Yahoo Sports Merger plan will not 'consume' Bedford Town
The co-owner of Real Bedford has promised there is no intention of "consuming" Bedford Town if a merger between the two clubs is approved.
Bitcoin-backed Real Bedford are top of Southern League Division One Central, the division below seventh-tier Bedford Town, who were originally founded in 1908.
Peter McCormack has stated an ambition to establish an English Football League club in the town, with the aim of eventually reaching the Premier League, and also wants to see a team in the second-tier women's Championship.
"The most important thing is that we respect both clubs, probably in some ways we need to respect Bedford Town a bit more, firstly because their fans are a little more nervous about this, some of them are thinking of it more as a takeover than a merger, and their history is a lot richer and longer than ours," McCormack told BBC Three Counties Radio's Non-League Show.
"The one thing I can guarantee is that the merged club will not be called Real Bedford. It might be called Bedford Town, it might be Real Bedford Town or something else.
"It's not us going to consume Bedford Town, their history is too important, their fans have followed them through thick and thin, good times, bad times, dark times when the club folded. We want them to be part of it."
Merger talks were first announced on 17 January and a legal agreement has to be reached by the end of March - but the Football Association and Southern League have yet to give their approval.
Rapid success for Real
Bitcoin podcaster McCormack bought Bedford FC in 2021 and changed the club's name to Real Bedford at the end of that season.
They have built up an international fan base and achieved two promotions under manager Rob Sinclair, who once played for Bedford Town, to reach the eighth tier of the English pyramid.
Last April the club received a cash injection of injection of $4.5m (about £3.6m) from a US investment firm owned by twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and they became co-owners alongside McCormack.
"When sponsors sponsor a football club, they're looking for awareness, but they also want to be part of a journey. Now as a journey, this is exciting because the merged entity will become a much stronger club," McCormack added.
"It doesn't change what the Real Bedford foundations are. The foundations are Bitcoin, we use that as a financial tool for the club and the merged entity will continue and use that because it's a weapon for our club, it makes us stronger - both in terms of our finances, but also the awareness of the club globally."
The original Bedford Town went out of business in 1982 but the club reformed seven years later and are currently top of Southern League Premier Central under boss Lee Bircham, having been promoted last season.
Bircham has already said that a merger is "the right solution" for the club.
A fans' forum is expected be held at Bedford Town for detailed proposals to be put to supporters of both clubs.
If the merger goes ahead, McCormack would become chairman of the new club, with Town's Jon Taylor and Ben Banks as non-executive directors.
And the merged club will play at Town's Eyrie ground in Cardington, which has a 3G pitch.
"Some people think we want to do this deal because of the ground, which is not true," McCormack added.
"If Bedford Town did not exist, and we were on our own in the same ground we are in, we would not have it as a barrier to the things we want to achieve.
"Ultimately, the future of Bedford is league football. We will need a new ground either way and that is something we are considering quite deeply now. Where would this new ground be? Can it be on that site? Does it have to be another site?
"We've got to think of a ground that can hold thousands of people, a modern facility, and merger or no merger, that is a project we're doing anyway."
Peter McCormack was speaking to BBC 3CR's Ollie Bayliss
