THE news that Hereford captain Joel Edwards has been released from Edgar Street has shocked many this morning.

The young defender led by example on and off the pitch.

When Hereford clinched the title, our opinion piece focussed on the club and its achievements, and gave a special mention to Edwards.

It will be interesting to see the club's reasons for the decision.

Meanwhile, for those who missed it - below is the Hereford Times leader article from the March 30 edition.

HEREFORD Football Club rightly ensured the focus this week solely centred on events on the pitch.

The recent victories confirmed another promotion as the phoenix club continued its rise through the non-league pyramid.

Huge congratulations must go to the players, supporters and staff – capably led by manager Peter Beadle.

While some have churlishly suggested his was an easy job to lead a big fish out of a small pond, one only has to look at the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield United and Portsmouth to know this is not the case.

But it will be a welcome relief, no doubt, to all of those planning matches that the teams in the Southern Premier Division – such as Merthyr Town and Redditch United – are more qualified to host bigger crowds.

Edgar Street, of course, holds no such problem and the buzz around the ground on a Saturday continues to be a great addition to the side of the city around the Old Market.

The supporters also deserve huge praise for continuing to turn out in such high numbers. The average home attendance of 2,720 is a superb achievement, especially when there are often only a handful of away fans.

And the final word must go to the club’s young captain, Joel Edwards.

In an age when many footballers are criticised for their selfish ways, here is a young man who represents the club brilliantly on and off the pitch.

A great ambassador and, very much, “one of our own”.