of
turning it into a play, probably the first about a
football match and one player’s historic goal. The
title was simple: THE GOAL.
Script writer Nick Lane set the scene around
six ball boys (one a girl in the play!) played by
mature seasoned actors recounting the first match,
the build-up to the replay and the sheer stress of
Newcastle taking a late goal, only to switch into
noisy over-drive when Radford scored that
famous goal to force extra time. It was laced with
emotion , a touch of comedy and even a love plot
involving two of the boys and the girl.. The
dialogue was fast and furious, like keeping pace
with the action on the pitch. Flashes from the
original TV coverage and photographs from the
Derek Evans studio archives appeared on the rear
screen giving the audience the feeling they were
watching the match live across the road. John
Motson, who has always credited Hereford
United for making him one of the best loved
football pundits, recorded some of his original
commentary to fit in with the story on stage. It
FESTIVE NEWS • DECEMBER 2018 • PAGE 17
was an evening full of nostalgia , especially for
myself as I was there reporting it all for the long
gone Hereford Evening News. The director, Ian
Archer can be well pleased. Rarely does a play
get a standing ovation. This one did every night
in the two week run
Many of the Giant Killers team, especially
Ronnie Radford and Colin Addison were guests
at a Gala evening reliving the afternoon when
kicking a football around a muddy pitch they
‘kicked’ one of England’s most famous teams of
the day out of the coveted FA Cup.
Said Colin Addison, who with Ken Mallender
and Dudley Tyler, still lives in Hereford: “It was
a wonderful evening. It was a great script and the
actors brought it vividly to life. It took us all back
46 years . The performance of The Goal will long
be remembered, adding extra vibes to the
folklore already surrounding the victory which
put Hereford on the map.” Ronnie Radford
summed up The Goal: “Absolutely Brilliant!”
The Giant Killers, now pensioners line up for a
Festive News picture… Colin Addison, Ronnie
Radford, Tony Gough, Billy Tucker, Fred Potter
(goalkeeper) Brian Owen, Dudley Tyler, Ken
Mallender, Peter Isaac.
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