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| Joel Edwards in action versus Loughborough on Tuesday evening |
As well as being captain of Hereford, Joel Edwards also coaches the football academy at Hereford Sixth Form College.
"It's amazing, it's so surreal, I don't think it kicked in until about Tuesday to be honest," Edwards said in an interview with the Sixth Form.
"Saturday, after the game, was just a bit of a blur. It was an amazing feeling, all the fans were amazing and the boys loved it.
"We had to get pretty switched on for Tuesday for the league game.
"But it was an amazing feeling, really good."
The conversation then moved onto how the students at the college reacted:
"They loved it.
"I believe they've got a bus sorted, they're all going to come down. They were really supportive throughout the season, so to actually get there, they loved it.
"A bit of a role model for them maybe, but that's awesome, they've loved it."
And has Joel thought about winning the vase?
"Not yet.
"Well, tell a lie, maybe a little bit.
"Got to keep my feet on the ground, a lot of league games to go yet which are important. I'm sure once we get to May, it'll start kicking in and we'll start really think about it.
In an article on the college's website, Head of the Football Academy, Matt Phillips, said:
"Joel is in his third season with the Football Academy and he’s proving to be a real asset. He’s an obvious role model for the students because of the standard he plays at and also the way he conducts himself in every situation. His coaching has improved enormously and he’s been very influential in the boys’ rise up the league during an unbeaten 2016."
One final footnote, Hereford United Apprentices used to train at Hereford Sixth Form College. They included Jarrod Bowen, who now plays professionally for Hull City, Dylan Bonella, Max Kontic-Coveney and Joe Tumelty who are all in the Hereford FC squad. It was Joe Tumelty’s goal that sealed Hereford’s victory against Salisbury putting them through to the Final.
The full article, including the interview with Joel Edwards and comments from Hereford fan Sarah Phipps, can be found here (link).