It’s almost two years to the day that Real Bedford, the newly-branded football club in Bedford aiming to disrupt the footballing norm, won their first trophy wearing the skull and crossbones badge across their chests.
Now in 2025, the Pirates are on the verge of a third successive league title that will see them up to step three of the non-league football pyramid and another step closer to their owner’s dream of reaching the Football League.
Once again, the stars have aligned, with the opportunity to win a league title falling on the same weekend as Peter McCormack’s ‘CheatCode’ Bitcoin event.
The event, taking place at Bedford Corn Exchange, attracts all the big name players in the world of Bitcoin and with ticket holders given free entry to the Ledger Stadium to watch “The Bitcoin Club” on Saturday, they could all be treated to a party atmosphere.
Two such names are the American crypto-billionaires turned non-league football investors, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
The American businessmen, who own the cryptocurrency exchange platform, Gemini, made headlines at the Cheat Code event last year, when it was announced they would invest $4.5m into Real Bedford FC, becoming co-owners alongside McCormack.
Read: Winklevoss twins’ $4.5m “gift to Bedford” finalised
Eleven points clear
On the pitch, Real Bedford have soared clear of their last remaining challenger, Berkhamsted in Southern League Central Division One, and are on the cusp of claiming that coveted league title.
It is now a matter of when, not if, for Rob Sinclair’s men although they will want to go one step further than last year’s effort, when the club were in the same position of potentially winning the title on ‘Cheat Code Weekend’.
Their ensuing 0-0 draw against Tring Athletic spoilt the party, although they only had to wait three days before disposing of London Lions to win back-to-back titles.
Hoping to ruin the party this time are Kings Langley, one of only two sides to have beaten Real Bedford in the league this season, but their form has dropped off a cliff since the turn of the year.
Just three points from their last twelve league games has seen Jordan Parkes’ men dragged into a relegation battle and they’ll be keen to rediscover some of the form that saw them beat Real Bedford 3-2 in December.
Read: Real Bedford in rare midweek league loss at Kings Langley
In order to do so, they’ll have to keep out a rampant Real strike force who have scored 23 goals in their last five games, contributing to 119 league goals all season, fronted by number nine, Joey Evans who has 33 of them.
Double success on the cards
Not only are the Men on the verge of creating their own piece of non-league football history, the Women are in a similar position, needing just one win to triumph in their league, scoring back-to-back titles of their own.
The Women’s National League Division One South East hosts established clubs such as Norwich City, QPR and Cambridge United but Charlie Bill’s team have brushed them all aside in pursuit of their own step four title.
Their party was scuppered last Sunday (6 April) as they drew 0-0 at AFC Sudbury after an inspired performance from the opposition goalkeeper, but in many ways, it was meant to be as they could add to the party by beating the division’s bottom club, London Seaward on Sunday (13 April).
Read: Real Bedford Women still unbeaten but made to wait for title
Both of Real Bedford Men’s and Women’s games are at home across Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 April, while McCormack’s ‘Cheat Code’ event takes place on Friday 11 April.
Real Bedford vs Kings Langley kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, while the Women face London Seaward on Sunday at 2pm.
Tickets for both Men’s and Women’s games are available here.
