GRAHAM Turner says he would be happy to offer advice to a phoenix club if Hereford United go out of business.

The former Bulls chief, who spent 15 years at Edgar Street as owner, manager and chairman, admits to being "devastated" by what has happened to the club.

Hereford are in disarray with a winding-up order from ex-boss Martin Foyle over unpaid earnings and HM Revenues and Customs hanging over them.

They are also in talks to enter a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA) and are not certain to begin the new season in the Southern League Premier Division because they remain under a transfer embargo and cannot register players.

Turner, now retired after leaving Shrewsbury Town, says he has sympathy for those who have not been paid by new owner Tommy Agombar and previous incumbent David Keyte, and would help any new club starting out from scratch.

“I don’t see where it is going now other than to start up again,” he said. “Chester is a good example of what can be done and that seems to be the only way here, too.

“I spent 15 years at Hereford and that is a big chunk out of a 35-year management career.

“Joan Fennessy, Lee Symonds, Anthony Symonds and I put in a tremendous amount of hard work and, while I would not want to be involved again in a paid position, I would certainly be prepared to offer what advice I could to help.”

Turner, at the Hereford helm during a previous CVA in the late 1990s, continued: “I am desperately sorry for the staff who have gone without pay, and that includes last season’s players.

“It’s outrageous that this has gone on to decent people.

“There has been tremendous hardship for a lot of people, especially those with families, and it’s especially sad after such a tremendous effort to avoid relegation on that last day at Aldershot.”

He added: “We had experienced the really hard times when we didn’t know where the next pound was coming from.

“After that, we always felt it sensible not to overstretch ourselves.”