HEREFORD United’s Edgar Street stadium has seen its capacity drastically reduced after the Blackfriar terracing failed a health and safety inspection.

The terrace, which has traditionally housed the majority of the away support on one side and United supporters on the other will now be closed for the entire 2009-10 season.

If that was not bad enough, there is also a further reduction with no standing to be allowed on the flat area in front of the Meadow End terracing as this has now been designated a walk-way. The club are hoping that the licensing authorities may reconsider their decision on this point but that is far from guaranteed.

And, in a third blow, capacity will also be reduced under the Len Weston stand as the barriers are too long and will have to be cut to make room for extra walk-ways.

All of these capacity cuts will have the effect of slashing United’s potential income.

For the majority of League 2 matches, the attendance is unlikely to top the 4,000-mark, but there will be some matches when a sell-out is likely.

The visit of Cheltenham Town on the second Saturday of the new season, August 15, could provide the first test while the previous Tuesday, and the visit of Charlton Athletic in the Carling Cup, would be expected to draw a substantial crowd eager for their first look at United’s re-vamped side in a competitive match.

And potential visits by well-supported clubs in the FA Cup could also prove a headache for United officials, wrestling with reduced allocations.

The first challenge is to ensure that the capacity exceeds the minimum 5,000-capacity level required to stage League football at the ground.

United fans will hope, however, that the capacity reduction may focus minds and the long-awaited redevelopment of the ground may be kick-started into life.