AMONG the small crowd at Bideford was a former player well remembered by fans of both clubs.

Owen Pickard spent a couple of seasons at Edgar Street in the early 1990s before, several years later, ending his playing career closer to home with Bideford.

"I'm a Barnstaple boy, North Devon born and bred and it's been nice to come down and watch two of my old teams play," said the 44-year-old.

"After leaving Hereford, I had a couple of months at Rochdale and then I spent three years in Dorchester. Then I went to Yeovil for two years and then back to Dorchester for a couple of years and then on to Bideford so today is really coming home.

"I had a lovely three years here and we had some big success in the FA Vase and winning leagues. It's a great set-up and I had a fantastic time here - we had a very good side."

Pickard has left his active involvement in football behind him.

"I managed Barnstaple for three and a half years and that was my last involvement in the game," he said. "Now I am a mobile chiropodist; I have a good clientele and a family to look after.

"I enjoyed my two years at Hereford - we had a couple of good FA Cup runs and I remember a replay against Yeovil - we would have gone on to play Arsenal in the next round but unfortunately our player-manager Greg Downs got sent off."

Pickard enjoyed his afternoon at the weekend.

"I saw the second half - over the course of the game, it seems that 3-3 was a fair result and very entertaining," he said.

"Bideford scored a third goal which I thought came after a foul on the goalkeeper. But after that, Hereford played some really nice football."