KEN Kinnersley said he will have mixed emotions when he steps down from his role as chairman of Hereford FC on Monday.

The Bulls fan started as a volunteer was appointed to the club’s board and made chairman in January 2017 replacing Jon Hale.

After a difficult last 12 months on and off the pitch Kinnersley has decided to step down from his role and enjoy his retirement.

"I have mixed emotions to be honest," said Kinnersley

"I'm pleased to be leaving as it has been a fairly stressful period, but I'm sad to be leaving as well as there are some fantastic people here from the volunteers right through to the board members, everybody is really brilliant to work with.

"I'm pleased now I've taken the opportunity to enjoy a bit of retirement.

"The last 12 months has been really difficult, we did expect it to be a challenge but I don't think we were really prepared for the challenge, which was the problem.

"Football is a game and everything you do in football is a gamble. When you bring a player in it's a gamble, will he fit? Will he do what you want? With every appointment you make there is always an element of risk, it's a gamble.

"Hopefully now we will stabilise and will be able to push forwards now in the coming seasons.

"What really matters to the fans is results on the pitch, results first and performance second. They want the points and if we can't get them they want to go away and feel that was a good match.

"I agree with that, I'm in the same school and want to be entertained."

When asked to look back on his five years at the club as it has moved into the National League North, Kinnersley added: "In truth that's the biggest plus I will take away from the five years I have been involved in the club.

"Firstly I never expected to be involved with my football club. But to have been chairman of the club is the cherry on the cake.

"It has been difficult but my one regret, and there's nothing I can do about it, is that I'm leaving when there's an awful lot of things in progress and I won't be here to see them come to fruition.

"I will still be here as a fan and I'll be pleased but the Academy now is going to prove to be invaluable for this football club.

"We've got to produce our own players and hopefully out of every 100 that we produce there will be one that will help the finances of this football club.

"The difficulty at this level is keeping promising young players because there's nothing at the moment to protect our interests in terms of the input we have in developing players.

"A club can come in sign them under our nose and there's little we can do about it.

"The bottom line is it all comes down to finance and the money some players are being paid in this league now is quite frightening.

"You see Stockport County with the really big fan-base while Brackley and Chorley have got quite a lot of finances going in to them.

"They have reaped the benefits of that. We're not going to be in the position to have that sort of finance that they have been able to put into the playing budget but we are where we are.

"It is important that we generate revenue where we can and try to maintain the gate receipts.

"We've only got two sources of income: what we can generate commercially through sponsors, advertising, shop sales and hospitality and what comes through the turnstile.

"That is the total we can raise and it's not just the playing budget but we've still got to run the business.

"The better the player the more they cost.

"We have made quite a lot of progress on the Blackfriars End but that's something we're not going to see until 2022 possible even later depending on what we find when we start work on that end.

"The third element I'm really pleased about is the relationship with Pegasus and what's going to happen at Old School Lane in terms of the 3G pitch and that will be the base of the Hereford FC Community Engagement programme.

"Those are the three big pluses I will take from what has happened but the fans and people of Herefordshire are not going to see the benefits until that's fully on stream and working properly and then I believe particularly Pegasus will be an asset for the city."

When asked what he will do with his retirement and his decision to step down as chairman, Kinnersley added: "I shall go back to my old seat in the Len Weston and will sit and watch what goes on from there.

"It can be stressful at times and there is always decisions to be made. Every day there are decisions to be made and it does wear you down over a period of time.

"With that strain comes the rewards when things go right. It's a balance and I'll definitely miss it for sure. One of the main reasons I decided to go now is that I think we're in a fairly strong position.

"This next season is going to be crucial really, getting the fans on board and getting some good results and performances.

"I also want some retirement for myself. Some time when I'm not committed every day of the week and looking at the diary.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed it and it's been a great experience. The fans have been brilliant in the main. You obviously get the odd criticism.

"The club is in good hands of that I have no doubt. By and large there is a really good board of directors there now.

"I'm confident we will come through."