There’s always a story in non-league and many clubs have tried to bankroll success and fly up the leagues, some with success and some with failure.
One club who have enjoyed unwavering success in the last three seasons, is Real Bedford, the noisy neighbours of the non-league stalwarts Bedford Town/
Real Bedford were Bedford FC up until 2022, but when Peter McCormack came knocking, the Step 6 club received a complete overhaul.
Peter McCormack hails from Bedford, but found some fortune and some fame from the Cryptocurrency world, specifically with Bitcoin.
His ambition was simple, take the newly called ‘Real Bedford’, to the premier league and as quickly as physically possible.
The ground at McMullen Park received a glamorous makeover and ‘the Pirates’ began to make spades and set about getting up the leagues.
The signings came thick and fast, with former Forest Green midfielder Rob Sinclair being appointed to help the club rise up the divisions.
And so they did. Spartan South Midlands Division One, 2023 champions. Spartan South Midlands Premier Division, 2024 champions. Southern Premier Division One Central, 2025 champions.
No-one has stood in Real Bedford’s way, until now.
Step 3 is a hotly contested level of football, with the Pirates’ league contested with the likes of Harborough and Spalding. The Pirates currently find themselves fifth, after a difficult start to the season winning just one in six, they’ve lost just once since the beginning of September to see them go shooting up the table.
In 2024, Real Bedford solidified themselves as a real threat to a lot of clubs in non-league, after the biggest single investment in non-league history.
The Winklevoss twins, who famously co-founded Facebook alongside Mark Zuckerberg, invested 4.5million pounds into the Pirates, with that investment securing the clubs future for a long time.
Chairman McCormack though, despite with big ambitions, has kept his investments sensible and sustainable since taking over at the club. The club now have a coffee shop and club store in the town, with more plans being made by McCormack to increase infrastructure in the town.
This project has grown into more than a football club for McCormack and his investment partners, with his hometown of Bedford the main priory, a refreshing change of pace in non-league football.
Last season, with both Bedford clubs gaining promotion from their respective divisions, both clubs revealed intentions of a merger.
Many questions were asked as to what would happen to either sides respective promotion, where the newly-merged side would end up and what this merger looked like for the future of football in Bedford.
For Bedford Town, on one hand you have a historic, traditional non-league football club, who have had their ups and downs and are currently being guided by Lee Bircham into lofty heights they have not seen in some time. Whilst on the flip side, their noisy neighbours have significant capital and want to reach the football league, with an end goal of premier league football and seem to not be slowing down in their pursuit of doing so.
It’s an interesting situation, one that seems to have been put on hold, with no more real news regarding the merger being put out to the media.
However, there’s no denying that one club, pulling in the same direction, would be highly beneficial for the town and its community, potentially bringing in significant revenue and foot traffic, something McCormack is keen to do, especially with the Universal theme park being built just round the corner.
Real Bedford’s rise is not traditional and it may have upset some along the way, but there really is no denying that the Pirates are here to stay and if they can continue current form, could be a national league member next season, just 4 years after their rebirth in Step 6.
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