HEREFORD chairman Jon Hale says that the club are 'very aware' that they do not want a complete re-build of the squad this summer.

Last week Bulls manager Josh Gowling released his retained list with three players on contract for the 2022/23 campaign and six offered new deal.

Hale is hopeful that those offered deals at Edgar Street for next season will sign.

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"I'm very hopeful that most if not all of them will sign up as what we want to do is have a core of players signed up ahead of Josh (Gowling) then hopefully concluding one or two more deals soon for new players to come in," said Hale talking to the club's website.

"We're very aware that we don't want a complete re-build and it's important that we build on each season.

"If we can get them players signed up it will give supporters and us a boost that we're moving in the right direction.

"Also for the players looking to come in they will see them good quality players that know this club and know what we do I think and how we do it.

"We will really start to build and see some great signs ahead of next season."

Despite a drop in attendances after the Covid-19 pandemic the club maintained the same budget as last season with a Squad Builder in place to help increase that further.

"In terms of what has been agreed this year it's exactly the same and I'm sure Josh is confident now that he can go out and get the players that he wants," added Hale.

"We did try and help Josh (Gowling) along the way last season because of injuries and one or two other things.

"So we did push the budget a little further.

"Josh knows we will do that when we can but we have to be sustainable within the model we have.

"At the moment the budget is what it is, we're not pretending it's the best of worst but it's what we as a football club can afford right at this moment.

"Obviously there are some influencing factors that might help us and one of those is the Squad Builder.

"The season has now finished and people can bring next season into focus. What we are aiming to do if we can is get up to £50,000 in donations.

"We have already committed £25,000 of that money to the budget so Josh has already got that to play with.

"If we can put another £25,000 on top or more then we can push on and help Josh build an even better squad for next season."

Hale admitted that last season attendances were lower than what the club had budgeted for.

The lowest home attendance was against Leamington in September of 1,197 while the highest was 2,274 who watched the league match against Kidderminster Harriers.

"We can now use this seasons experience as a base for next season," he added.

"If we can push those season tickets further than last season and attendances go up, all of those things give us confidence to commit more to that player budget."

Hereford FC was only formed in 2014 and after three successive promotions Hale highlighted that the club is still in its infancy.

"It's been an incredible journey and those three promotions probably propelled us, looking back with the benefit of hindsight a little bit too far too quickly," he added.

"There was always going to be a period of stability and where that growth is stunted a little bit.

"We've probably had that now the last two or three years. If you'd have told us seven years ago that this would now be our fourth year in the National League North I don't think anybody would have believed it.

"The majority of supporters have their feet on the ground and understand that we are still very much in our infancy as a football club as Hereford FC."