BEDFORD AT THE DOUBLE!

THERE was a right old Bedford knees-up as the Southern League put the seal on a superb 2024-25 season with their annual awards evening.

- By John Lyons

The event took place at the Leonardo Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton last Saturday and shone a light on all those who had sparkled on the pitch throughout the year.

And there was certainly plenty of silverware heading off to towards Bedfordshire afterwards. That was because Bedford Town and Real Bedford both enjoyed spectacular campaigns.

Lee Bircham’s Town made it back-to-back promotions by lifting the Premier Central crown, finishing with a five-point cushion over runners-up Kettering Town.

Meanwhile, new kids on the block Real Bedford went one better by making it a hat-trick of promotions on the spin. The ambitious Pirates lifted the Division One Central title with a whopping 104 points, ending 15 clear of second-placed Berkhamsted.

Both Bedford clubs who had been in talks about a possible merger before shelving the idea in April were honoured for their league success.