Real Bedford FC, a professional soccer team integrated with Bitcoin, gives Bitcoin fans a team to root for.
This is an opinion piece by Marek Feder, editor at Investro and Bitcoin journalist who recently visited Bedford, England, with a group of Bitcoin and soccer fans from Slovakia.
Being a football fan as well as a Bitcoin fan, I knew it was only a matter of time before I paid a visit to Bedford, England – home of the football team owned by “What Bitcoin Did” host Peter McCormack. And when I heard that there was a group of people traveling from Slovakia, my homeland, to Bedford, to watch a game between Real Bedford FC and Holmer Green FC, I decided to join.
Here are some things I learned about the Bitcoin community from this experience and why I think every Bitcoin and football fan should plan their own trip as well.
Meeting Like-Minded People
First and foremost, one of the best things about traveling like this is the chance to meet people who see the world in the same fashion as you — at least a little. And while most of the time you and your Bitcoin buddies will have only one thing in common (Bitcoin), if you’re going to travel to Bedford to watch a football match, there’s bound to be at least two topics you talk about. have in common.
The combination of football and Bitcoin ensured that we bonded instantly despite the fact that most of us had never met. In addition, it gives us the opportunity to not only talk about Bitcoin and everything related to it – most of which can have an official or, at least, educational connotation – but through football, we can relax and be more relaxed. enjoy the beer and, overall, a great trip.
What’s more important is that trips or events like this give you the opportunity to meet people you’ve never met before. Only a small group of 11 people came to the meeting from Slovakia, we not only have Pavol “Stick” Rusnák, the founder of Trezor and Satoshi Labs, but also other Bitcoin entrepreneurs who joined the trip, as well as a member of the Slovak parliament.
Trips like this can be a great opportunity for a variety of reasons, from meeting like-minded people, to sharing knowledge, to networking.
Supporting A Circular Economy
While most of this journey we will have to use fiat to pay, all payments related to the club may be settled in BTC, whether on-chain or through the Lightning Network. I believe that it is only a matter of time before the City of Bedford becomes one of the most important circular economy for Bitcoin not only in the UK, but quite possibly in the world, despite the fact that this city has only about 170,000 people. .
But maybe the fact that this is not New York City or Beijing plays to your advantage. In a smaller town, people can understand that things are happening faster. Seeing people around wearing black and yellow hats and scarves with skulls will make the locals think and, of course, act. Local businesses, restaurants, hotels, etc. will soon have to compete for Bedford football fans who come to town from all over and have an interest in Bitcoin.
Therefore, Bitcoin adoption in Bedford may be just around the corner. The other Bitcoiners who come to Bedford not only to watch the match, but also to enjoy the Bitcoin meetups, the other local business owners will hear the question, “Do you accept bitcoin?” And the adoption game theory will start playing out really quickly after the first few dominoes fall, since we all know that Bitcoiners are generous spenders and supporters. We will support our own local businesses, if we are given the opportunity.
Learn From The Best
Before the match started, we were lucky enough to be joined by Rusnák, one of the OGs in the space. He gave an inspiring lecture on self-custody and its importance, not only educating his Bitcoin friends, but also those who might be new to the technology.
The long Q&A session that followed his talk clearly showed that people were interested in the topic and wanted to know more. And not only on the topic of self-detention, but Bitcoin itself. Rusnák was bombarded with questions left and right, with newbies having the opportunity to hear answers from one of the most competent speakers on the topic.
Although it is impossible to have someone like Rusnák in every meeting or before every Real Bedford football game, the more interest there is from football fans and Bitcoin, the more famous and knowledgeable people will come to Bedford to show him. knowledge and talk to people.
The Combination Of Bitcoin And Football Just Works, So Why Not Support It?
Real Bedford is owned by McCormack, a famous Bitcoin podcaster with one of the most popular Bitcoin podcasts in the world. Combining football and Bitcoin may seem a little strange at first – Bitcoin is considered money, an investment asset, a global monetary network, etc. – but is it the main selling point of a football club? Many may have been surprised when this “synergy” was announced.
However, McCormack made his work flawless. He and his team are doing a great job of evangelizing not only the name of Bitcoin in the world of football, but also the name of football in the world of Bitcoin. The sale of shirts, hats, scarves and other items has certainly boosted the finances of the football club, who are currently sitting comfortably in first place in the Spartan South Midlands Football League. The promotion is very visible, which would suggest that McCormack might be there.
Yes, moving from the tenth division to the ninth may not be the greatest achievement and the ultimate goal of moving to the Premier League is still a long way off, but the team as well as the overall culture and the atmosphere at the club are certainly exciting. , the community is developing and the first milestone is only nine games away at the time of this writing.
Best Less Time Preference
With the main goal of moving to the Premier League, McCormack and the Real Bedford club are probably one of the main examples of maintaining a low time preference, a concept that is very popular among Bitcoin supporters. Although the team heroically won every league title, it took nine years to move to the Premier League. And winning the league every year is, honestly, impossible.
However, per McCormack, the more immediate goal is to get the club into one of the top four leagues in the next 10 years. This goal is more achievable, not only from the football side, but also from the Bitcoin side. Personally, I don’t believe that Bitcoin will be close to its current price but will be higher (in dollars) in 10 years. And if that’s the case, Real Bedford could have a big advantage compared to their rivals, no matter what league they’re in. worse.
If this doesn’t go as expected, Real Bedford could be one of the biggest winners in the next bull market or two. Even if Real Bedford doesn’t make it to the Premier League in the next 10, 15 or 20 years, the project will be a success and could be a prime example of why keeping the option short-term.
Celebrate A Win
Although there are other reasons why one should visit Bedford, some of the above definitely stood out for me. All of us who came to Bedford for this trip agreed that the visit was a huge success, giving us the chance to not only meet fellow Bitcoiners but also to support a football club with great ambitions. The seven-to-one victory for Real Bedford that we saw was certainly a nice cherry on top.
This is a guest post by Marek Feder. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.