{{short description|Association football club in England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Real Bedford | image = Real Bedford FC crest.svg | image_size = 170px | fullname = Real Bedford Football Club | nickname = The Pirates | founded = 2002 | ground = McMullen Park, [[Bedford]] | capacity = | chairman = Peter McCormack | manager = [[Rob Sinclair (footballer, born 1989)|Rob Sinclair]] | league = {{English football updater|Bedford}} | season = {{English football updater|Bedford2}} | position = {{English football updater|Bedford3}} | pattern_la1 = _blackborder | pattern_b1 = _blackcollar | pattern_ra1 = _blackborder | pattern_sh1 = | leftarm1 = f2a900 | body1 = f2a900 | rightarm1 = f2a900 | shorts1 = 000000 | socks1 = f2a900 | pattern_la2=_whiteborder | pattern_b2=_whitecollar | pattern_ra2=_whiteborder | pattern_sh2=_whitesides | leftarm2=000000 | body2=000000 | rightarm2=000000 | shorts2=000000 | socks2=000000 | website = [https://www.realbedford.com realbedford.com] }}
'''Real Bedford Football Club''' is a [[association football|football]] club in [[Bedford]], England, established in 2002 as a merger of Bedford United and US Valerio. They are members of the {{English football updater|Bedford}}, the seventh tier of the English football system, and play at McMullen Park.
==History== ===Bedford United=== Bedford United were established in 1957, the [[works team]] of the printing firm Diemer & Reynolds.<ref name=H>[http://bedfordfc.net/wp/index.php/about-us/ About us] Bedford F.C.</ref> In 1971 the club joined Division Three of the [[United Counties League]], which was renamed Division Two the following season. They remained in Division Two until leaving the league in 1979,<ref name=FCHD1>{{fchd|id=BEDFORDU|name=Bedford United}}</ref> dropping into the [[Bedfordshire County Football League|Bedfordshire County League]], going on to win Division One in 1979–80.<ref>[http://www.bedfordshirefootballleague.co.uk/docs/handbook2007-08-updated_FEB08.pdf Bedfordshire Football League Handbook 2007-2008] Bedfordshire County League</ref> In 1989 they joined Division One of the [[South Midlands League]], becoming a member of the Senior Division following league reorganisation in 1993.<ref name=FCHD1/> In 1995–96 they finished third in the division, earning promotion to the Premier Division.<ref name=FCHD1/>
In 1997 the South Midlands League merged with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League, with Bedford United placed in the Premier Division North.<ref name=FCHD1/> After finishing fourteenth in the division in the league's [[1997–98 Spartan South Midlands Football League|first season]], they were placed in the Senior Division the following season.<ref name=FCHD1/> A third-place finish in [[1999–2000 Spartan South Midlands Football League|1999–2000]] saw them promoted to the Premier Division.<ref name=FCHD1/>
===US Valerio=== Unione Sportiva Valerio was formed as a [[Sunday league football|Sunday league]] club in 1985 and was named after its founder Nicola Valerio.<ref name=H/>
===Merged club=== The two clubs merged in 2002 to form '''Bedford United & Valerio''', taking Bedford United's place in the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands League.<ref name=FCHD2>{{fchd|id=BEDFORUV|name=Bedford United & Valerio}}</ref> They finished second-from-bottom of the Premier Division in [[2004–05 Spartan South Midlands Football League|2004–05]] and were relegated to Division One.<ref name=FCHD2/> In 2006 they were renamed '''Bedford Valerio United''', before being renamed simply '''Bedford''' in 2007.<ref name=FCHD3>{{fchd|id=BEDFORVU|name=Bedford Valerio United}}</ref> In 2012–13 the club won the Bedfordshire Senior Trophy.<ref>[http://www.bedfordshirefa.com/~/media/countysites/bedfordshirefa/documents/county-cups/previous-finals-details/senior-trophy.ashx Senior Trophy finals 2002–2013] Bedfordshire FA</ref> In [[2014–15 Spartan South Midlands Football League|2014–15]] they finished third in Division One, earning promotion to the Premier Division.<ref name=FCHD4>{{fchd|id=BEDFORD|name=Bedford}}</ref> However, the club finished bottom of the Premier Division the [[2015–16 Spartan South Midlands Football League|following season]] and were relegated back to Division One.
===Real Bedford=== In 2022 the club was taken over by [[bitcoin]] podcaster Peter McCormack, who became chairman, having previously stated that he intended for the club to reach the [[Premier League]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-60084253|title=Bedford FC: Bitcoin podcaster says the club is now global|date=21 January 2022|website=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/bitcoin-businessman-peter-mccormack-sets-sights-on-premier-league-after-bedford-fc-purchase/|title=Bitcoin businessman Peter McCormack sets sights on Premier League after Bedford FC purchase|first=Tom|last=Carr|date=20 December 2021}}</ref><ref>[https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/peter-mccormack-becomes-chairman-as-he-completes-bedford-fc-takeover/ Peter McCormack becomes Chairman as he completes Bedford FC takeover] Bedford Independent, 14 April 2022</ref> The club's name was changed to '''Real Bedford''' before the 2022–23 season,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/62646030|title=Real Bedford: Forest Green promotion winner Rob Sinclair leading bitcoin-backed side|website=BBC Sport|date=24 August 2022}}</ref> which saw them win the Bedfordshire Senior Trophy and the [[2022–23 Spartan South Midlands Football League|Division One title]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senior Trophy |url=https://fulltime.thefa.com/competition.html?selectedSeason=112121353&selectedFixtureGroupAgeGroup=0&selectedDivision=0&selectedCompetition=890160046&ftsCompetitionPageContent.selectedFeatureCode=1_738648311 |access-date=21 April 2023 |website=FA Full Time}}</ref> earning promotion to the Premier Division.
In 2024 American [[cryptocurrency]] investors, [[Cameron Winklevoss|Cameron]] and [[Tyler Winklevoss]] invested $4.5 million in the club.<ref>{{cite web | last=Fullbrook | first=Danny | title=Club owner had to explain English football to Winklevoss twins | website=BBC News | date=16 April 2024 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce43l3n449vo | access-date=16 April 2024}}</ref> The club went on to [[2023–24 Spartan South Midlands Football League|win the Premier Division]], securing a second successive promotion, this time to Division One Central of the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68833770|title=Real Bedford win title days after US bitcoin investment|website=BBC Sport|date=17 April 2024|accessdate=22 April 2024}}</ref> The [[2024–25 Southern Football League|following season]] saw them finish as champions of Division One Central, resulting in promotion to the Premier Division Central.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Real Bedford {{!}} Title Triumph |url=https://southern-football-league.co.uk/news/136655/REAL-BEDFORD-TITLE-TRIUMPH |access-date=2025-08-01 |website=Southern League}}</ref>
==Ground== Bedford United initially played on a pitch at the printers' firm, before moving to the nearby village of [[Cople]] and then returning to Bedford to play at Allen Park.<ref name=H/> They subsequently played at Fairhill on Clapham Road,<ref name=H/> where the club's record attendance of 1,500 was set for a South Midlands League match against [[Bedford Town F.C.|Bedford Town]].<ref name=NLCD>Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) ''Non-League Club Directory 2013'', p766 {{ISBN|978-1-869833-77-0}}</ref>
The land was later bought by [[Sainsbury's]], and as a result Bedford United temporarily groundshared with [[A.F.C. Kempston Rovers|Kempston Rovers]] at Hillgrounds, before moving to McMullen Park in 1996.<ref name=H/> The ground was named after Jim McMullen, one of the club's founders.<ref name=H/> When the merged club was formed, they continued to play at McMullen Park.
==Honours== *'''Southern Football League''' **Division One Central 2024–25 *'''Spartan South Midlands League''' **Premier Division champions 2023–24 **Division One champions 2022–23 *'''Bedfordshire Senior Trophy''' **Winners 2012–13, 2022–23
==Records== *Best [[FA Cup]] performance: First qualifying round, [[2025–26 FA Cup qualifying rounds|2025–26]]<ref name=FCHD2/><ref name=FCHD3/><ref name=FCHD4/><ref name=FCHD5/> *Best [[FA Trophy]] performance: Second round, [[2025–26 FA Trophy|2025–26]]<ref name=FCHD5>{{fchd|id=REAL-BED|name=Real Bedford}}</ref> *Best [[FA Vase]] performance: Second round, [[2006–07 FA Vase|2006–07]], [[2009–10 FA Vase|2009–10]], [[2023–24 FA Vase|2023–24]]<ref name=FCHD2/><ref name=FCHD3/><ref name=FCHD4/><ref name=FCHD5/>
==See also== *{{c|Real Bedford F.C. players}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|https://www.realbedford.com}}
{{Southern League}} {{coord|52|07|40|N|0|24|54|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=title}}
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 2002]] [[Category:2002 establishments in England]] [[Category:Football clubs in Bedfordshire]] [[Category:Men's football clubs in England]] [[Category:Sport in Bedford]] [[Category:Works football clubs in England]] [[Category:Spartan South Midlands Football League]] [[Category:Southern Football League clubs]]