The Pirates win third consecutive league title in front of Winklevoss twins
By Will Murray
Real Bedford secured the Southern League Division One Central title, beating Kings Langley 1-0 at the Ledger Stadium. Joey Evans’ first-half penalty was enough to secure a third title in a row for the Pirates in front of a record crowd of 1,426.
Co-owners Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss made their first appearance at The Ledger Stadium, congratulating Rob Sinclair and his side on the pitch after the game following another title-winning campaign.
The Pirates struggled to create chances in the first half. Evans had the first meaningful opportunity, lofting the ball just wide of the post from the corner of the box after 30 minutes.
Five minutes later, the visitors came close to opening the scoring when a misjudged backpass found Edu Toiny Pendred, but he shot into the side netting.
After struggling to break down Kings Langley, the Pirates were awarded a penalty just before half-time after Archie Jones was tripped in the box. Evans stepped up and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner - his 34th league goal of the season.
Second Half
Sinclair’s side improved after the interval, with Isaac Galliford and Drew Richardson both seeing their efforts narrowly miss the target.
Josh Setchell nearly put an end to the game, wriggling past a couple of defenders and striking the post from the corner of the box in the 74th minute.
With the clock ticking down, the tension was high in Bedford, but the Pirates continued to pepper Josh Bowler’s goal. The Kings Langley shot-stopper denied Jones with an impressive one-handed save in the 89th minute, but Evans’ first-half penalty was enough to secure a third consecutive league title.
After the match, chairman Peter McCormack said:
“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.”
The Pirates are at home for the final time this season on Monday 21st April, facing AFC Dunstable in the league. Tickets for the match are available here
RBFC: McGregor, Morrell, S. Ward, Longden, Richardson, Watkins, Jones (Hitchcock 90+3), Galliford (Agemoh-Davies 90’), Stevens (Nicolson 90+5), Setchell, Evans.
Real Bedford 1-0 Kings Langley
12th April 2025
Kick-off: 3pm
Location: The Ledger Stadium
