WHAT has happened at Hereford United over the summer has been nothing short of farcical and disgraceful.

The way a once proud club and their loyal supporters have been treated with utter contempt by new owner Tommy Agombar and his regime makes the blood boil.

For anyone who thinks this is harsh, it is worth pointing out that fans have been spun many stories that have proven untrue. Promises have been repeatedly made and broken.

Activity was shrouded in mystery to the point that the identity of players was kept under wraps until last week.

Football creditors are still owed money, as are HM Revenues and Customs, and Edgar Street is still without a safety certificate, with the new season just 48 hours away.

Which is where the Southern League come in. While Hereford have alienated themselves from their supporters, the Southern League have far from covered themselves in glory.

They might be trying to paint themselves as having come to the rescue of the Bulls by giving them a league to play in, but they should never have accepted them in the first place.

It was clear for all to see that Hereford were in an unmitigated mess and the new regime’s brief dealings with the Football Conference, from which they were expelled, should have sounded the alarm bells.

Yet, the Southern League offered them an olive branch and now seem to be making up the rules as they go along to suit.

For Hereford are no longer under a transfer embargo, despite several football creditors still claiming they have not been paid. Former manager Martin Foyle still has a winding-up order in place.

Hereford have no right to register new players if they have not settled debts with previous players or staff.

The Football Association have clear rules on this, as do the Football Conference, who imposed a transfer embargo on United last season and subsequently booted them out.

Why have the Southern League not followed suit? Hereford may appear a big draw for their competition on paper but in reality the current situation is doing nothing for the reputations of either party.