Four on the bounce? Real Bedford aim for non-league immortality in Southern League play-off final

Image: Real Bedford FC

Real Bedford will be aiming for a fourth consecutive promotion on Bank Holiday Monday (4 May), as they travel to the Sir Halley Stewart Field, home of Spalding United, hoping to make the jump to the National League for the first time since the club was taken over in April 2022.

Wednesday night’s excellent 3-1 victory against an always strong Kettering Town has set up another crunch day for the Pirates, with manager Rob Sinclair hoping to lead his side to a slice of non-league history.

Read: Real Bedford one game away from the National League after Kettering play-off win

Back in April 2022, when the combative and sometimes controversial Peter McCormack took over the old Bedford FC, the club was languishing in seventh at step six of the non-league pyramid in Spartans South Midlands Division One.

Now, they are one game away from another jump on the ladder; from Southern League Premier Central to either National League North or National League South.

A triumphant rise through the ranks

While four straight promotions are not completely unprecedented in non-league football – this season’s National League basement club, Truro City achieved the feat up to step three between 2005 and 2009 – the occasion is certainly a rare one.

No club in English football history has completed four consecutive promotions up to National League football. Will Real Bedford be the first?

Non-league rivals have been and gone for a revamped club still in its relative infancy.

Northampton Chenecks, Milton Keynes Irish and Berkhamsted have all tried and failed to stop Real Bedford winning league titles at steps six, five and four, and while Harborough Town broke the streak with a deserved Southern League Premier Central title at step three this season, Real have an excellent chance of joining the promotion party.

Real Bedford celebrated their first league title in April 2023. Image: Real Bedford FC

Despite a slow start to the campaign, in which Real Bedford won just one of their first eight competitive games – incidentally the season’s opener against Spalding – the Pirates slowly but surely found their feet at step three, securing a play-off spot with four weeks to go.

Eight league wins in nine from the turn of the year certainly helped their cause, and despite a couple of minor blips against Quorn and Leiston, their momentum has been solid heading into the biggest game of their season.

Chairman and co-owner, Peter McCormack continues to claim that “nothing stops this train”; a quote he attributes to a friend in the Bitcoin sphere, Lyn Alden.

Are Spalding United the team to stop it?

The opponents and the men to watch

On paper, Spalding had a better league campaign than Real Bedford.

It feels like a long time since two Joey Evans goals secured a comeback win for Real Bedford against their play-off final opponents on 9 August.

So long ago in fact that prolific striker, Evans is no longer at the club having moved to Wellingborough Town.

Read: Real Bedford come from behind to open Southern League season with victory

Since that opening day, Spalding have racked up 25 league wins, finishing four points ahead of Real on 85 points, but for the vast majority of the season, they were in a two-horse race for the title with Harborough, who eventually finished ten points clear.

Spalding’s form throughout March and into April has been scattergun; losing games against Needham Market, Bromsgrove Sporting and Stratford Town as well as shipping four in a final day 4-4 draw at Worcester City, alongside a stalemate against relegated, St Ives.

Josh Setchell set up the equaliser in August. Image: Real Bedford FC

Spalding’s goal threats are however aplenty, with Jack Roberts netting 22 league goals across the season, alongside Wednesday night’s match winner, Yusifu Ceesay.

Bartosz Cybulski, who scored a brace against Real Bedford in their 3-3 draw before Christmas, is also a threat.

Spalding are Southern League Premier Central’s leading goalscorers by a distance, bagging 103 in the regular season alone.

For Real Bedford, goals have also rarely been a problem, led by Evans’ replacement up front in Josh Allen, while the likes of Ben Stevens and Josh Setchell have regularly contributed to a still plentiful goal tally of 84.

Craig King has also been an excellent addition in goal as the balance of the squad took better shape from October onwards.

There will be dangers for Real to bat back throughout the 90 minutes (and perhaps beyond), although such is the lottery of the play-offs, the form book can often play no part.

Now in May, history awaits Rob Sinclair and his men, and should they win Monday’s play-off final, they will join next door neighbours, Bedford Town in the National League; the first time that Bedford will boast two clubs at step two of the non-league pyramid.

The game kicks off at 3pm on Monday, 4 May at Sir Halley Stewart Field in Spalding. Tickets are sold out, but the game is being live streamed on Clubber TV.

For those who jumped on getting a ticket early, there is a supporters’ coach leaving the Ledger Stadium at 12pm on Monday.

All further information on the match day schedule, as well as how you can get your ticket can be found via the Real Bedford website here.