At 3pm on Saturday, both Bedford Town and Real Bedford were looking to add three more points to their already impressive Southern League tallies, but two hours later, neither side had completed a game on what turned into a remarkable afternoon of non-league football.
Bedford Town’s trip to Royston Town didn’t make it to the first whistle after a sudden downpour waterlogged the pitch while a floodlight failure at the Ledger Stadium meant Real Bedford’s clash against Aylesbury was abandoned in the 66th minute.
Bedford Town’s assault on the play-off places has once again been picking up recently, but their latest effort was scuppered again as the referee deemed the pitch unplayable after a heavy downpour at Garden Walk.
With the clock already past 3pm, the crowd were already through the turnstiles when they found out the game would not be going ahead.
Bedford Town, who have already had games against Kettering Town, Telford and Stourbridge postponed this season now face another likely midweek trip as their schedule mounts up, and that’s before the weather gets traditionally colder.
Bedford Town will be back on familiar ground on Boxing Day, where come rain, shine or even snow, their home game against Hitchin Town will unlikely be ruined at a 3G-laden Eyrie.
They’ll be looking to build on seventh place, but Lee Bircham’s side are still only one point off the play-offs despite today’s postponement and will be favourites against second-bottom, Hitchin.
They return to the Eyrie 48 hours later to face fellow high-flyers, Halesowen.
Floodlight failure ruins Real resurgence
Back in Bedford, Real Bedford’s game against Aylesbury in Southern League Central Division One did start and first half strikes from Ben Stevens and Joey Evans looked to be returning the Pirates to the winner’s enclosure after a midweek loss at Kings Langley.
Read: Real Bedford in rare midweek league loss at Kings Langley
However, moments after a Stevens effort crashed off the crossbar with Real pressing for a third, the Ledger Stadium was plunged into darkness as the floodlights went out, and it very quickly became apparent that they were not coming back on.
Ten minutes later, the shrill blast from the referee’s whistle sounded from the dark for the final time, indicating that the game had been abandoned with Real Bedford 2-0 up and cruising.
There’s a cruel sense of irony here, as Real Bedford were on the right end of a similar incident at Stansted at step five last season, when the floodlights went out in Essex with Real losing by the same scoreline as today.
They went on to win the rearranged fixture, helping propel them to the Spartans South Midlands Premier Division title.
With that precedent in mind, it’s highly unlikely Real Bedford will be awarded the win with just 66 minutes on the clock, and they will have to come back on a midweek date to try and claim the three points they were odds on to pick up.
To rub salt in the wounds, their title rivals Berkhamsted were 4-1 winners at Kidlington to open up a four point gap at the top of Southern League Central Division One, although Real Bedford do, once again, have a game in hand in second.
They too are back in action on Boxing Day as they travel to AFC Dunstable before returning to the Ledger Stadium two days later to host fourth-placed, Barton Rovers.
