'I can hold my head high,' says Graham Turner over Hereford crisis
Shrewsbury Town boss Graham Turner insists he will be able to 'hold his head high' when he returns to former club Hereford United in the FA Cup this weekend.
Turner has been irritated by an interview given by Bulls chairman David Keyte about his former club's financial plight.
United are facing a £45,000 VAT bill, which Keyte said relates to invoices from 2008-09, when Turner was at the helm.
Turner was at the club between 1995 and 2010, serving as both manager and chairman during that time.
Keyte said there were no accusations of fraud against any previous managers but Turner said he felt he was being vilified for Hereford's current problems.
Regarding the VAT bill, Keyte said: "It's a pile of invoices that appear to have been claimed in one quarter and then mistakenly claimed the next quarter. It was in the year 2008-09."
But Turner said: "I take great exception to the implication that we have been responsible for the £45,000 VAT debt there.
"I put a lot of time and effort in to that football club. I think it is difficult to accept that I am being vilified for debts that we left and that is why the club is in trouble, which is far from the truth.
"I can walk through the door for this FA Cup tie with my head held high and say we left this club in a very good condition.
"My conscience is clear without a shadow of a doubt. I stayed on for 15 years at Hereford and I am pleased with the contribution I have made to that football club.
"It upsets me a bit to see the club in the state it is in at the moment and I just hoped somehow it can survive."
Meanwhile, tickets for the FA Cup first round clash between the sides are selling well.
Shrewsbury had sold more than 500 tickets on Monday and have since been given 800 more tickets to sell.
Seat tickets are priced at £20 for adults, £15 for 14-20 year-olds and over-60s and £7 for under-14s while terrace tickets are £16 for adults, £12 for 14-20-year-olds and £5 for under-14s.
