Bedford’s football clubs have been building their way up to the new non-league campaign with eventful and sometimes fiery pre-season friendlies throughout July as they prepare for 9 August and the beginning of the competitive football calendar.
Bedford Town will be competing in National League North – their first campaign at step two in nineteen years – while Real Bedford won a third successive promotion last season to take their place in Southern League Premier Central at step three.
Kempston Rovers’ Spartans South Midlands Premier Division campaign at step five started on Saturday (26 June) with a 3-0 away defeat at Harpenden Town.
New signings make impact
New names have been trickling in to both The Eyrie and the Ledger Stadium throughout the off-season, and it’s those names who have made the biggest impact in both clubs’ respective pre-season campaigns.
Tyrone Marsh’s twenty-five yard effort was the Eagles’ only goal in a 1-1 draw at St Neots for Bedford Town in their first pre-season friendly on 12 July, before squeezing past Kings Langley 1-0 a few days later.
A couple of trialists were on hand to score both goals in a 2-1 win for the Eagles over Ware on 19 July before an eight-goal thriller against a Watford Development XI ended with a 5-3 win for Lee Bircham’s side on Tuesday 22 July.
Tyrone Marsh was once again on the scoresheet, alongside another new signing in Lewis Coyle and Elliot Simmons with two more unnamed trialists getting in on the act in an entertaining encounter.
New signings have continued to take place throughout the month; the most notable one of which comes in the form of John Shamalo, who joins on loan from League Two side, AFC Barrow.
Shamalo, who trekked up north on a permanent deal from Barton Rovers in January, moves on loan to the Eyrie to add more reinforcements to an attacking line that already includes the likes of Tyrone Marsh, Shaun Jeffers and captain, Ryan Blake.
Shamalo, who is on loan until January 2026, was on the scoresheet in the Eagles’ most recent pre-season game alongside Jeffers in a 2-2 draw at step three, Uxbridge Town on Saturday.
Lee Bircham’s men have two more pre-season friendlies, at home to Bircham’s former side, Hemel Hempstead Town on Tuesday 29 July, before another trip to Somerset to play Taunton Town on 2 August.
Bedford Town open up their National League North season at The Eyrie against Alfreton Town on 9 August.
Fiery Hitchin encounter leads Real’s pre-season
Rob Sinclair’s Real Bedford side have also seen their new names settle in well at the Ledger Stadium, with most of them on the scoresheet in what has been a more comfortable pre-season for the Pirates.
4-1 and 7-1 wins against Corby Town and AFC Welwyn kicked things off, before an extraordinary encounter at Hitchin Town’s Top Field that saw three red cards given to Real Bedford on a fractious afternoon on 19 July.
Captain, Lee Watkins saw red alongside his midfield compatriot, Drew Richardson as well as the usually serene, Rob Sinclair from the dugout, with onlookers claiming the referee had “lost control” and “did not usually officiate at this standard”.
Despite the second half chaos, the Pirates beat step four side, Hitchin 1-0 thanks to a second goal in two games for Conor Tee, before moving on to face a tougher challenge in National League South side, Hampton and Richmond Borough.
Tee was once again in the goals as Real beat their higher league opposition, 2-1 with fellow new signing, Josh Allen scoring the other in a game that manager, Rob Sinclair called a “really pleasing performance”.
Real Bedford also have two pre-season games remaining; at Hertford Town on Tuesday night (29 July), before a home game against St Albans City on 2 August finishes the Pirates’ pre-season campaign.
Rob Sinclair’s side kick off their Southern League Premier Central season at home against Spalding United on 9 August.
It begins what is a tricky August for Real Bedford, with a trip to Needham Market – a side who were relegated from National League North – following on 12 August before games against losing play-off sides, Halesowen Town and Kettering Town.
