From the Clubhouse: Peter McCormack’s Programme Notes
Welcome back to McMullen Park, the first of our four remaining league games. Today, we welcome back Shefford Town and Campton, who we played only recently in the League Cup.
The last week has been a rollercoaster, perfectly illustrating the highs and lows that come with this game we love. Last weekend’s comfortable victory over Dunstable Town showcased the hard work my manager, Rob Sinclair, and his coaching staff have been putting in over the last two years. While we want to win trophies, Rob is determined to do this, playing attractive and entertaining football. It was great to see Archie Jones in the goals with another brace, especially following his injury earlier in the season. However, our midweek battle against Colney Heath truly captured the emotions of football.
There was a chance the game would be postponed as it started to rain heavily before the kick-off, but as the water had not settled on the pitch, the referee gave the game the go-ahead. Conditions remained tricky, though, as it continued to rain during the game, and there was a heavy downpour in the final 10 minutes.
The weather made for an exciting game, with the ball zipping off the surface and the young Colney Heath side wanting to take points off us. Despite us controlling possession a lot of the possession in the first half, Colney Heath took the lead just before half-time. The second half had a similar pattern, and as we pressed for an equaliser, it wasn't happening for us, but something happened.
With nine minutes to go, Rob brought Tom Hitchcock on, and with one minute left on the clock, he scored an equaliser. With five minutes of injury time, all we needed was a chance to take all three points, and with the last kick of the game, it happened. Joey Evans, usually the match-winner, floated a ball into the box, and Hitchy rose above the keeper to nod into the net.
Hitchcock’s late heroics, securing all three points, was a moment of pure ecstasy that will linger in the memory of everyone associated with Real Bedford. The collective delight from our players, staff, and fans underscored the deep connection we share with this project.
Football is hard, especially with our ambitions, and sometimes I wonder why I embarked on this project. The challenges, sleepless nights, and sacrifices are all worth it with moments of unity like this. It's a reinforcement of the belief in our mission, not just to win on the pitch but to foster a sense of belonging and achievement within Bedford.
I do want to mention Colney Heath, as the joy of our victory was equally met with disappointment from their side. They are a great club with a great management team, and their young players gave everything to get a result on the day. I'm sure they will feel we were lucky; either way, they are one of the better-run clubs we have come across, and I wish them every success.
As I have mentioned in previous programmes, I am keen to help and support people in Bedford outside of football, and I plan to announce a partnership with another local club outside of football soon. A partnership where we will provide them with funding, marketing and operations support, and they will play under the Real Bedford banner.
Peter McCormack alongside local swimming star, Eloise Cole.
I am also keen to support all sports and young athletes in the town, and last year, I provided funding to support Eloise Cole, a local young swimmer from Bedford, to enable her to travel to Rio in Brazil to represent the English Schools Swimming Team at the ISF U15 World Schools Games. She did incredibly well, making the final of both the 50m and 100m Butterfly, securing Silver in a highly close-fought 50m final (0.09 secs behind Gold). She also won Gold as part of the 4 x 100m Mixed Medley relay team and Silver as part of the 4 x 100m Female Freestyle relay team.
Eloise has the talent to compete in the Olympics one day, and we want to help support and foster talent in Bedford at all levels. As I mentioned in my previous programme notes, I will launch the Bedford Development Fund and seed it with capital for people like Eloise to ensure they can reach their full potential.
Now, let's move on to this weekend's football, and we have two more important games for the men's and ladies' teams. Today, we welcome Shefford back to McMullen Park following our recent cup final win at their place on penalties. While we took the lead in that game, Shefford showed real grit to get back into it and take it to penalties, and I am sure they will be delighted to try to take more points off us today.
Tomorrow, the ladies face a challenging game against Wroxham in the league, which is a precursor to our League Cup final against them. Having won every game in the league this season, the ladies are closing in on the title but are taking nothing for granted. There are still eight league matches to go, and the chasing pack is waiting for them to slip up. Watching them in training, I know they are determined to maintain their 100% record this weekend and get one step closer to putting their hands on the trophy.
As always, thank you for coming down and supporting both teams; you are vital to this project.
Up The Pirates!
Peter McCormack
Chairman
ABOUT REAL BEDFORD FC
Real Bedford FC is a non-league football club based in Bedford. Acquired by Peter McCormack in 2021, he set the ambitious goal of getting the team into the football league. After rebranding as Real Bedford, they won a league and cup double in their first season and have been promoted to the Spartan South Midlands Premier League.
The club prides itself on its strong and growing community ties and dedication to developing local talent. With a focus on fostering an inclusive and supportive environment, Real Bedford FC aims to create opportunities for aspiring footballers and promote the sport's growth within the Bedford region.
