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Referee

Senior Management Members Roll of Honour

PRESIDENT                                    

1962 - 1977    Ken Birtwhistle             

1977 -             Jeff Winrow    

CHAIRMAN

1962 - 1963   T Himsworth

1963 - 1966   Charles Simmonds

1966 - 1974   Geoffrey Still

1974 - 1975   John Parsons

1975 - 1978   Geoffrey Still

1978 - 1988   Terry Barfoot

1988 - 1989   Leslie Woods

1989 - 1991   Roger Davidge

1991 - 2007   Roger Field

2007 -            Hugh Elliott

SECRETARY

1962 - 1963   Fred Harvey

1963 - 1964   Roger Davidge

1964 - 1965   Geoffrey Still

1965 - 1974   John Parsons

1974 - 1975   Geoffrey Still

1975 - 1979   Rodney Redmond

1979 -            Russ Maddox

TREASURER

1962 - 1977   Roger Davidge

1977 - 1981   Rodney Redmond

1981 - 1982   Vince Doyle

1982 -            Mick Burgoyne               

Forty-five years of Sunday Football in Bedford, and still counting

 

The Michael R. Peters Bedford & District Sunday Football League will be entering its forty-fifth year this coming season, its Sapphire Anniversary.  It is accepted, in terms of Saturday football, that this is not a very long time. However, Saturday has been traditionally regarded as the footballing day of the week for over a hundred years, whereas in 1962 Sundays were always regarded as family church-going days, suitable for cricket in the summer, but not other organised sports at ‘grass roots’ level.  Even the professional game was not common on a Sunday in the early 1960’s.

Just to remind the readers, there was no Sunday football on the television then, and it was unheard of on local parks or any other venue in a league format.  Organised youth football was not played outside the school curriculum except on a Saturday, or in the professional game.  In general, football and other pursuits were not accepted as a widespread suitable activity on a Sunday. The majority of businesses were closed and workers generally had the day off. 

To introduce organised Sunday football in this ‘climate’ was contentious and groundbreaking, potentially bringing about changes to a way of life.  However, lovers of the game in Bedford saw a demand for Sunday football in the Bedford area.  Young men in particular, with the advent of rock and roll and more freedom in their lives, together with a change of attitude, were shaking off the ‘shackles’ of the traditional Sunday routine and looking for a different outlet for their interests. Football was very attractive to them. 

The late Roger Davidge saw this need for a sporting outlet and seized upon the idea of forming the first Sunday League in the county, and one of the first in the country.  However, he was faced with a difficult task to get this idea off the ground.  There were a number of difficulties to overcome in organising a football league, none more important than the still prickly subject of the accepted way of life on a Sunday, and other aspects such as approaching local parish and borough councils for the use of their pitches, with the added problem of getting their workers to work on a Sunday to open and prepare their grounds.  Whether this was an overtime consideration was rather a groundbreaking idea.

However, despite the difficulties, Roger, with his committee, waded through the problems and was successful in forming the league in 1962. Fred Harvey became the first General Secretary of the League and Charlie Simmonds, currently a League Vice President, served on the first committee. Former Bedford Town Mayor and Councillor Ken Birtwhisle also served on that first committee, and was instrumental in getting the Council to agree the use of Public Park pitches in the Bedford area on a Sunday.

Sponsorship has played a major part of the League for over 30 years with the names, Michael R. Peters, B E Craddock, and Harrison & Rowley becoming synonymous with local Sunday football. In fact Jeff Winrow from Harrison & Rowley Limited has served the League as President for that period, and still holds the position to date.

Nicholas Warton was instrumental in helping get the league underway when he gathered together a team formed from employees of the Bedfordshire Times, whose only day off for most of them was Sunday.  There were barely eleven players at the Times, but he recruited some from outside to form the Strollers, a name Nick took from the Bedford Record newspaper that ran a column named ‘The Stroller’.  The Strollers won the first League Championship in the 1962 / 3 season.  By all accounts the registration rules were rather casual in the early days, as the teams could more or less drag people off the street to play and make up the numbers on a Sunday morning.

Other teams including the Midlanders, Potton Casuals, Groomsmen, Bedford Nomads, Azzuri, Prestcold Penguins and Queensmen and many others bolstered the League.  Queensmen, from Ampthill, are still in the Sunday League, being our longest serving club, currently with Malcolm Lane at the helm. Newtown Rangers our second longest team are in the Premier Division.  Many other clubs have come and gone and it would take a lot of space to mention them all, but the most successful teams to grace the League since those early days are Bedford West Indians, Bedford Young Indians, the various Gamlingay clubs, Casino, Potton Casuals and Fox and Duck Sports. 

Love them or hate them, but a well organised League had to have referees.  The early names include the late Fred Seaton, with the evergreen Barry Watson and Roger Watson regularly doing their stuff in the middle.  A little bird has blown the whistle on Barry Watson who allegedly felt sorry for United Counties (Buses) who were being hammered 18 – 0 by RAF Henlow.  Barry scored for United Counties (Buses) but the revival was short-lived when Henlow scored eight more to make the final score 26 - 1. Barry probably got a vote of thanks from United Counties (Buses) for his charitable act.  Today he would probably have his whistle taken away by the F.A.!! 

Park venues such as Jubilee Park and Addison Howard Park were used in the 60s, and still are, but Newnham Avenue is now used for rugby and athletics.

Remember any of these players? :  Allan Buchanan, Doug Jack, Colin Morris, Dave Brandon, Mick Durrant, Tex Williams, Tom McGall, Dave Lovell, Steve Miles, Roger Stockwell, Terry Lack, Barry Cater, Roger Whitbread, Johnny Geeves, Arthur Millard, Dennis Smith, Alan Payne, and Colin Morris?

It is claimed that at one Sunday match in one of the League’s early seasons a crowd of an estimated 400 people watched the Strollers play a match at Addison Howard Park in Kempston.  That size of crowd is unheard of in the League now, so one can deduce that Sunday football was a very popular spectator sport forty odd years ago.  Nowadays, would-be spectators take their leisure at Sainsbury’s Homebase or in front of the television.

Since the pioneering days of the sixties, the League has gone from strength to strength.  Roger Davidge kept in touch with the League long after he retired, and he was often seen wobbling along Goldington Road on his bike, or pushing the tired machine around the parks enjoying the matches.  Another Roger, Roger Field, was rescued from his post matelot days by being co-opted onto the Sunday League in the 1973 / 4 season, over-seeing the under 21 representative side.  Mick Burgoyne joined the committee in the1977 / 78 season, becoming Treasurer in September 1981, a position he still holds.  Roger kept up the continuity of the League and committee by becoming its Chairman in the 1991 / 92 season.  Meanwhile, ‘Russ’ Maddox had been captured by the League as Fixture Secretary in the 1978 / 79 season to become the very hard-working Secretary of the League the following season making up a valuable partnership with Roger.  At the end of the 2006 / 07 season, Roger Field stepped down as Chairman of the League after a sterling stint where his strength of leadership, fairness and firm discipline has benefited the League and its members.  Roger has remained on the Committee as Registration Secretary with Hugh Elliott taking the Chair as from the summer of 2007.

Another innovation along with all the modern equipment which is now used by the League, including a state of the art website, is that the competition undertakes all its own printing, including handbook production, work taken on by a stalwart member of the League Alf Bone, who acts as the Leagues Administration Support Officer.

The 2007 / 08 football action will start on September 2nd. The League has been built up over the last 45 years to now boast six Divisions and seventy clubs from all over the northern half of the county from Westoning in the south to Sharnbrook in the north, and from Cranfield in the west to Everton and Sandy in the east.  The League’s clubs have players and officials from all walks of life and from many different backgrounds, encouraging integration and sportsmanship.

With League Rules made under affiliation with the Bedfordshire Football Association, players are no longer allowed to play after being ‘dragged off the street to make up the numbers.’  This remains a happy memory for the pioneers of the League. 

From little but significant beginnings, great strides have been made in Sunday football at local level, not only in this county but nationally.     

(With apologies to all the people not mentioned here who contributed to the formation and continuation of the League, be they players, referees, club officials or just interested spectators.  There is insufficient space here to do full justice to a complete history of the League so far.)

Clive Milton

Vice Chairman

 

 

 

League Committee of  1978

 

 

   

BACK ROW

Left to right

Fred Seaton

Referee’s Secretary

Mick Hull

Committee

Roger Davidge

Vice Chairman

Press Officer

John Parsons

Committee

Nigel Burkett

Committee

Dick Brace

Ast Referee’s Sec

 

FRONT ROW

Left to right

Mick Burgoyne

Committee

Rodney Redmond

League Secretary Treasurer

Terry Barfoot

Chairman

Junior Team

Manager

 

Frank O’Hagen

Senior Team Manager

Roger Field

Registration Secretary

Ken Osborne

Committee

 

Absent without leave

Russ Maddox

Fixture Secretary

 

        

B.E. Craddock Building & Property Maintenance Premier Division League Champions
Britannia Harrison & Rowley Movers, Shippers, Storers First Division
Dearden Trophies Second Division
M & DH Insurance Services Limited Third Division
Modplan Preservation Fourth Division
Bedford Mobile Communications Fifth Division
B.M.C Leisure Sportswear Fifth Division
SimBra Professional Cleaning Fifth Division
Bedford Mobile Communications Sixth Division

Tobler Meltis Cup Winners
Bedford & District Sunday League Cup Winners
Harrison & Rowley Shield Winners
Harrison & Rowley Cup
Britannia Harrison & Rowley Cup
Brian Craddock Silver Jubilee Cup Winners
Brian Craddock Cup Winners
Brian Craddock Jubilee Cup Winners
Bedford Sports Cup Winners
Bedford & District Sunday League Junior Cup
Herald Cup
Ian Sheppard Cup
D & V Millward Cup
Sportsmanship Cup Winners
T. & A. Barfoot Trophy Winners
D & V Millward Sporting Award Winners
League Sporting Awards Winners

Referees Award

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
B.E. CRADDOCK
BUILDING & PROPERTY  MAINTENANCE  PREMIER  DIVISION
1962/63 Strollers 1963/64 Midlanders
1964/65 Bedford Nomads 1965/66 Strollers
1966/67 St Marys 1967/68 Angel
1968/69 Southville Utd 1969/70 Strollers
1970/71 Kempston Liberal Strollers 1971/72 A.R.A
1972/73 Stewartby 1973/74 Clifton
1974/75 Queensmen 1975/76 Bedford Midlanders
1976/77 Stewartby 1977/78 Potton Casuals
1978/79 Musgrave Sports 1979/80 Gamlingay O.B.S
1980/81 Bedford Midlanders 1981/82 Bedford Midlanders
1982/83 Fox & Duck Sports 1983/84 Fox & Duck Sports
1984/85 Fox & Duck Sports 1985/86 Bedford  West Indians
1986/87 Bedford Athletic 1987/88 Bedford West Indians
1988/89 Fox & Duck Sports 1989/90 Meva
1990/91 Bedford West Indians 1991/92 Bedford West Indians
1992/93 Bedford West Indians 1993/94 Queensmen
1994/95 Bedford West Indians 1995/96 Bedford West Indians
1996/97 Queensmen 1997/98 Park Eagles
1998/99 Park Eagles 1999/00 Queensmen
2000/01 Queensmen 2001/02 Park Eagles
2002/03 Casino Cars 2003/04 Queensmen
2004/05 Casino 2005/06 Casino
2006/07 Sandy Sunday 2007/08 Sandy Sunday

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   BRITANNIA HARRISON & ROWLEY
   MOVERS, SHIPPERS, STORERS FIRST DIVISION
1963/64 Potton Casuals 1964/65 Groomsmen
1965/66 Kayser Bondor 1966/67 Queensmen
1967/68 Agencia 1968/69 Autolec
1969/70 Hillfoot Rangers 1970/71 A.R.A
1971/72 Stewartby 1972/73 Potton Casuals Reserves
1973/74 Clifton Reserves 1974/75 Clifton Reserves
1975/76 Gamlingay O.B.s 1976/77 Bedford West Indians
1977/78 Bird in Hand (Bedford) 1978/79 Falstaff
1979/80 Libertas 1980/81 Cavaliers
1981/82 J.D.Sports 1982/83 Everton Spartans
1983/84 Stanley Arms 1984/85 Sharnbrook
1985/86 Meva 1986/87 Smiths Arms
1987/88 Kopites 1988/89 Clapham Groomsmen
1989/90 Abbetrin Sports 1990/91  St Neots Pergoda Club
1991/92 Smiths Arms 1992/93 Queensmen
1993/94 Cranfield Utd Sunday 1994/95 Bluebell Casuals
1995/96 Biggleswade (Sunday) 1996/97 Three Horshoes (Renhold)
1997/98 Engine & Tender (Bedford) 1998/99 Bird in Hand (Bedford)
1999/00 Club Italia 2000/01 Renhold Sunday
2001/02 Moggerhanger (Sunday) 2002/03 Gamlingay United (Sunday)
2003/04 Wellington (Kempston) 2004/05 Smiths Sports
2005/06 Sandy Sunday 2006/07 Atletico Europa
2007/08 Supreme    

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DEARDEN TROPHIES SECOND DIVISION
1964/65 Southville Utd 1965/66 Bedford West Indian Res
1966/67 Swan Utd 1967/68 Potton Casuals Res
1968/69 Hillfoot Rangers 1969/70 Maulden Utd
1970/71 Kempston Liberal Strollers Res 1971/72 Cincinnati Sports
1972/73 The Glendales 1973/74 Fox & Duck Sports
1974/75 Gamlingay O.B.s 1975/76 Bird in Hand
1976/77 Tricentrol 1977/78 Stewartby Reserves
1978/79 Albion 1979/80 Astwood Utd
1980/81 Goldington 1981/82 Everton Spartans
1982/83 Stanley Arms 1983/84 Angel
1984/85 Eaton Ford Utd 1985/86 Smiths Arms
1986/87 R.A.F Cardington Sports 1987/88 Bedford Young Indian
1988/89 Abbetrin Sports 1989/90 St Neots Pergoda Club
1990/91  Texins 1991/92 Gamlingay Eagles
1992/93 Century Old Boys 1993/94 Bluebell Casuals
1994/95 Sarecens Head 1995/96 Beds Police
1996/97 Pheasant ( Bedford ) 1997/98 Bird in Hand ( Bedford )
1998/99 Potton Casuals 1999/00 Renhold Sunday
2000/01 Sharnbrook Casuals 2001/02 Wellington ( Kempston )
2002/03 Kempston Hammers 2003/04 Anglers Rest ( Bedford )
2004/05 Sandy ( Sunday ) 2005/06 Esquires
2006/07 Oakley 2007/08 Inter Cople

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M & DH INSURANCE SERVICES LTD THIRD DIVISION
1965/66
Smart Brown
1966/67
Potton Casuals Res.
1967/68
Allens Utd
1968/69
Maulden Utd
1969/70
Libertas
1970/71
Hydra
1971/72
Clifton Reserves
1972/73
R.K.B Precision
1973/74
Oakley Rangers
1974/75
Bedford West Indians
1975/76
Oakley Rangers Res. 
1976/77
Woburn
1977/78
Albion
1978/79
Astwood
1979/80
Simplex Utd
1980/81
Campani
1981/82
Stanley Arms
1982/83
Rose & Crown (Wootton)
1983/84
Eaton Ford Utd Res. 
1984/85
Bedford Old Boys
1985/86
R.A.F Cardington Sports
1986/87
Beds Police
1987/88
Abbetrin Sports
1988/89
St Neot Pergoda Club
1989/90
Houghton Conquest
1990/91 
Gamlingay Eagles
1991/92
Century Old Boys
1992/93 
Bluebell Casuals
1993/94
Saracens Head
1994/95 
Southville
1995/96
Pheasant (Bedford)
1996/97    
Fox & Hounds (Clapham)
1997/98
Turnpike (Bedford)
1998/99 
Renhold (Sunday)
1999/00
Half Moon (Kempston)
2000/01 
Wootton Wanderers
2001/02
Kempston Hammers
2002/03 
Wilstead Hatters
2003/04
Sandy  ( Sunday )
2004/05
Esquires
2005/06
Royal Oak ( Potton )
2006/07
Supreme
2007/08
Wootton Park Rangers
   

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MODPLAN PRESERVATION FOURTH DIVISION
1967/68 Hillfoot Rangers 1968/69 Hydra
1969/70 Crown Sports 1970/71 Shortstown Rangers
1971/72 Young Indians Association 1972/73 Oakley Rangers
1973/74 Gamlingay Youth Club 1974/75 Tricentrol (Kempston)
1975/76 Woburn 1976/77 Everton Spartans
1977/78 Musgrave Sports Res. 1978/79 Newtown Rangers
1979/80 Abbey Park 1980/81 Five Bells (Cople)
1981/82 Sandy Sports 1982/83 Canvins International 
1983/84 Bedford West Indians Res. 1984/85 Potters
1985/86 Bedford Young Indians 1986/87 Oakley Rangers Res.
1987/88 Maulden Utd Res.  1988/89 Clifton (Sunday)
1989/90 The Cock (Wootton)  1990/91 Bedford College/Mander
1991/92 Putnoe Rangers 1992/93 Renhold Utd (Sunday)
1993/94 Oakley Rangers 1994/95 Red Lion (Wilstead)
1995/96 Westoning Boys Club 1996/97 Turnpike (Bedford)
1997/98 Crusaders 1998/99 Moggerhanger (Sunday)
1999/00 Wootton Wanderers 2000/01 Atletico Europa
2001/02 Oakley Rangers Res.  2002/03 Flitwick Town Dynamos
2003/04 Bluebell (Bedford)  2004/05 Bedford College (Sunday)
2005/06 Supreme 2006/07 Inter Cople
2007/08 Gloucester Arms (Bedford)    

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BEDFORD MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS FIFTH DIVISION
1978/79 Abbey Park 1979/80 Five Bells (Cople)
1980/81 Rose & Crown (Wootton) 1981/82 J.D.Sports Res.
1982/83 Sandy Albion (Sunday )  1983/84 R.A.F Cardington Sports
1984/85 Greene King 1985/86 Abbetrin Sports
1986/87 Maulden Utd Res.  1987/88 Westoning Boys Club
1988/89 White Lion (Wootton)  1989/90 Bedford College/Mander
1990/91 Putnoe Rangers 1991/92 Southville
1992/93 Harrows (Cotton End )  1993/94 Pheasant (Bedford )
1994/95 Rising Sun (Potton)  1995/96 Fox & Hounds (Clapham)
1996/97 Houghton Conquest 1997/98 Three Horseshoes(Renhold)Res       
1998/99 Red Lion 1999/00 Griffin (Kempston)Res.

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B.M.C LEISURE SPORTSWEAR FIFTH DIVISION
2000/01 Anglers Rest (Bedford) 2001/02 Clapham Club
2002/03 Bluebell (Bedford)  2003/04 Sir William Peel (Sandy)
2004/05 Royal Oak (Potton)Res. 2005/06 Inter Cople

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SimBra PROFESSIONAL CLEANING FIFTH DIVISION
2006/07 Meppershalll Jurassic (Sun) 2007/08 Fox Old Boys

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BEDFORD MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SIXTH DIVISION
1986/87 Westoning Boys Club Res. 1987/88 Coventry Arms
1988/89 Bedford College/Mander 1989/90 Putnoe Rangers
1990/01 Caulcott Sports 1991/92     Three Horsehoes (Renhold)
1992/93 Dynamo Pitchers 1993/94 Red Lion (Wilstead)
1994/95 Fox & Hounds (Clapham)  1995/96 Kempston C.C

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TOBLER MELTIS CUP WINNERS
1962/63 Strollers 1963/64 Strollers
1964/65 Strollers 1965/66 Strollers
1966/67 Kayser Bondor 1967/68 Potton Casuals
1968/69 Angel 1969/70 Queensmen
1970/71 Potton Casuals  1971/72 A.R.A
1972/73 Stewartby 1973/74 Clifton
1974/75 Bull Bedford 1975/76  Bedford Midlanders
1976/77 Queensmen 1977/78 Potton Casuals
1978/79 Gamlingay O.B.s 1979/80 Oakley Rangers
1980/81 Bedford Midlanders 1981/82 Bedford West Indians
1982/83 Queensmen 1983/84 Fox & Duck Sports
1984/85 Bedford Athletic

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 BEDFORD & DISTRICT SUNDAY LEAGUE CUP WINNERS
1985/86 Gamlingay Old Boys 1986/87 Bedford Athletic
1987/88 Bedford Old Boys 1988/89  Bedford West Indians
1989/90 Abbetrin Sports 1990/91  Fox & Duck Sports
1991/92 Brickhill Tigers Sun 1992/93 Bedford West Indians
1993/94 Bedford West Indians 1994/95 Bedford West Indians
1995/96 Century Old Boys

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HARRISON & ROWLEY SHIELD WINNERS
 (Sponsored by Harrison & Rowley )
 1970/71 The Bird 1971/72 Clifton
1972/73 Stewartby  1973/74 Queensmen
1974/75 Queensmen 1975/76 Bedford Midlanders
1976/77 Potton Casuals  1977/78 Bedford West Indians
1978/79 Bedford West Indians 1979/80 Stewartby
1980/81 Bedford Midlanders 1981/82 Bedford Midlanders
1982/83 J.D. Sports 1983/84 Bedford West Indians
1984/85 Fox & Duck Sports 1985/86 Stanley Arms
1986/87 Bedford Athletic 1987/88 Clapham Groomsmen
1988/89 Sharnbrook (Sunday) 1989/90 Meva
1990/91 Fox & Duck Sports 1991/92 Bedford West Indians
1992/93 Meltis 1993/94  Biggleswade Lib Club
1994/95 Bedford West Indians 1995/96 Park Eagles

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HARRISON & ROWLEY CUP
(Sponsored by Harrison & Rowley )
1996/97 Bedford West Indians 1997/98 Queensmen
1998/99 Park Eagles 1999/00 Biggleswade (Sunday)
2000/01 Queensmen  2001/02 Kempston Fox
2002/03 Queensmen 2003/04 Queensmen

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 BRITANNIA HARRISON & ROWLEY CUP
( Presented & sponsored by Britannia Harrison & Rowley Ltd )
2004/05 Casino 2005/06 U S Valerio
2006/07 Bird in hand (Bedford) 2007/08 Sandy Sunday

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 BRIAN CRADDOCK SILVER JUBILEE CUP WINNERS
 ( Presented & Sponsored by the League )
2001/02 Queensmen

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 BRIAN CRADDOCK CUP WINNERS
 ( Presented by Brian Craddock )
1976/77 Sharnbrook Casuals 1977/78 Woburn
1978/79 Astwood Utd 1979/80 Midland Bank
1980/81 Bedford Athletic 1981/83 Everton Spartans
1982/83 Stanley Arms 1983/84 Campton
1984/85 Westoning Boys Club 1985/86 Smiths Arms
1986/87 Potters 1987/88 Bedford Young Indians
1988/89 St Neots Pagoda Club 1989/90 St Neots Pagoda Club
1990/91 Houghton Conquest 1991/92 Bedford College/Mander
1992/93 Bluebell Casuals 1993/94 Bluebell Casuals
1994/95 Saracens Head 1995/96 Pheasant (Bedford)
1996/97 Pheasant (Bedford)  1997/98 Oakley Rangers
1998/99 Renhold (Sunday) 1999/00 Renhold (Sunday)
2000/01 Moggerhanger Sunday 2001/02 Houghton Conquest

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 BRIAN CRADDOCK JUBILEE CUP WINNERS
( Presented by The League )
( Sponsored by Mrs Pam Craddock )
2002/03 Partizan 2003/04 Wilstead Hatters
2004/05 Sandy (Sunday) 2005/06 Griffin ( Kempston )
2006/07 Caldecote Young Boys 2007/08 Old Hastingsburians

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BEDFORD SPORTS CUP WINNERS
( Presented by Alf Bone )
1979/80 Five Bells (Cople) 1980/81 Stanley Arms
1981/82 Canvins International  1982/83 Sandy Albion (Sunday)
1983/84 J.D. Sports Reserves 1984/85 R.A.F Cardington Sports
1985/86 Bedfo