Champions Weekend

It was a memorable weekend in Bedford, with both Real Bedford men’s and women’s teams securing their respective league titles, and Chairman Peter McCormack also hosting the Bitcoin CheatCode Conference at the Corn Exchange on Friday.

Rob Sinclair’s side beat Kings Langley 1-0 to secure their 3rd consecutive title with three games to spare on Saturday, while Charlie Bill’s team ran out 11-1 winners a day later to secure the league back-to-back ahead of Norwich City.

CheatCode Conference – Friday 11th April

Two days before the CheatCode Conference, it was officially announced that the first Universal theme park in Europe will be built in Bedford. The tourist attraction is on track to open in 2031 and will create 28,000 jobs in the town.

The Universal announcement was discussed by McCormack, who produced a three-part talk on ‘The Bedford Project’. This included topics such as the recent opening of Real Coffee and his long-term vision for the town.

Other speakers included Liz Truss, Steve Baker and Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss. The American co-owners made their first appearance in Bedford, sitting alongside McCormack to discuss Real Bedford’s ‘Road to the Premier League’.

Real Bedford 1-0 Kings Langley – Saturday 12th April

There was a record crowd of 1,426 at the Ledger Stadium on Saturday to watch Real Bedford take on 18th placed Kings Langley. The Pirates knew that a win was enough to mathematically secure the league title in front of the Winklevoss twins, who made their first appearance at the stadium.

The match was a tense affair with both teams struggling to create chances throughout. Joey Evans broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 41st minute after Archie Jones was tripped in the box.

Sinclair’s side held on to secure a 1-0 win, giving them an unassailable lead at the top of the Southern League Division One Central table. After the match, the Winklevoss twins went onto the pitch to join the celebrations with the players, who secured the club’s third successive league title.

There are three games left to play, including AFC Dunstable at home on Monday 21st April, which will see the players lift the trophy. Tickets for the game are available here.

Real Bedford Women 11-1 London Seaward – Sunday 13th April

Real Bedford Women knew that a win against London Seaward would also wrap up the league title. A crowd of 442 attended the match – a record attendance for a women’s match at the Ledger Stadium.

Bill’s side dominated from start to finish, racing into a 6-1 lead at half-time. After the break, Sofia Stovold and Abbie Bensted completed their hat-tricks as the Pirates eventually ran out 11-1 winners. This was the second trophy of the season for the women’s team, following their County Cup triumph last month.

The Pirates have one game left to play – an away match at Dulwich Hamlet, knowing that if they avoid defeat, they will have gone the entire league season unbeaten.

What next? – ‘There is so much to be excited about’

As already mentioned, Sinclair’s side have three matches left to play this season, while the women’s team have the chance to complete an invincible league campaign at Dulwich Hamlet on Sunday 27th April.

Next season, the men’s side will compete in step three of non-league football, the seventh tier in England. Meanwhile, the women’s team will play in the FAWNL Premier Division, which is the third tier of the English pyramid.

Keep an eye on our men’s and women’s social media channels, including X, Instagram, and Facebook for announcements ahead of the 2025/26 campaign during the summer.

After the win on Saturday, McCormack stressed the potential of Bedford as a town moving forward:

“I love the town of Bedford. I want Bedford to win. There are so many good things happening right now – we have got the football here, the Universal project, so many good little businesses. There are good people in Bedford.

“We have the chance to be the fastest-growing town in the country. We’ve got so much opportunity. I just feel really happy for the people in Bedford, there is so much to be excited about.”

A huge thank you to everyone who showed up. This weekend was a historic milestone for our club… and we’re just getting started