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Next Game: Pre-Season

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Another Championship After An 'Outstanding' Season


Hereford have been crowned champions of the Evo-Stik Premier South following tonight's 1-0 win Biggleswade Town.

Rob Purdie's penalty was the only goal of the game as the Bulls charged to a third successive promotion.

Manager Pete Beadle said it's been one of the most outstanding seasons the club could, or will, ever have.

"It's a proud day for everybody, certainly for me as the manager of the club," Beadle told BBC H&W's reporter Keith Hall.

"We've always set our standards and our bar very high and we expect to be competitive. The biggest thing for me over the whole season is that we've had one of the most outstanding seasons that this club ever could have had, or will ever have in the future.

"The trophy run, the FA Cup run, being the last non-league team in the cup, and then to be so many games behind. You look at the league table, I've been through the archives, and there's never been more than two teams over the past six years that have had over 90 points.

"They've had two teams every year that have had 90, or thereabouts and this year you've got five teams who are in the 90s now. To be on top of that pile with 104 points is phenomenal."

Hereford's gaffer also praised the work of his backroom staff who help to motivate the players.

"I've got as a good staff as you can get. Steve is a phenomenal coach, but he's also a great motivator and tactician. I consider myself as a reasonable coach and we recruit extremely well.

"There's not been many players we've brought in that have not really worked out at that particular time. We motivate, we set standards and there is no getting away from those standards. If people drop below them, you either leave the club or you don't play - simple as that.

"Add that to the other backroom staff, Jonny [Evans, physio], Rog [Lloyd, kitman] and Rhys [Evans, goalkeeping coach], we forget him sometimes but he does a phenomenal job. I couldn't get staff better than what I've got and I expect every single player that comes into the club to know what's expected of them."

It's a third promotion in three seasons now for Hereford, something only a handful of other clubs have ever done. Beadle says consistency is key, and that comes from the high standards set by the coaching staff.

"It's no coincidence that we've been the most consistent team again this season. You look at some of the points we've dropped, some of them were disappointing and they've been after big games. To lose five and draw five out of 43 games is incredible, and that's the standards we set and what we work to.

"We have a never-say-die attitude that not only we've seen from this year, but the year before and the year before. That doesn't happen by accident, it happens because I've got staff and myself who motivate players and we expect them to give every ounce of everything they've got."

The only goal of the game came after Jennison Myrie-Williams was brought down in the box and Purdie swiftly dispatched the penalty. Beadle said he leaves decisions like who takes penalties to the players.

"He [defender] made contact and when you make contact in the box it's a penalty and fortunately we managed to put this one away today. We leave things like that to the players and if they're brave enough to step up for it. Nothing was said to Mike [Symons] on Saturday when he missed his because sometimes it happens, but today fortunately for us he [Purdie] scored. 

"The players managed the game superbly and we never really looked under a huge amount of threat apart from when they were putting balls into the box because they're such a big side. It's something now like nine clean sheets in the last ten or 11 games, and that's a phenomenal record on it's own.