REAL BEDFORD (McMullen Park)

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, REAL BEDFORD 5-1 DUNSTABLE TOWN, ATTENDANCE: 162

For Non-league Day 2024 I headed to McMullen Park for a Bedfordshire Derby between Real Bedford and Dunstable Town in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.

The Pirates dominated the game and it was a convincing victory, which maintains their current position at the top of the table. It's between Real Bedford and Milton Keynes Irish for the title, and promotion, with Bedford currently having the points on the board but Milton Keynes having the games in hand. It's going right to the wire this one.

This afternoon's game was effectively over by half time with Real Bedford 3-0 up thanks to goals from Archie Jones (30) and a brace from Joey Evans (40, 45). An own goal (56) made it 4-0 before Dunstable netted a consolation through Alfie Osborne (69). The Pirates completed the scoring with a fifth goal through Ben Stevens (71).

Real Bedford were formed in 2002 with a merger of Bedford United and Unione Sportiva Valerio. Valerio were a Sunday league team formed in 1995, whilst Bedford United were established in 1957 as the works team of the printing firm Diemer & Reynolds. After the merger the club took Bedford United's place in the Spartan South Midlands League as Bedford Valerio United before becoming Bedford FC in 2007.

In April 2022 Bedford were taken over by over by bitcoin podcaster Peter McCormack, who stated that he intended for the club to reach the Premier League. The club's name was changed to Real Bedford prior to the 2022–23 season, which was a successful campaign which saw them lift the Bedfordshire Senior Trophy and the Division One title. They are currently on course for back-to-back promotions.

McMullen Park has been home to Bedford since 1996 when, after a nomadic existence, the club set up base on land between the main A421 trunk road and Bedford Town's ground, The New Eyrie. McMullen Park is named after lifetime founder-member and former Vice Chairman Jim McMullen. How long the club will stay at McMullen Park remains to be seen as there is currently a dispute between the club and Bedfordshire Council over the lease of the ground (click here). Watch this space, as they say...

Archie Jones opens the scoring for The Pirates. 

McMullen Park is adjacent to the main A421 trunk road. 

EDIT: On 26th April 2024 it was announced that a new 15 year lease on McMullen Park had been agreed between the club and the council. This came just a week after Real Bedford had clinched the Spartan South Midlands League title and promotion to Step 4 of the non-league pyramid.

TRING ATHLETIC (The Grass Roots Stadium)

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION, TRING ATHLETIC 0-2 BALDOCK TOWN, ATTENDANCE 95

This was not my intended destination when I left home just after 9am, as I failed to take into account how much the rainfall over the previous days had impacted on pitches across the country. Maybe my groundhopping senses had been dulled by the lack of action in 2020!

Regardless, after scouring the fixture lists whilst at a pit stop halfway down the M40, I doubled checked on Twitter and Tring Athletic had tweeted it was matchday and it was game on. No issues.

The only thing I knew about Tring is that former Premier League referee Graham Poll was from there - a popular referee (sic) with us Blues, especially after disallowing Don Hutchinson's derby 'winner' in April 2000, a mistake he admitted after retirement.

So, it was to the Grass Roots Stadium that I headed. As I was travelling to the ground I drove by the Tring Brewery. Well it would have been incredibly rude not to pop in!

Tring Athletic were formed in 1958 as a youth set up and it wasn't until the early seventies that they became a fully fledged adult club. The club played their home games at Mansell Lane but problems led to the ground being sold to the council in 1976. The club joined the South Midlands League in 1988 and were founder members of the Spartan South Midlands League a decade later.

In 2003, with Mansell Lane failing to get permission to erect floodlights, the club absorbed Tring Town and set up base at what is now called the Grass Roots Stadium. The club reached the Premier Division that season and have remained there since.

With capacity limits in place because of Covid regulations, my heart skipped a beat when I was directed away from the car park at the ground as it was full. Surely they were not here to watch Tring Athletic? It turns out they were next door watching a rugby match. Each to their own I guess!

Baldock Town were the visitors and this was both teams first competitive game, post-lockdown. It was far from a classic but both teams seemed to have the advantage when kicking down the sloping pitch. Chances were at a premium, but Baldock managed to score a goal in each half. The first came after 28 minutes when a long throw into the box was flicked home by Ashley Jay (pictured below).

The second goal came after 80 minutes when a corner kick fell to Baldock skipper Josh Furness, who smashed home from the edge of the six yard box to seal the victory for The Reds.

The programme is online only. You can click here to read.

RISBOROUGH RANGERS (The Windsors)

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE, RISBOROUGH RANGERS 9-1 LANGFORD, ATTENDANCE: 72

Today I found myself in Princes Risborough, though by accident rather than design. Risborough Rangers "The Windsor's" was the nearest ground to my mates house, who fancied a game with me, but who was on babysitting duties and couldn't get away until after 2.30pm. 

The ground is on Horsenden Lane
but is known locally as The Windsors

Nonetheless it is usually in these cases things turn out better than expected and today was one of those cases. 

Ground is cracking set up for this level (step 6) and the welcome from the people at the club was fantastic. Couple that with plenty of goals and the sun shining, it made for a great afternoon. 

Risborough were 15th at start of play with visitors Langford bottom of the table. The game was effectively over inside 40 minutes with the hosts 4-0 up and the visitors down to 9 men.  

Risborough scored two quick goals in the opening ten minutes through Jack Welch and Lawrence Clark before Langford's Ryan Ellis conceded a penalty. He was given a yellow card but a second swiftly followed after he continued to argue with the referee. Adam Harpur saved the James Shrimpton's spot kick but he tucked away the rebound.

Things got worse for the Langford when Harpur fumbled a tame shot and Sam Ward had an easy tap in. Reece Loudon then received a straight red for a kick off the ball that was spotted by a linesman. As you could imagine the Langford manager was not impressed and proceeded to "do a Phil Brown" by giving his half time talk on the pitch.

Shrimpton  completed his hat-trick and then got his fourth before Dan Gray made it 8-0. Langford got on the scoresheet thanks to Josh Cornwell, little consolation for the team having now conceded over 100 goals this season. 

There was still time for Risborough to score another when Sam Ward netted in stoppage time.

An unexpected delight this afternoon and a visit to this friendly club comes highly recommended.

You dont go to game expecting to have to 'google' latin but this means "For those who are looking for the ball" and is in the corner of this little stand.

 

AMPTHILL TOWN (Ampthill Park)

FA VASE 2nd Round, AMPTHILL TOWN 7-0 BARKING, ATTENDANCE: 150 (est)

I had to head south this weekend for a mates birthday party (happy 40th Barney!) so as the gig didn't start until 7pm, this gave me the chance to get a game in prior to the festivities.

As it was Vase day then that it simply had to be a Vase game. The closest tie to my destination was between Spartan South Midlands League Ampthill Town and Essex Senior League Barking.

Ampthill is a small town in Bedfordshire between Bedford and Luton. The town's name derives from Aemethyll, which translates as 'ant infested hill'. The football was founded in 1881 and joined the United Counties League in 1965. They were transferred across to the South Midlands League in 1991, before league reconstruction in 1997 led to a merger with the Spartan League to form the Spartan South Midlands League, where Ampthil Town have remained since.

They finished runners-up in Division One in 2011/12 and were promoted to the Premier League where last season they finished 5th. At the beginning of play Ampthill were top of their league and Barking were 7th.

On paper it appeared a home banker and boy did the homesters run riot, netting seven goals without reply.  In fairness though Barking were not as bad as the scoreline suggests, it really just wasn't their day. 

Danny Watson headed home for Ampthill after 4 minutes but the first half was pretty even after that, with both teams having chances, but Watson added his, and Town's second just before the interval.

Barking went for it at the start of the second period and they were awarded a penalty, which could have made it 2-1. Dumebi GB-Dumaka's spot kick was saved and from then on the Barking heads seem to drop. Ampthill played some brilliant counter attacking football and everything they hit seemed to go in. Watson completed his hat-trick after 59 minutes and Gary Ridgeway smashed home a superb volley after 62 minutes.

Phil Draycott hit home an even better volley into the roof of the net after 77 minutes before a bullet-header from Tyrone Taylor made it six after 80 minutes. Christian Lester burst through after 87 minutes to complete the scoring for Ampthill.

Cracking set up at Ampthill Park and I really enjoyed my afternoon at the ground.

Ampthill with be at home to Beckenham Town in the next round as they look to better last season's run to the last 16.