Bedford FC

[Rhodes]

Real Bedford Ladies make the trip to Barking Ladies tomorrow afternoon in what will be the Ladies first League fixture for some considerable time due to cup ties and postponements, tomorrow's fixture should be safe as I believe Mayesbrook Park in Dagenham, Essex has a 3g surface. Surprisingly the Ladies are still six points clear at the summit, sorry, very summit of the Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division however from Wroxham Ladies and not Haringey Borough Ladies who have had a blip of late, losing their last two League fixtures:

Edited December 8, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 02/12/2023 at 11:22, Rhodes said:

Real Bedford Ladies make the trip to Barking Ladies tomorrow afternoon

Well what is there to say, it appears that Dean Perrett's surprise departure from McMullen Park last week hasn't made a shred of difference to the Ladies team and they have just shrugged it off particularly Chloe Martin with four of the nine goals in the emphatic 9-3 win, see a match report:

https://www.realbedford.com/news/real-bedford-ladies-prevailed-in-a-back-and-forth-affair-at-barking

Edited December 7, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 01/12/2023 at 19:46, RallyInRaleigh said:

Sadly no stream for the Harpenden Town match

You really have to wonder why the spoil sport Club's who host Real Bedford deny their thousands of overseas fans the enjoyment of watching the team in action from afar, there's absolutely no rhyme or reason for it is there. Anyway Harpenden Town paid the price for it yesterday with a 5-0 drubbing (see the match report), there was a really decent attendance of 224 which I believe is the second best of the season at Rothamstead Park especially on such a cold and murky afternoon, the players really look the part don't they, or as RallyInRaleigh would say 'a million dollars' 😉:

https://www.realbedford.com/news/real-bedford-beat-harpenden-in-cold-conditions

Edited December 8, 2023 by Rhodes

[RallyInRaleigh]

It's a shame because it's extra fun to see other grounds on stream. So many tucked into little neighborhoods that are just full of charm. Typical american soccer pitches are just surrounded by parking lots and the like. It'd be fun to explore more of them from afar. I'm sure I'll make the trip to Bedford before all is said and done. I'll actually be in Alsace in June but sadly haven't timed that trip remotely right for a football outing. 

[Rhodes]

Real Bedford travel to Creasey Park on Saturday afternoon to take on near neighbours Dunstable Town with the Ladies team concidentally also at Creasey Park on Sunday to take on AFC Dunstable Ladies in an Eastern Region Women's League Cup Third Round tie. This weekend however there will be additional interest in Bedford Town's trip to their promotion rivals North Leigh where Lee Bircham's men could well lose their first Southern League Division One Central game of the campaign:

Edited December 10, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Dunstable Town's highly respected Assistant Manager Ant Christophi previews his side's chances tomorrow afternoon at Creasey Park against Real Redford on 'Dunstable Town TV', fast forward to exactly five minutes of the interview. Ant says some nice words about Rob Sinclair's men and, of course, Rob worked at Creasey Park previously for a short period on the Club's Coaching team and has great respect for Dunstable Town, especially their excellent boss Joe Deeney:

https://www.dunstabletownfc.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR0lUcsK3Wh7KeWBe9oM93BTimybEMZPf1WuecR7WdZzad6Xuwxf4NzhcRU

Edited December 10, 2023 by Rhodes

[RallyInRaleigh]

Good breakdown! Thank you for sharing. Unsure if there is a stream for this upcoming game but I'm doubtful given we haven't heard for sure. 

[Rhodes]

A very disappointing, and 'twelfth hour', postponement this afternoon at Creasey Park. Incidentally I also see that the North Leigh v Bedford Town Southern League Division One Central fixture was called off, LondonEagle must have been relieved:

Today’s game has been called off

Due to a waterlogged pitch at Dunstable today’s game will not go ahead.

[Rhodes]

On 05/12/2023 at 14:42, Rhodes said:

with the Ladies team concidentally also at Creasey Park on Sunday to take on AFC Dunstable Ladies in an Eastern Region Women's League Cup Third Round tie

Real Bedford Ladies Eastern Region Women's League Cup Third Round tie at AFC Dunstable was called off this afternoon, they will try again at Creasey Park next Sunday (17 December) meaning that, frustratingly, the scheduled Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixture against Bowers & Pitsea Ladies at McMullen Park that afternoon is postponed.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

It has been 'all quiet on the Western Front' with Real Bedford recently particularly following the postponements of both the Men and Women team's fixtures at Creasey Park last Saturday and Sunday however this Saturday (16 December) Rob Sinclair's men travel to Theobalds Road where they take on FC Romania, then on Sunday (17 December) the Ladies team try again at Creasey Park in the Eastern Region Women's League Cup Third Round against AFC Dunstable Ladies. All the cup ties and recent postponements, have been a distraction for the Ladies this season however the run to the Women's FA Cup First Round proper was an exciting rollercoaster ride with ties against Hackney Ladies and Stevenage Ladies before finally succumbing to a very good Billericay Town side.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 14/12/2023 at 17:54, Rhodes said:

this Saturday (16 December) Rob Sinclair's men travel to Theobalds Road where they take on FC Romania

Lets get ready to rumble then folks, at least there is no worry about a postponement, as was the case last Saturday at Creasey Park, as Theobalds Lane has a 3g playing surface, see the eighteen page match programme:

https://fcromania.com/matchday-programme-real-bedford/

Edited December 21, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Incidentally I see that Bedford Town have an interesting Southern League Division One Central fixture tomorrow at home to Leighton Town, the visitors will be hell bent on putting a dent in Lee Bircham's unbeaten League record following his defection from Bell Close at the end of last season without any warning or notice, simply stating in the local press that 'this was a chance to manage a sleeping giant of non-league football' and 'it’s a massive Club with a good, solid and passionate fanbase'. It was treachery on Lee's part just when the Leighton Town felt they had found a suitable successor to Joe Sweeney who was far too hasty in walking away from Bell Close when he did in October 2021:

[Rhodes]

This is nice isn't it, a local press article about the weekly Bedfordshire Football Podcast praising founders Christopher Allan and James Braddon who are pictured below with a Real Bedford shirt:

https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/interview-the-two-local-footballers-behind-bedfordshires-first-grassroots-podcast/

[Rhodes]

No problems then for Rob Sinclair's men this afternoon at FC Romania unlike at The Eyrie with Bedford Town fortunate to get a 1-1 draw in their Southern League Division One Central fixture against Leighton Town who equalised on the hour mark from a superb Luke Pyman header after Bedford Town had taken a fortuitous lead just after the break and were fortunate to hang on for a point in the end. Attention now turns to Real Bedford Ladies tomorrow afternoon who travel to Creasey Park to take on AFC Dunstable Ladies in a Eastern Region Women's League Cup Third Round tie, kick off 1.30pm:

Edited December 19, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 16/12/2023 at 21:50, Rhodes said:

Attention now turns to Real Bedford Ladies tomorrow afternoon who travel to Creasey Park to take on AFC Dunstable Ladies in a Eastern Region Women's League Cup Third Round tie, kick off 1.30pm

No difficulties for Real Bedford Ladies this afternoon then as they came away from Creasey Park victorious, beating AFC Dunstable Ladies 2-0, see a match report. Thankfully it is back to League action next time out however not until Sunday 7 January when the Ladies make the relatively short trip to St Albans City Ladies and the wide open spaces of Clarence Park, we hope everyone involved with the Ladies team will enjoy a very happy Christmas as well as the junior girls teams:

https://www.realbedford.com/news/real-bedford-ladies-round-off-2023-with-a-cup-win

Edited December 22, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 16/12/2023 at 21:50, Rhodes said:

No problems then for Rob Sinclair's men this afternoon at FC Romania

See a match report and local press coverage from Real Bedford's hard fought 3-1 victory at FC Romania last Saturday, it was always going to be a tricky assignment for Rob Sinclair's men against arguably the pre-season favourites for the Championship who were relegated from the Southern League Division One Central last season:

https://www.realbedford.com/news/the-pirates-come-from-behind-to-win-all-three-points

https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/real-rally-against-romania-to-stay-top-of-the-league/

Edited December 20, 2023 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 03/12/2023 at 20:47, Rhodes said:

Well what is there to say, it appears that Dean Perrett's surprise departure from McMullen Park last week hasn't made a shred of difference to the Ladies team and they have just shrugged it off particularly Chloe Martin with four of the nine goals in the emphatic 9-3 win, see a match report:

https://www.realbedford.com/news/real-bedford-ladies-prevailed-in-a-back-and-forth-affair-at-barking

An interesting interview with Real Bedford Ladies interim Manageress Georgia Clarke following Dean Perrett's shock exit and ahead of the Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixture at Barking Ladies on Sunday 3 December, Georgia was very much thrown, sorry, chucked in at the deep end however, incredibly, came away from Mayesbrook Park with a 9-3 victory:

[Rhodes]

Here we go folks, over ninety photographs from the 3-1 victory at FC Romania last Saturday (16 December), courtesy of groundhopper and photographer 'Local Bus Driver':

[Rhodes]

I came across this ten minute video from a few months back, I don't think it has been posted before, it's a good listen:

[Rhodes]

On 06/10/2023 at 22:47, LondonEagle said:

Fairplay to the Ladies for putting Bedford on the map, though

A nice article from She Kicks magazine following the partnership of Real Bedford Men with the Ladies and the Girls teams back in June 2022, the rest is very much history isn't it as the Ladies team were formed in 1996 however what had they actually achieved, if anything, before Peter McCormack emerged and first walked through the gates of McMullen Park. Now the Ladies proudly sit nine points clear at the top of the Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division and look forward to promotion to the heady heights of the Women's National League and Division One South East where they will be eligible for the prestigious Women's National League Cup in addition to the FA Cup where they would join the competition at a later round compared to this season when having to travel to Hackney Ladies in the Second Qualifying Round. An exciting sponsorship deal has also been arranged with Bedford based company Galaxy to surely rival that of most, if not all, Women's National League and Women's Championship Club's (see link below):

https://shekicks.net/real-bedford-fc-partner-with-bedford-ladies-girls/

https://www.galaxy.com/newsroom/sponsor-real-bedford-ladies-fc/