Bedford FC

[Rhodes]

As was also the case with the Men's team, Real Bedford have released a special limited edition (of only 100) Champions shirt to celebrate the Club's Ladies team winning the Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division Championship and featuring the same gold badge. Again please don't all rush at once so as not to crash the website:

Limited Edition 1/100 - 23/24 Ladies Team Champions Shirt – realbedford

[LondonEagle]

The guy who does the projections is saying if Bedford Town are not promoted then 2 of Bedford Town, Real Bedford, Biggleswade and Cambridge City would need to transfer to Northern Prem Midlands next season.

Obviously 3 of those clubs play at Meadow Lane, so not sure which one would go in Southern League.

[Rhodes]

Highlights from the live stream from Real Bedford Ladies Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixture with Luton Town Ladies at McMullen Park last Sunday (28 April) and the exciting 3-2 win to secure the Championship with two goals from Zara Carroll and Gemma Croucher. Also see a match report, some local press coverage and, wait for it, the Ladies success was also highlighted on the Nationwide Women's football magazine 'She Kicks' website:

Real Bedford Ladies Confirm League Title Against Luton Town | Real Bedford FC | Running Bitcoin

Real Bedford Ladies beat Luton Town to win Eastern Region Women's Football League - Bedford Independent

Real Bedford promoted to FA Women’s National League - SheKicks

Edited May 3 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

40 minutes ago, LondonEagle said:

The guy who does the projections is saying if Bedford Town are not promoted then 2 of Bedford Town, Real Bedford, Biggleswade and Cambridge City would need to transfer to Northern Prem Midlands next season.
Obviously 3 of those clubs play at Meadow Lane, so not sure which one would go in Southern League.

LondonEagle - Thanks, I spotted this post on another Forum and I guess that it's going to get a lot worse, and more complicated, before it hopefully gets better, I wonder what Mr McCormack and Rob Sinclair will make of being placed in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands next season as opposed to the Southern League Division One Central:

Strange perhaps if you just look at where Worcester & Bedford are located on a map but not so strange once you look at the weird Step 4 log-jam currently within the borough of Bedford compared to the much simpler Step 4 geography around Worcester.
The easy bit is that there's still a vacancy in the Southern First South even after Cirencester's very likely switch across from being much the most western club in Southern First Central to picking up a local rivalry with relegated Swindon Supermarine and that vacancy's ideal for Worcester City's promotion straight into local contests with both Malvern and Evesham being closer than any trip they'd be making in Southern First Central (they're also beside the M5 for swift getaways to plenty of their longer journeys).
In contrast, Real Bedford's problem is the Step 4 landscape immediately south of them was already ridiculously crowded as you head from Bedford towards London (and particularly the western half of London) and then Hitchin have been relegated on Real Bedford's way towards that congestion !!
All of which has plonked just the borough of Bedford on at least a 2-way and perhaps a 3-way borderline at Step 4 because don't forget mid-table Southern First Central finishers Biggleswade will be ground-sharing at Bedford Town for a 4th season in a row in 2024-25 while their landlords are top-seeds for that division's play-offs and now Real Bedford are coming up as Spartan South Midlands champions.
Brightside's current Step 4 map has Bedford Town going up to Step 3 (Southern Premier Central) and then both Biggleswade switching & Real Bedford landing in the Northern Premier Midlands because of the Step 4 congestion heading towards London, all of which looks to me to be about as tidy a solution as possible.
If that still looks awkward, it's proper mayhem if Bedford Town waste their play-off chance to create a Step 4 borderline triangle in that area (with 2 of that triangle ground-sharing !!) as I can't see how all 3 can be in the same division without big overhauls elsewhere (perhaps north Oxfordshire pair Kidlington & North Leigh to Southern First South so that both Malvern & Worcester can go to NPL-Midlands as the main part of squeezing all the Bedford-triangle into Southern First Central?!!)

Edited April 30 by Rhodes

[LondonEagle]

It seems to have been caused in part by Nuneaton going bust, if they had been relegated they could have taken a Northern League place.

Long Eaton are only team going down from that league that makes sense to place in NPL. Hitchin and Berkhamsted are too far south to go in that league after their relegations.

We could have a farcical sutuation where we have 3 clubs playing at Step 4 at Meadow Lane, but they won't all be in same league. I guess Bedford Town would protest about being moved, the FA might try and force Real Bedford to go for the Northern option as a Step 4 newcomer, but they rightly wouldn't really want to go that route either.

Same as if either team makes it to Step 2, a Bedford side now would be placed in National League North rather than South.

Edited April 30 by LondonEagle

[RallyInRaleigh]

Can you remind me the rough dates we'll know about realignment. Obviously, playoffs must be sorted out first but at what point in time should we expect to finalize tables for next season?

[LondonEagle]

12 minutes ago, RallyInRaleigh said:

Can you remind me the rough dates we'll know about realignment. Obviously, playoffs must be sorted out first but at what point in time should we expect to finalize tables for next season?

Last year it was Monday 15 May, although clubs could appeal after that.      https://www.thefa.com/news/2023/may/15/national-league-system-club-allocations-steps-1-6-2023-24-season-20231505

[Rhodes]

1 hour ago, RallyInRaleigh said:

Can you remind me the rough dates we'll know about realignment. Obviously, playoffs must be sorted out first but at what point in time should we expect to finalize tables for next season?

RallyInRaleigh - I guess at least some consolation is, that once all this 'palaver', and 'musical chairs' has been resolved, it won't make the slightest difference will it as whichever of the Step 4 League's Real Bedford are placed in they shouldn't have any difficulties winning it and continuing their progress and meteoric rise through the Pyramid system under Mr McCormack and hopefully Rob Sinclair unless he is 'poached' or 'tapped up' and made an offer that he can't refuse, he's clearly a young Manager going places.

[LondonEagle]

On 30/04/2024 at 14:55, Rhodes said:

RallyInRaleigh - I guess at least some consolation is, that once all this 'palaver', and 'musical chairs' has been resolved, it won't make the slightest difference will it as whichever of the Step 4 League's Real Bedford are placed in they shouldn't have any difficulties winning it and continuing their progress and meteoric rise through the Pyramid system under Mr McCormack and hopefully Rob Sinclair unless he is 'poached' or 'tapped up' and made an offer that he can't refuse, he's clearly a young Manager going places.

I don't think any side wins a Step 4 league 'without any difficulties!'

Hitchin or Corby for starters are very big clubs at that level, depending on which league RB are put in.    

[PatrollR24]

Think it will all depend on the players brought in! Sad to say it but I suspect if the target is another promotion then a large majority of the side from this past season will not be playing much next season. 

[LondonEagle]

37 minutes ago, PatrollR24 said:

Think it will all depend on the players brought in! Sad to say it but I suspect if the target is another promotion then a large majority of the side from this past season will not be playing much next season. 

Don't know, quite a few have played at higher level already. Drew Richardson won the title at Step 4 with Bedford Town, for example. Setchell and Joey Evans are young and improving. I would probably expect around half the side to stay the same, maybe a few starters dropping to the bench, but probably nothing amazingly radical.    

Edited May 1 by LondonEagle

[Rhodes]

18 hours ago, PatrollR24 said:

Think it will all depend on the players brought in! Sad to say it but I suspect if the target is another promotion then a large majority of the side from this past season will not be playing much next season. 

PatrollR24 - I tend to agree with LondonEagle but thanks for your helpful thoughts, Rob Sinclair is well contacted and 'savvy' so will no doubt draft in a handful of high quality and experienced players who will encourage and 'nurture' the younger ones, such as Setchell and Evans, along as well as 'protect' them on the pitch against the 'clogger' defenders at Step 4 level.

[Rhodes]

Luton Town Ladies gained 'sweet revenge' over Real Bedford Ladies last night (Wednesday 1 May), under the lights, at their Sharpenhoe Road home in a Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixture, winning 3-0. With the Championship already secured boss Georgia Clarke rested Natasha Fensome and Gemma Croucher from the full strength side who triumphed 3-2 over Luton Town Ladies at McMullen Park last Sunday and may well do likewise in the two remaining Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixtures at Stevenage Ladies on Sunday (5 May) and and at home to AFC Dunstable Ladies on 12 May who they also meet in the Final of the Bedfordshire FA Women's County Cup four days earlier on 8 May at Kempston Rovers. Additionally there is also the Final of the Eastern Region Women's League Cup to look forward to on Sunday 19 March against Wroxham FC Ladies at Newmarket Town's Cricket Field Road ground:

[Rhodes]

On 10/04/2024 at 16:09, Cruz said:

Just to say it was sad to hear the news recently of the death of former Bedford Town player Mick Collins who made over 200 appearances for the Club between 1963 and 1967, many as Captain. RIP Mick:

Rest in Peace Mick Collins | News | Luton Town FC

Michael Collins (footballer, born 1938) - Wikipedia

Very sad to hear this sad news, as a youngster in the sixties he was a hero of mine. Such happy days.

Cruz - Just to say fair play to Luton Town for mentioning Mick Collins death in their match programme against Bournemouth on Saturday 6 April and holding a minute's silence prior to kick off at Kenilworth Road:

Edited May 2 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Disappointing news that the excellent Georgia Clarke will step down as Real Bedford Ladies interim boss at the end of this hugely successful campaign, Georgia stepped into the breach following the departure of Manager Dean Perrett by mutual consent in November last year and the rest is 'steeped in history':

Club Update: Real Bedford Ladies | Real Bedford FC | Running Bitcoin

[Cruz]

3 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Cruz - Just to say fair play to Luton Town for mentioning Mick Collins death in their match programme against Bournemouth on Saturday 6 April and holding a minute's silence prior to kick off at Kenilworth Road:

Rhodes. I agree it was lovely of Luton Town to remember Mick Collins as he was not a first team regular.

[Rhodes]

I'm surprised LondonEagle didn't post here at around 9.40pm on Wednesday evening, 'crowing' about Bedford Town's narrow 2-1 victory over fifth placed, in the regular season table, Ware FC at The Eyrie who finished ten points behind Bedford Town. Let us see what happens on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, also at The Eyrie, against Waltham Abbey who beat AFC Dunstable on penalties in their play-off Semi Final, Bedford Town failed to beat Waltham Abbey in the regular season, drawing 0-0 at Capershotts in October and, worryingly, losing 1-0 more recently, at The Eyrie at the end of March:

Bedford Town reach Southern League play-off final with win over Ware - Bedford Independent

[LondonEagle]

42 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

I'm surprised LondonEagle didn't post here at around 9.40pm on Wednesday evening, 'crowing' about Bedford Town's narrow 2-1 victory over fifth placed, in the regular season table, Ware FC at The Eyrie who finished ten points behind Bedford Town. Let us see what happens on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, also at The Eyrie, against Waltham Abbey who beat AFC Dunstable on penalties in their play-off Semi Final, Bedford Town failed to beat Waltham Abbey in the regular season, drawing 0-0 at Capershotts in October and, worryingly, losing 1-0 more recently, at The Eyrie at the end of March:

Bedford Town reach Southern League play-off final with win over Ware - Bedford Independent

Lol narrow 2-1 victory where Ware scored with the very last kick of the game. Nothing to crow about as a semi-final win doesn't mean anything.  

[Rhodes]

A reminder that Real Bedford Ladies are in action again on Sunday (5 May) against Stevenage FC Ladies, at the Hertfordshire FA County Ground in Letchworth, in their penultimate Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixture of the season, kick off 2.00pm. The two sides have met twice before this season, both at McMullen Park, in August in the first Eastern Region Women's League Premier Division fixture of the campaign, resulting in a 4-1 win, and in a Women's FA Cup Third Qualifying Round tie in October, resulting in a 4-0 victory.

[Rhodes]

A recent article from widely read Australia based on-line magazine 'Optus Sport' highlighting the Club's unprecedented success and comparing it to Wrexham however their American owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are 'cheapskates' compared to Mr McCormack aren't they:

Real Bedford: The eighth-tier English club with a Premier League dream powered by Bitcoin billionaires (optus.com.au)

As Welsh club Wrexham take another step towards their ambitious Premier League dream this season, another side even further down the football pyramid is also gaining some serious momentum.