Real Bedford co-owner, Peter McCormack raised some eyebrows as he floated some ‘ideas’ at the fans’ forum about the proposed merger between Bedford Town FC and Real Bedford FC. However, fans will have to wait to find out the finer details of any final decisions.
It was a packed Maxey Suite last night (Wednesday) as fans heard from Bedford Town FC director, Ben Banks, Real Bedford’s co-owner, Peter McCormack and Bedford Town’s two other directors, Jon Taylor and Gary Hewitt.
Read: Bedford Town and Real Bedford in merger talks to “transform football in Bedford”
Ben Banks began the evening with a presentation that outlined the challenges the current Bedford Town FC faces and was blunt in his assessment of the future of the club.
“We have volunteered our time and put in significant funds in trying to move this club forward, but in the climate we now live in, this is becoming increasingly difficult”, said Banks.
“Football budgets at step three are eye-watering. There are some clubs in our division pumping in £600k-£700k per season and that is impossible for us to compete with.
“One club got promoted to step two, lost half a million pounds and still got relegated. This is not sustainable. If you don’t try and move forward, you will start going backwards and that unfortunately is inevitable.
“We have no further appetite to invest in ongoing losses.”
The Football League in seven years
Peter McCormack, who will become chairman of the newly formed club, outlined the significant investment that has already been made at Real Bedford, including his belief that the “Bitcoin standard” will “form a bedrock” on which the club can be built.
Read: Real Bedford announce $4.5m investment from Gemini’s Winklevoss twins
“Everything we are doing at Real Bedford is for the benefit of the town,” said McCormack.
“We are the second largest town in the UK to have never had a Football League side. The Bitcoin treasury we are preserving gives us the foundations to reach the higher levels of the EFL [English Football League] and the higher reaches of the Women’s game.
“I’m not here to make friends, but I want all of you to come with us in delivering something unique for the town of Bedford. Our aim is to be in the Football League in seven years, and I think we can do it.”
He then, despite the panel stressing there had been no official decisions made, floated various ideas about the new club name and branding.
Suggesting the club could be named ‘Real Bedford Town’ he then presented a new club badge, incorporating an eagle and a skull – a nod to the nicknames of the two current clubs.
Telling the packed room he had been sent the logo “just before this meeting”, McCormack stressed that these ideas were not confirmed.
Founding members association
The main block of the evening was reserved for questions from the floor.
Responding to a question from Bedford Independent, asking what will be done to protect the legacy and history of Bedford Town and its community, McCormack said there will be a “founding members association”, where “original” fans of Bedford Town will be protected.
“We will establish a founding members association, where current season ticket holders at Bedford Town will be protected from any steep rises in ticket prices that may occur when we go up the leagues”, said McCormack.
“We will preserve your membership so that ticket prices only go up by inflation”, he added.
In response to the second part of the question on the Bedford Town community, McCormack said he wanted to remain “respectful” to the current fans.
“It is fundamental that the community is maintained, but my main focus is on recruiting new fans for the future”, said McCormack.
“I often hear people talk about games against Newcastle and the FA Cup game against Arsenal. There are only a handful of fans in here that were alive to see those.
“I care more about the now and the future rather than the history. We want to create a new history.”
“I agree with Peter,” added Bedford Town Director, Jon Taylor. “We are too fixated on the past.”
As the evening continued, McCormack floated more ideas into the audience, including a brand new stadium, or “a potential ground share with Bedford Blues”.
“I think a good scenario is developing Goldington Road into a 10,000 seater stadium, which allows Bedford Blues to gain promotion to the Premiership and ground sharing so we too can have a decent Football League ground.
“One thing we won’t be doing is merging with clubs like Milton Keynes [Dons] or Northampton Town. There are other towns I have no interest in. I only want what is best for Bedford,” said McCormack.
We’ve asked Bedford Blues for their thoughts on McCormack’s ground share suggestion.
What we do know
Every official from Bedford Town and Real Bedford consistently repeated that no decisions had been made, although any merger needs to be legally finalised by 31 March so it can take effect in time for next season.
Peter McCormack has already confirmed he will be the new chairman of any newly merged club, while Jon Taylor and Ben Banks will remain as non-executive directors, attending “four to six” board meetings per year, but otherwise “enjoying being fans again”.
Home games for the new club will also take place at The Eyrie.
Everything else, including team name, club badge, manager and which level of the non-league pyramid any new club will play in remains up in the air pending Southern League and FA approval.
We also know that FA rules prevent two clubs from “merging up”, meaning it is unlikely that any new club will play at step two, even if Bedford Town do get promoted this season after a remarkable campaign so far at step three.
The decision of what division and what step of the pyramid any newly merged club will play lies in the hands of the authorities.
Bedford Town officials also stressed that communication with fans will be “paramount” and as soon as any more information is finalised, “we will communicate it to you as soon as possible”.
For now, non-league football fans in Bedford will have to wait and see but in the meantime, both Bedford Town and Real Bedford are back in league action this Saturday (8 February).
Real Bedford will hope to hold on to their status as league leaders of Southern League Central Division One as they travel to second-bottom side, Kidlington while Bedford Town host Bromsgrove Sporting in the division above at The Eyrie.
Tickets for Bedford Town’s home game can be purchased here while tickets for Real Bedford’s away game can be bought on the gate at Kidlington FC.
Both games kick off at 3pm.
