WITH the recommendation of the Flint & Cook Marches League's executive committee that Monmouth 2nd be placed in Division 2 next season, it now seems likely that Hereford will begin their participation in the competition in Division 3, writes Richard Prime.

But for Hereford to be placed in the third rank of Herefordshire's principal county league would have been unthinkable even in relatively recent times when the club stood well ahead of their local rivals.

The city side were long-time members of the Three Counties League, which they won on a number of occasions, attracting many of the county's best players to try their luck at the Racecourse.

And the search to attract the best players did not end locally. In the 1980s, Hereford were among the first of the county's sides to recruit a professional from overseas and Barbadian pacemen Tony Johnson and Dale Ellcock were much to the fore in successive Three Counties League titles in 1987 and 1988 under the captaincy of future Herefordshire skipper Richard Skyrme.

As the 90s arrived, however, many of the stalwarts of Hereford's most glorious years had retired or moved on, although the club's continuing strength was evident when they once again carried off the Three Counties League title in 1996.

That, however, was followed by a season of disappointment which culminated in relegation from the top section the following year.

With the national reorganisation of club cricket, most of the county's leading clubs opted to join the Worcestershire League but Hereford, along with Colwall, chose to focus towards the West rather than the Midlands and gained a spot in Glos/Wilts Division 1 of the West of England Premier League.

But after a mid-table finish in 2000, the club finished at the foot of the table in 2001, prompting a change of heart and a decision to follow other county rivals and join the Worcestershire League.

Immediate success followed when the club carried off the Division 3 championship in 2002 but this was swiftly followed by relegation last summer, leading to the switch to join the Marches League for 2004.

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