Real Bedford Ladies FC

Real Bedford Ladies were founded in 1996 as Bedford Ladies and Girls FC, and spent many years as an independent club before becoming caught up in one of the most unusual projects in English football. In 2022 they joined forces with Real Bedford — the non-league men's club rebranded and acquired by podcaster and Bitcoin advocate Peter McCormack, whose openly stated, audacious ambition is to take the little Bedford club all the way to the Premier League. Backed by record non-league investment, including from US billionaires Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the women's side was funded and prioritised from the start, paying its players early. The results came fast: a treble in their first season under the Real Bedford banner and back-to-back promotions in 2023/24 and 2024/25 to reach the third tier. Nicknamed the Pirates, they've quickly become one of the strongest women's programmes outside the professional leagues.