Real Bedford Football Club (RBFC) owner Peter McCormack announced that Winklevoss Capital, the investment firm owned by Gemini founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has made a $4.5M bitcoin investment into the football club.
The investment is the largest ever made “into a football club in the United Kingdom outside of the professional leagues.”
Following this investment, Cameron and Tyler will “assume the role of co-owners of RBFC alongside Peter McCormack.”
Peter McCormack is a Bedford resident “who is well known for his podcast “What Bitcoin Did.” Since purchasing RBFC in 2021, he has made significant progress towards his goal of leading the team into the Premier League.”
Real Bedford won a promotion “from the 10th tier to the 9th tier in their debut season and are currently at the top of the table this season, looking to achieve a back-to-back promotion from the 9th tier to the 8th tier.”
Cameron, Tyler, and Peter all “share a deep conviction in Bitcoin and its ability to help supercharge RBFC’s quest to make it into the Premier League. Tyler and Cameron also understand first-hand the transformative power of sport.”
To that end, this investment will “continue to support RBFC’s community-building approach to football now and in the future. And it follows a long-term partnership between Gemini and RBFC after initially announcing Gemini’s sponsorship of the football club in January 2022, and will be deployed strategically” through the following initiatives:
- The establishment of a bitcoin treasury to secure the club’s long-term ambitions
- The development of a new training center
- The launch of a football academy to nurture local talent
- Continued support for girls’ and youth football
- An increase in funding for the club’s hardship fund, which will ensure that no child in Bedford misses out on the opportunity to play football due to economic reasons
RBFC reflects the community nature of Bitcoin by “developing local Bedford talent and fostering a welcoming and supportive environment, creating opportunities for aspiring footballers, and promoting the sport’s growth within the Bedford region.”
This year, RBFC introduced the Real Bedford Ladies, “who are also likely to achieve promotion to the next tier and sit at the top of their league.”
Gemini are pleased to continue to support RBFC as they “bring together multiple pillars of crypto, combining community, accessibility, and innovation.”
