Bedford Town

Pre-war

A Bedford Town Football Club was in existence by 1884, although it changed its name to Bedford Association in 1887. 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. The name Bedford Town reappeared in 1894 when Swifts, a club founded in 1890, were renamed. They absorbed Bedford Rovers in 1896, and although local leagues had been formed, the club continued to play only cup matches and friendlies. However, the club disappeared around the turn of the century.

On 31 July 1908 a new Bedford Town was formed at the Association Rooms on Harpur Street. They joined Division One of the Northamptonshire League, finishing bottom of the table in their first two seasons, but avoiding relegation to Division Two. 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. They also won the Northamptonshire Senior Cup in 1912–13.

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. 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. They finished as runners-up again in 1936–37, remaining in the league until World War II.

Southern League and cup success

In 1945 Bedford joined the Southern League. They reached the first round of the FA Cup several times in the early 1950s, losing 2–0 at Swindon Town in 1951–52, 4–0 at Weymouth in 1953–54 and 2–0 at Dorchester Town in 1954–55. In 1955 they applied for election to the Football League after finishing eighteenth in the Southern League, but received no votes.

The 1955–56 season saw them reach the first round of the FA Cup again, and for the first time they progressed to the next round after beating Leyton 3–0. The second round saw them defeat Football League opposition for the first time as they won 3–2 against Watford, before being drawn against Arsenal in the third round. The first match at Highbury ended 2–2, with Arsenal winning the replay 2–1. They applied for election to the Football League again following a third-place finish in the Southern League, but again failed to receive a vote.

In the following season the club again beat Football League opposition in the FA Cup, defeating Norwich City 4–2 at Carrow Road before losing 1–0 at Reading. They finished as runners-up in both 1956–57 and 1957–58, again applying unsuccessfully for Football League membership, although they received one vote in 1957 and two in 1958. The Southern League was split into North-West and South-East divisions for the 1958–59 season, with Bedford winning the South-East section and going on to beat North-West champions Hereford United 2–1 in a championship play-off at Edgar Street. Despite winning the Southern League, they failed to receive a single vote in the 1959 Football League elections.

The following season saw further league re-organisation, with Bedford placed in the new Premier Division; their FA Cup campaign ended with a 4–0 first round defeat at home to Gillingham. However, the mid-1960s was an extremely successful period for the club in the cup; in 1962–63 they reached the second round where they were again beaten by Gillingham, this time away. The following season saw them beat non-League opposition in the first and second round before being drawn against Second Division Newcastle United in the third round. A trip to St James' Park resulted in a 2–1 win for Bedford, before they were defeated 3–0 by Carlisle United in the fourth round in front of a then-record crowd of 17,858. The club were prevented from applying for Football League membership that year as they had signed players from the league without paying transfer fees. The 1965–66 season saw them reach the fourth round again, beating Exeter City 2–1 in the first round, Brighton & Hove Albion 2–1 in a second replay in the second round. Hereford United were then defeated 2–1 in the third round, before a fourth round tie saw them lose 3–0 at home to Everton in front of a record crowd of 18,407. Another cup run in 1966–67 resulted in a second round win over Oxford United before a 6–2 defeat at home to Peterborough United in the third round.