Buying a small-town soccer club with the aim to propel it into the Premier League sounds like something straight out of a Netflix series. However, for Peter McCormack, a familiar face in the Bitcoin world, it has been a reality as he strived to turn around the beleaguered Bedford FC using Bitcoin. Real Bedford is also what McCormack calls the “Bitcoin football team.” Not only does he achieve his boyhood dream of running a successful football team, but it also seeks to discretely encourage fans and onlookers to engage with the world’s largest digital currency, Bitcoin.
However, not everyone is on board with the Bitcoin-infused football club. Many locals in Bedford have negative views on Bitcoin as an investment, and some criticize the use of Bitcoin as a form of payment. This division in opinion highlights the importance of increasing public understanding of the technology behind digital currencies like Bitcoin.
McCormack is aware of the negative views that cloak Bitcoin, but he has no desire to “force Bitcoin” onto the people of the town—he employs a “soft touch” approach, inviting fans and locals to Bitcoin meet-ups without pushing the digital currency on them. Real Bedford is a Bitcoin-only club, and while there is a huge fanbase for crypto in general, McCormack wants to keep the club focused on Bitcoin specifically.
But does the club have the legs to make it into the Premier League? And what’s the point of putting the Bitcoin logo on the shirt, hosting Bitcoin meet-ups before every game, and inviting key opinion leaders of the Bitcoin world to games? On one hand, the global branding has helped the club gain international attention and support, but on the other, the exclusive focus on Bitcoin could limit the club’s reach and future development.
Gandalf, a marketing team member at Bitcoin mining company Braiins, points out the strategic value in making Real Bedford a “Bitcoin thing.” Bedford’s adoption and association with Bitcoin attracts new support, attention, and investment into the club. This, in turn, helps to boost the local economy.
Some locals have embraced the integration of Bitcoin into their small-town environment. Sampson, a local resident, says, “It’s great to see Bitcoin come into my town […] It’s massive, and it just makes me feel really proud to be from Bedford and makes me really excited, to be honest.”
In conclusion, the debate lies between the pros of growing the club’s influence and bringing international attention and success while maintaining a focus on Bitcoin, and the cons of possible limited appeal and creating skepticism among locals who may not be fully in tune with the world of digital currencies. The ultimate success of Real Bedford Football Club, be it in the Premier League or as a positive force for the adoption of digital currencies, remains to be seen.
Source: Cointelegraph
