GRAHAM Turner reflected on his 500 games in charge of Hereford United and revealed keeping the club financially stable as the biggest achievement during his tenure.

The Bulls chairman and manager couldn't toast the personal milestone the way he liked after his side lost 1-0 to Dagenham and Redbridge at Edgar Street.

But winning and losing matches is all part of football and the fact Hereford still exist following a tumultuous last decade is something Turner is certainly proud to celebrate.

Turner was appointed director of football in July 1995 and was later installed as chairman when United tumbled out of the Football League in 1996/97.

Since then, he has guided the club through a rocky financial period while trying to build a team fit to challenge the Conference's leading pack.

Assisted by United's hard-working directors, Turner has stabilised the club's finances with his wheeling and dealing to such an extent that the club's long-standing Company Voluntary Arrangement was settled last year.

Turner said: "The biggest achievement is the club is now financially stable. We are out of the CVA and have paid off a big overdraft.

"And as a club we can start to move forward whether it is with me at the helm or someone else. The club, apart from the uncertainty of the development, is in good shape.

"The success has been is in keeping the club alive through the sale of players. We have generated close to £700,000 and spent just £20,000 and without those sales the club would certainly not be here in its present form.

"It has been soul-destroying, though, to see players like Gavin Mahon, Michael McIndoe, Gavin Williams and Paul Parry disappear to other clubs and do extremely well. Even the Cheltenham side that got promoted to the League contained three of our players."

Meanwhile, United midfielders Rob Purdie and Craig Stanley have been selected for the England National Game XI squad that hosts Holland at Woking on February 16.