Non-league rivals set to merge with ‘budget Ryan Reynolds’ becoming chairman following crypto billionaire investment

TWO non-league rivals person announced they program to merge - successful a bid to surge up the shot pyramid.

Bedford Town and Real Bedford are joining forces successful a determination designed to "transform" their fortunes.

Real are owned by Bitcoin podcaster Peter McCormack, who has antecedently indicated helium wants to spot his squad successful the Premier League.

A connection from the 2 clubs read: "The Directors of Real Bedford FC and Bedford Town FC are excited to denote that discussions are successful advancement regarding a historical merger that has the imaginable to alteration shot successful Bedford.

"We are engaged successful elaborate negotiations to unify the 2 clubs into a azygous entity.

"There is sizeable enactment to beryllium done, including navigating indispensable governance processes and protocols, details of which volition beryllium shared successful owed course.

"As portion of the projected agreement, Peter McCormack would presume the relation of Chairman of the recently merged club.

"Jon Taylor and Ben Banks volition proceed arsenic Non-Executive Directors to supply guidance during the modulation and thrust the club’s aboriginal ambitions."

McCormack, who has dubbed himself a "budget Ryan Reynolds", took implicit the nine successful 2022.

Then a 10th-tier nine called Bedford FC, they present play successful the eighth tier aft an archetypal rebrand.

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McCormack made his luck successful virtual currency and has antecedently spoken astir giving Bedford a league team.

The municipality sits successful betwixt Northampton, Luton and Cambridge, who each person EFL clubs.

Bedford has a colonisation of astir 130,000 - and section businessman McCormack believes that is much than capable to enactment a large side.

McCormack said: "As a arrogant Bedfordian, thing would marque maine happier than seeing our municipality represented astatine the highest levels successful men’s and women’s football.

"We’ve made astonishing advancement with Real Bedford, but this merger unlocks the imaginable to execute thing genuinely peculiar successful the town.

"I recognize that fans of Bedford Town whitethorn consciousness immoderate apprehension, but this lone works if we travel unneurotic to marque it a success.

"By combining the strengths of some clubs, we’re gathering a agreed beforehand that tin present league shot to Bedford.

"I’m excited astir what lies up and look guardant to moving with everyone to execute our shared ambitions."

Bedford Town are presently successful the seventh tier.

Manager Lee Bircham admits the merger is indispensable - due to the fact that the club's existent fiscal presumption is not sustainable.

Bircham admitted: "We can't vie astatine this level adjacent year.

"The owners person done the close thing.

"With the concern that Pete [McCormack] has got, Bedford could person a Football League nine successful 5 years."