Bedford Town F.C.

Bedford Town Football Club is a football club based in the Borough of Bedford, England. The club are currently members of the Southern League Division One Central and play at the Eyrie in Cardington, a village on the outskirts of Bedford. They are full members of the Football Association and affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association.

A Bedford Town Football Club was in existence by 1884, although it changed its name to Bedford Association in 1887.[2] As there were no leagues at the time, the club played friendly matches in cups, including the Kettering Charity Cup and the Luton Charity Cup, before disappearing in 1891.[2] The name Bedford Town reappeared in 1894 when Swifts, a club founded in 1890, were renamed.[2] They absorbed Bedford Rovers in 1896, and although local leagues had been formed, the club continued to play only cup matches and friendlies.[2] However, the club disappeared around the turn of the century.[2]

On 31 July 1908 a new Bedford Town was formed at the Association Rooms on Harpur Street.[2] They joined Division One of the Northamptonshire League, finishing bottom of the table in their first two seasons, but avoiding relegation to Division Two.[3] They went on to finish as runners-up for three consecutive seasons between 1911–12 and 1913–14 before the league closed down due to World War I.[3] They also won the Northamptonshire Senior Cup in 1912–13.[4]

After the war the club continued in the league, finishing as Division One runners-up in 1929–30 before winning the title in 1930–31. The following season saw them finish in second place again, after which they won back-to-back titles in 1932–33 and 1933–34.[3] The league was then renamed the United Counties League, with Bedford finishing as runners-up in 1934–35 and reaching the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 3–2 at home to Dartford.[5] They finished as runners-up again in 1936–37, remaining in the league until World War II.[6]