The Eaglets

THE EAGLETS-Bedford Town Reserves 1908-82 [ UPDATED DECEMBER 2018 ]

This page records the basic details about the club's reserve team from 1908 to 1982. 

Clicking on Reserve results 1946-71 will take you to the Eaglets'  results for the London, United Counties and Metropolitan League seasons, 1946/7 to 1970/1. 

There is also a list of those who played for the reserves but not the first team in those years, with any information I have been able to discover about them (Reserves who never played for the first team). 

Below are a few notes on their progress in the various competitions they entered from 1908 onwards,  and then the league tables I have been able to find. 

The Bedford and District League (1908/9 to 1927/8)

The Bedford Town club that was refounded in the summer of 1908 entered its first team in the Northants League and its second team in the Bedford and District League, a competition founded in 1904 and still in existence today, although its name was changed to the Bedfordshire County Football League in 2009. The reserves competed in Division One of the League but this was an era of small leagues without enough members for a match every week, and so in 1910/11 and 1911/12 they also entered the Biggleswade League. In this period, it's sometimes difficult to say definitively whether we are always looking at a second team or a mixture of first and second teams; especially in the Biggleswade League, first  team players might be included if there was no Northants League fixture that week. 

I have not reproduced any league tables for these seasons because in some cases no final table appeared in the local press and in others the published tables clearly contain errors because they don't balance.  It does however seem clear that the Eaglets finished bottom of the Bedford and District League in 1909/10, with 14 defeats from 14 matches! Things improved the following year when they won the Biggleswade League in 1910/11, winning six of their eight matches. There appears to have been no official reserve team in competitive football in the last two seasons before the Great War (1912/13 and 1913/14). 

After the War however the Eaglets rejoined the Bedford and District League, finishing runners-up in 1919/20 to the Beds and Herts Regimental Depot team, and again in 1920/21 to Woburn and Woburn Sands United. Middle or lower half finishes occupied the next few seasons but in 1926/7, when the League was divided into western and eastern sections, they finished top of the western section with 15 wins from 20 matches, finishing three points ahead of runners-up Wootton Blue Cross. In a play-off with Bedford Queen's Park Rangers, winners of the eastern section, at the Eyrie for the overall title they drew 2-2, and the trophy was shared.

A less happy episode occurred in 1923/4 when the Eaglets appeared to have won the Bedford Hospital Cup (in those days there was a football as well as a cricket competition for this charity)  by beating Lynton Works 2-0, only to be deprived of the cup for breaking a rule against including professionals. They reached the final again in 1926/7 but lost to the same opponents 1-3.

In 1927/8 they did not compete but returned for a final season in the Bedford and District League in 1928/9, ending their association with a mid-table finish again.

Once again the reserve team was scrapped in 1929/30 and 1930/1, and Bedford QPR played their home matches at the Eyrie, on the understanding that the Eagles could have first call on their players when injury crises occurred.

The Bedfordshire County League (1925/6 to 1928/9)

Overlapping with the last few seasons in the Bedford and District League, the club also competed in the Bedfordshire County League (no relation to the present day league of that name). Again this raises the issue of exactly what is meant by a reserve team, because the club first competed in the BCL in 1923/4. For that and the  following season these appear to have been regarded as first team fixtures, albeit with a sometimes slightly weakened team, and the results and tables can be seen under Results and Teams, 1908-39 on this site. From 1925/6 to 1928/9, however, the first team was involved in the Northants Alliance and then the East Midlands League, with the BCL being regarded as a step below and more like a reserve competition. Tables for these seasons appear below. The Eaglets' best finish was second in 1926/7.

BEDFORDSHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

1925-1926 

  1. Waterlows Athletic                 20   15    3    2    88    27   33

  2. Leagrave & District                 20   16    1    3    75    25   33

  3. Letchworth Town                    20   13    3    4    84    40   29

  4. R.A.F. Henlow                          20   13    1    6    61    43   27

  5. Luton Vauxhall Motors          20   11    2    7    52    41   24

  6. Bedford Town Reserves      20    9    3    8    61    51   21

  7. Luton Amateurs                      20    7    3   10    55    52   17

  8. Hitchin Blue Cross                  20    6    1   13    50    73   13

  9. Welwyn Garden City               20    4    3   13    42    76   11

 10. Baldock Town                         20    3    3   14    28    73    9

 11. Arlesey Town                          20    1    1   18    16   111    3

1926-1927 

  1. Leagrave & District                20   14    3    3    74    27   31

  2. Bedford Town Reserves    20   14    2    4    71    42   30

  3. Letchworth Town                  20   12    1    7    61    34   25

  4. Hitchin Blue Cross                20   10    3    7    76    64   23

  5. Baldock Town                        19    9    4    6    61    39   22

  6. R.A.F. Henlow                        19   10    1    8    56    48   21

  7. Waterlows Athletic Res        20    8    2   10    54    50   18

  8. Stevenage Town                    20    7    2   11    39    62   16

  9. Welwyn Garden City             19    6    0   13    38    76   12

 10. Luton Amateurs                   20    6    0   14    37    76   12

 11. Luton Vauxhall Motors       19    2    2   15    26    75    6

 1927-1928 

  1. Baldock Town                                  24   18    3    3    84    34   39

  2. St. Neots & District                         23   13    6    4    64    33   32

  3. Bedford Town Reserves             21   13    2    6    71    45   28

  4. Luton Amateurs & Ramblers        24   12    3    9    61    56   27

  5. Biggleswade & District Res           23   11    4    8    63    46   26

  6. Waterlows Athletic Reserves        24   11    4    9    47    44   26

  7. Letchworth Town                           23   11    2   10    61    51   24

  8. R.A.F. Henlow                                  23   11    2   10    75    63   24

  9. Kempston Rovers                            20    9    4     7    55    47   22

 10. Bletchley Sports                             23    7    3   13    40    62   17

 11. Stevenage Town                            24    7    3   14    42    75   17

 12. Hitchin Blue Cross                        24    4    2   18    35    72   10

 13. Arlesey Town                                 22    3    0   19    31   101    6

1928-1929 

  1. Luton Amateur & Ramblers         22   16    4    2    77    27   36

  2. R.A.F. Henlow                                  21   12    6    3    76    26   30

  3. Kempston Rovers                           21   13    2    6    68    38   28

  4. St. Neots & District                         22   12    3    7    47    36   27

  5. Waterlows Athletic Reserves        21     9    6    6    61    43   24

  6. Bedford Town Reserves              21     9    2   10    52   44   20

  7. Biggleswade & District Res           22    9    2   11    46    62   20

  8. Baldock Town                                 20    9    1   10    47    46   19

  9. Hitchin Town Reserves                 22    6    3   13    45    78   15

 10. Bletchley Sports                           21    4    5   12    31    77   13

 11. Letchworth Town                         21    3    6   12    44    74   12

 12. Stevenage Town                           22    4    4   14    31    74   12

.

The South Midlands League (1931/2 to 1937/8)

As the club's fortunes improved in the early 1930s the Eaglets were reborn in the South Midlands League, which was largely the Bedfordshire County League under a new name, adopted in 1929.  Thus there were several familiar and local opponents, as well as some from adjoining counties- including the interestingly named Shredded Wheat FC from Welwyn. Fortunes here peaked with the League Championship being won in 1934/5 as the reserves shared in the achievements of the club's most successful period in its history to date.  After that, however, as the first team declined so did the Eaglets: the last two seasons in the SML saw two second from bottom places, with a horrible 259 goals being conceded. It was a struggle in that period even to find a competitive first team, let alone a reserve side, and it was no surprise when the Eaglets were again scrapped in the summer of 1938-this time, as it turned out, for the next eight years.

Tables appear below but it appears that not all clubs completed all their fixtures.

SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIVISION ONE 

 1931-1932 

  1. Vauxhall Motors                           26   19    1    6    71    43   39

  2. St. Neots & District                      25   14    6    5    84    51   34

  3. Shredded Wheat (Welwyn)         26   14    5    7    89    53   33

  4. Rushden Town Reserves             26   15    3    8    78    48   33

  5. Kempston Rovers                        26   13    3   10    74    62   29

  6. Waterlows (Dunstable) Res       26   13    3   10    66    79   29

  7. Cambridge Town Reserves        26   14    0   12    86    68   28

  8. Luton Davis Athletic                    25   11    3   11    63    70   25

  9. Bletchley Town                             26    9    6   11    69    83   24

 10. Baldock Town                             25   10    3   12    62    73   23

 11. Bedford Town Reserves         26    9    2   15    63    75   20

 12. Wellingborough Town Res        24    7    1   16    60    93   15

 13. R.A.F. Henlow                              26    6    1   19    65    91   13

 14. Luton Amateurs Reserves        25    4    5   16    38    79   13

1932-1933 

  1. St. Neots & District                     26   17    5    4   106    39   39

  2. Rushden Town Reserves           26   18    3    5    89    40   39

  3. Vauxhall Motors                         26   18    3    5    78    38   39

  4. Kempston Rovers                       26   17    2    7    72    45   36

  5. Bedford Town Reserves         26   13    5    8    81    49   31

  6. Baldock Town                            26   13    5    8    81    58   31

  7. Shredded Wheat (Welwyn)      26   13     2   11    66    56   28

  8. Pye Radio                                   26   12    2   12    87    75   26

  9. Waterlows (Dunstable) Res     26   11    3   12   70    77   25

 10. Cambridge Town Res             26   10    4   12    64    69   24

 11. Bletchley Town                        26    6    4   16    53   102   16

 12. Knebworth                               26    5    2   19    43   121   12

 13. Luton Davis Athletic                26    4    2   20    39    79   10

 14. R.A.F. Henlow                          26    3    2   21    34   115    8

1933-1934 

  1. Vauxhall Motors                             28   23    3    2   103    29   49

  2. Rushden Town Reserves              28   18    3    7    95    43   39

  3. Cambridge Town Reserves          28   17    4    7    91    47   38

  4. Bedford Town Reserves            28   16    6    6    83    58   38

  5. St. Neots & District                       27   15    7    5    86    37   37

  6. Kempston Rovers                         27   15    4    8    84    45   34

  7. Baldock Town                               27   11    5   11    66    62   27

  8. Wolverton Town                           28   12    2   14    69    94   26

  9. Shredded Wheat (Welwyn)         28   10    5   13    68    79   25

 10. Waterlows (Dunstable)              28   11    2   15    60    72   24

 11. Hitchin Town Reserves              27   10    3   14    60    69   23

 12. Pye Radio                                    28    9    4   15    60    82   22

 13. Luton Davis Athletic                  28    7    4   17    42    72   18

 14. Knebworth                                  28    2    5   21    37   102    9

 15. Bletchley Town                           28    3    1   24    30   143    7

1934-1935 

  1. Bedford Town Reserves           26   18    4    4    86    44   40

  2. Waterlows (Dunstable)                26   18    3    5    73    44   39

  3. St. Neots & District                       26   17    3    6    74    39   37

  4. Vauxhall Motors                            26   16    3    7    87    35   35

  5. Rushden Town Reserves              26   13    5    8    69    39   31

  6. Kempston Rovers                         26   12    2   12    52    53   26

  7. Hitchin Town Reserves                26    9    7   10    68    56   25

  8. Wolverton Town                           26   10    5   11    72    76   25

  9. Baldock Town                               26   10    2   14    64    78   22

 10. Cambridge Town Reserves        26    7    6   13    46    63   20

 11. Dunstable Athletic                       26    6    8   12    45    65   20

 12. Shredded Wheat (Welwyn)        26    7    4   15    49    77   18

 13. Luton Davis Athletic                   26    4    7   15    36    84   15

 14. Pye Radio                                     26    3    5   18    36   104   11

 1935-1936

   1. Kettering Town Reserves         30   24    2    4   123    50   50

  2. Vauxhall Motors                         30   21    3    6   111    50   45

  3. St. Neots & District                    30   20    5    5     98    51   45

  4. Stewartby Works                       30   16    5    9    84    63   37

  5. Waterlows (Dunstable) Res     30   15    5   10   107    72   35

  6. Rushden Town Reserves          29   16    3   10    94    71   35

  7. Wolverton Town                        30   16    2   12    82    63   34

  8. Hitchin Town Reserves            30   12    9    9    64    73   33

  9. Bedford Town Reserves        30   14    4   12    78    75   32

 10. Cambridge Town Res             30   12    3   15    73    81   27

 11. Eynesbury Rovers                   30   11    4   15    71    64   26

 12. Kempston Rovers                   30    9    4   17    65    81   22

 13. Shredded Wheat (Welwyn     30    9    0   21    55   101   18

 14. Dunstable Athletic                  30    5    6   19    46    98   16

 15. Baldock Town                          30    6    1   23    45   130   13

 16. Luton Davis Athletic               29    3    4   22    32   105   10

1936-1937

  1. Vauxhall Motors                          26   22    1    3   106    31   45

  2. Kettering Town Reserves            25   18    4    3   111    39   40

  3. Hitchin Town Reserves               26   14    6    6    77    52   34

  4. Kempston Rovers                        24   15    1    8    86    51   31

  5. Eynesbury Rovers                        25   13    3    9    75    49   29

  6. Stewartby Works                         26   13    3   10    72    65   29

  7. London Brick (Bletchley)            26   12    2   12    70    59   26

  8. Rushden Town Reserves            25   11    4   10    77    88   26

  9. Cambridge Town Reserves        25    9    7    9    76    65   25

 10. Wolverton Town                          25   10    3   12    59    65   23

 11. Waterlows (Dunstable) Res       26   10    2   14    53    66   22

 12. Baldock Town                              25    7    2   16    49    83   16

 13. Bedford Town Reserves           26    3    4   19    48   142   10

 14. Dunstable Athletic                       26    0    0   26    31   135    0

1937-1938 

  1. Vauxhall Motors                         26   21    3    2   128    30   45

  2. Rushden Town Reserves           26   17    4    5    76    45   38

  3. Kempston Rovers                       26   15    5    6    87    54   35

  4. Kettering Town Reserves           26   14    5    7    82    50   33

  5. Cambridge Town Reserves        26   12    7    7    92    51   31

  6. Hitchin Town Reserves              26   11    4   11    60    69   26

  7. Stewartby Works                        26   10    4   12    53    66   24

  8. Baldock Town                             26    9    6   11    55    84   24

  9. London Brick (Bletchley)           26   10    3   13    53    69   23

 10. Arlesey Town                             26    8    6   12    46    52   22

 11. Waterlows (Dunstable) Res     26    9    3   14    73    90   21

 12. Eynesbury Rovers                     26    6    7   13    43    62   19

 13. Bedford Town Reserves        26    5    2   19    32   117   12

 14. Wolverton Town                        26    2    7   17    58    99   11

The United Counties League (1945/6) 

When the club was relaunched in the summer of 1945. there was no regular reserve team to start with,  and Bedford Corinthians, a well-established amateur club which had been kept going during the war, was officially adopted as the club's nursery, playing at The Eyrie whenever it was available. But in late November it was announced that a reserve team would be set up to compete in the United Counties League after Christmas, and a few friendlies were arranged to prepare for this. Pre-war first team captain Bert Rogers was put in charge,  with help from his former team mate "Paddy" Watson-who was still turning out as a player. The UCL had restarted in September and played a short league programme which ended in February and was won by Bedford Avenue, eliminators of Bedford's first team from the FA Cup (see Into the Southern League (1945-50) . A "subsidiary competition" was organised for the rest of the season, in two sections, with the Eaglets grouped alongside Rushden, Wellingborough and the Corby works team, Stewarts and Lloyds, each team playing the others three times.  I've been unable to find a final table for this or the other section (which Bedford Avenue declined to join, playing friendlies instead). However, the Eaglets lost six of their nine fixtures, so it seems safe to say that they didn't win the title.

The London League (1946/7 to 1950/1)

In the summer of 1946 the club entered the London League, a venerable competition dating back to 1896. The Eaglets played in the Premier Division-there was a First Division in 1946/7 and a Second as well from 1947/8.  A few other Southern League reserve teams were also involved but most of the opponents were the first teams of amateur clubs and there were no local derbies. The club reached the final of the League Cup in 1948/9 but lost to Crittall Athletic, the Braintree-based works team; they were 2-1 up with ten minutes left, but by now were down to eight fit players and after conceding an equaliser lost 2-5 in extra time. In 1950/1 they reached the final again but lost to Gravesend Reserves. Ronnie Rooke made his club debut, a few days after his appointment as player-manager, in the London League before an untypical 3,200 crowd in February 1951 against Woolwich Polytechnic. He decided on a move to the United Counties League soon after his arrival, perhaps because the London League's rules limited clubs to five professionals per match, but spectators probably appreciated the greater number of local derbies to be expected. The Eaglets had not exactly set the League alight, with a best finish of fifth in 1948/9, although their record was much better than the first team's in the same period.

In 1948/9, 1949/50 and 1950/1 it will be seen that the Bedfordshire Senior Cup was also entered. This competition was restricted to amateurs resident in the county (the Beds Invitation Cup, later known as the Beds Professional Cup,  was open to all players).  However, the Eaglets had always included professionals in their league fixtures and it appears that the club was unable to raise a competitive eleven for the Senior Cup from the amateurs available; hence the heavy defeats, leading to the decision to drop out after 1950/1. Many years later, after the distinction between amateurs and professionals had been abolished in 1977,  the Senior Cup became an open competition and the club entered it once more (see Results and teams, 1967-82,). 

To see complete results for these seasons click on Reserve results 1946-71

LONDON LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION (1946/7 to 1950/1)

1946-1947                                                  P    W     D    L    F     A    Pts

  1. Chelmsford City Reserves                26   19    5    2    93    36   43

  2. Tilbury                                                  26   17    4    5    62    32   38

  3. Eton Manor                                         26   16    4    6    76    37   36

  4  Crittall Athletic                                   26   14    5    7    70    50   33

  5. Guildford City Reserves                   26   12    7    7    59    47   31

  6. Ekco                                                    26   10    8    8    74    57   28

  7. Leavesden Hospital                        26   12    4   10    80    63   28

  8. Woodford Town                                26    8    7   11    45    55   23

  9. Woolwich Polytechnic                      26    6    7   13    51    77   19

 10. Epsom                                               26    8    3   15    50    77   19

 11. Bedford Town Reserves               26    6    6   14    47    62   18

 12. Dartford Reserves                           26    6    5   15    43    66   17

 13. Royal Naval Depot (Chatham)       26    5    7   14    45    77   17

 14. London Telecommunications       26    6    2   18    41   100   14 

1947-1948 

  1. Chelmsford City Reserves           28   21    2    5   126    37   44

  2. Tilbury                                             28   17    6    5    76    33   40

  3. Crittall Athletic                              28   18    4    6    78    42   40

  4. Guildford City Reserves               28   16    1   11    81    51   33

  5. Eton Manor                                    28   12    8    8    58    52   32

  6. Leavesden Hospital                     28   13    6    9    74    63   32

  7. Ekco                                               28   12    3   13    58    70   27

  8. Woolwich Polytechnic                28   10    7   11    55    67   27

  9. Dartford Reserves                       28   11    4   13    43    57   26

 10. Edmonton Borough                   28   10    4   14    62    65   24

 11. Woodford Town                         28   11    2   15    59    82   24

 12. Bedford Town Reserves         28   10    4   14    50    76   24

 13. Epsom                                          28    7    5   16    45    80   19

 14. Royal Naval Depot (Chatham)  28    6    5   17    50    98   17

 15. London Telecommunications  28    4    3   21    31    73   11

1948-1949

   1. Guildford City Reserves            26   19    2    5    61    24   40

  2. Eton Manor                                  26   16    2    8    66    31   34

  3. Epsom                                          26   16    1    9    72    52   33

  4. Tilbury                                          26   15    2    9    60    32   32

  5. Bedford Town Reserves         26   13    3   10    60    48   29

  6. Woolwich Polytechnic               26   14    1   11    61    56   29

  7. Dartford Reserves                      26   12    3   11    54    48   27

  8. Woodford Town                         26   12    3   11    68    65   27

  9. Chingford Town Reserves         26   10    6   10    40    44   26

 10. Edmonton Borough                  26   12    2   12    51    60   26

 11. Crittall Athletic                           26    9    7   10    49    47   25

 12. Leavesden Hospital                  26   10    3   13    62    66   23

 13. Royal Naval Depot (Chatham) 26    3    3   20    31    96    9

 14. Ekco                                             26    1    2   23    20    86    4

1949-1950 

  1. Cheshunt                                    30   23    3    4   115    39   49

  2. Tilbury                                         30   21    5    4     62     29   47

  3. Dartford Reserves                     30   21    3     6      69    36   45

  4. Crittall Athletic                           30   15    5   10    69    57   35

  5. Tonbridge Reserves                  30   12    7   11    42    41   31

  6. Rainham Town                           30   12    6   12    50    46   30

  7. Bedford Town Reserves         30   11    7   12    56    60   29

  8. Woodford Town                         30   14    1   15    63    70   29

  9. Guildford City Reserves             30   11    5   14    57    56   27

 10. Gravesend & Northfleet Res    30   10    5   15    58    61   25

 11. Hastings United Reserves        30    9    7   14    47    71   25

 12. Eton Manor                                30    9    5   16    47    62   23

 13. Edmonton Borough                  30    9    4   17    49    68   22

 14. Woolwich Polytechnic              30    8    6   16    44    63   22

 15. Leavesden Hospital                  30    9    3   18    48    86   21

 16. Royal Naval Depot (Chatham) 30    7    6   17    41    72   20

 1950-1951 

Premier Division

  1. Dartford Reserves                       28   21    4    3    75    26   46

  2. Woodford Town                          28   22    1    5   106    41   45

  3. Cheshunt                                      28   14   10    4    83    40   38

  4. Gravesend & Northfleet Res     28   16    2   10    56    35   34

  5. Ruislip Manor                              28   11    8    9    56    61   30

  6. Eton Manor                                 28   12    5   11    56    46   29

  7. Bedford Town Reserves         28   11    7   10    51    59   29

  8. Guildford City Reserves            28   11    6   11    56    45   28

  9. West Thurrock                            28   12    3   13    48    51   27

 10. Tonbridge Reserves                28   11    4   13    46    47   26

 11. Rainham Town                         28    9    3   16    38    48   21

 12. Leavesden  Hospital                28    7    6   15    48    66   20

 13. Crittall Athletic                         28    6    7   15    49    87   19

 14. Woolwich Polytechnic             28    9    1   18    38    89   19

 15. Royal Naval Depot (Chatham)28    3    3   22    38   103    9

The United Counties League again (1951/2 to 1954/5)

The UCL was familiar territory for the club because the first team had been members from the club's formation in 1908 (under the UCL's old name, the Northants League) until it was suspended in 1940, and had won the league three times in the 1930s, as well as a brief stay by the reserves in 1945/6. Many of the pre-war members were still involved. Travelling expenses would have been greatly reduced because of the many local derbies, and with no restrictions on professionals the club was able to ensure most of the players got a game every week. This was attractive to supporters and gates averaged almost 2,500 in 1951/2. At first Ronnie Rooke's policy of signing experienced ex-Football League players meant that the Eaglets were too strong for many UCL clubs. There were 26 professionals on the books at the start of the 1951/2 season, so many that the "A" team often included several of them (see Third elevens-Colts, "A" and Youth teams). Fourth place in the UCL for their first season was thus regarded as something of a disappointment, but the Eaglets were comfortable winners of the League and Cup double in 1952/3, attracting 4,900 to the League Cup final against Spalding at the Eyrie. Over Christmas that season, when the first team unusually had no fixtures, there were four UCL matches over Christmas Day and Boxing Day; most of the first team played home and away against Rushden, who didn't complain because although they lost both matches this doubtless boosted attendances, while the "real" reserves played a 1-1 draw away to Symingtons (a Market Harborough works team) and beat St Neots at home in the League Cup!  After that season, however, the Eaglets'  fortunes declined in line with those of the first team. 

To see complete results for these seasons click on Reserve results 1946-71

Action photographs from the London League are rare.  The top picture is of the match against Chingford Reserves on 9 October 1948 and shows Eaglets' amateur left winger Jack B Smith shooting between two defenders in a 1-2 home defeat. The lower picture shows a moment from the 2-2 draw against the Braintree-based Crittalls Athletic at the Eyrie on 22 February 1950, in which Sid Smith (8) and Larry Turner are airborne with Crittalls' Haggerty (5), watched by the Eaglets' Don Filby (9)

A scene from the Eaglets' UCL fixture against Peterborough Reserves on 6 September 1952, when a crowd of just over 4,000 saw a 4-1 win. Ronnie Rooke, playing in the reserves even though the first team had a fixture on the same day, watches as Jimmy Gray (right) tackles a Posh forward. Gray was making his first appearance of the season, having just finished his other job playing cricket for Hampshire.

Jimmy Ayton (arrowed) scores the fifth of the Eaglets' six goals against Desborough Town at The Eyrie on 6 December 1952. Joe Campbell (left) and Brian Perkins look on. In this match the Eaglets' keeper, Frank Boulton, arrived 12 minutes late because of delays on his train journey from his home in Swindon, and found that the match had started without him, but already the ten-man Eaglets side, with full back Billy Butler as a temporary keeper, were three goals up. "DO THE EAGLETS REALLY NEED A GOALKEEPER?" asked the Bedford Record's headline the following week.

The Eaglets pose with the UCL Knock Out Cup after beating Spalding 6-1 in the final at The Eyrie on 18 April 1953-the first part of a League and Cup double. For more details go to  1952/3 -the best yet. 

UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE (1951/2 to 1954/5) 

1951-1952 

  1. Corby Town                                38   28   3    7  126   60   59

  2. Spalding United                         38   25   4    9  103   46   54

  3. Holbeach United                       38   24   6    8  108   63   54

  4. Bedford Town Reserves        38   23   3   12  104   56   49

  5. Rushden Town                          38   20   5   13   95   86   45

  6. Symingtons                               38   16  11   11   91   84   43

  7. Bourne Town                            38   19   4   15   92   85   42

  8. Stamford                                   38   17   6   15   80   81   40

  9. Desborough Town                   38   17   5   16   80   73   39

 10. Kettering Town Reserves       38   17   4   17   89   83   38

 11. Eynesbury Rovers                    38   15   5   18   78   87   35

 12. Peterborough United Res       38   13   7   18   63   72   33

 13. Northampton Town “A”          38   14   5   19   59   90   33

 14. Biggleswade Town                  38   12   7   19   62   81   31

 15. March Town United                 38   11   9   18   65   97   31

 16. Boston United Reserves        38   12   6   20   82   91   30

 17. Coventry City “A”                     38   12   6   20   53   66   30

 18. St Neots & District                  38   11   7   20   67   89   29

 19. Wellingborough Town            38   13   3   22   61  102   29

 20. Grantham Reserves                38    6   4   28   53  119   16 

1952-1953 

  1. Bedford Town Reserves       38   28   7    3  124   49   63

  2. Spalding United                       38   23  12    3  115   55   58

  3. Kettering Town Reserves       38   27   2    9  113   62   56

  4. Rushden Town                        38   22   5   11   99   61   49

  5. Symingtons                             38   21   7   10  102   67   49

  6. Holbeach United                    38   20   7   11   84   58   47

  7. Stamford                                 38   22   1   15   96   80   45

  8. Corby Town Reserves           38   17   8   13   85   81   42

  9. Desborough Town                 38   18   4   16  102   71   40

 10. Wisbech Town Reserves     38   17   4   17   97   86   38

 11. St Neots & District               38   14   6   18   82  100   34

 12. Boston United Reserves     38   13   7   18   79   87   33

 13. Bourne Town                        38   13   6   19   71   80   32

 14. British Timken (Duston)     38   13   6   19   70   92   32

 15. March Town United            38   11   8   19   71  103   30

 16. Peterborough United Res  38   11   7   20   68   88   29

 17. Biggleswade Town              38   11   3   24   60   94   25

 18. Wellingborough Town        38    8   8   22   67   98   24

 19. Northampton Town “A”       38    9   4   25   62  134   22

 20. Grantham Reserves             38    5   2   31   53  154   12

1953-1954 

  1. March Town United             38   26   6    6  108   35   58

  2. Holbeach United                  38   25   5    8  100   39   55

  3. Spalding United                    38   21   8    9   92   55   50

  4. British Timken (Duston)       38   20   8   10   72   46   48

  5. Peterborough United Res    38   20   8   10   85   63   48

  6. Symingtons                             38   19   9   10   96   78   47

  7. Kettering Town Reserves     38   16  10   12  106   83   42

  8. Corby Town Reserves           38   15  10   13   65   59   40

  9. Rushden Town                       38   17   5   16   75   78   39

 10. Wisbech Town Reserves     38   16   6   16   61   84   38

 11. Coventry City “A”                  38   14   8   16   72   67   36

 12. Stamford                               38   14   8   16   84   89   36

 13. St Neots & District               38   14   7   17   74   94   35

 14. Bedford Town Reserves  38   13   5   20   72   63   31

 15. Desborough Town              38   11   9   18   65   86   31

 16. Boston United Reserves     38   13   4   21   82  105   30

 17. Biggleswade Town              38   11   7   20   56   83   29

 18. Northampton Town “A”      38    8  10   20   51   80   26

 19. Wellingborough Town         38   10   4   24   48  109   24

 20. Bourne Town                        38    6   5   27   59  127   17

1954-1955 

  1. Spalding United                    27   21   2    4   78   28   44

  2. British Timken                      27   16   3    8   82   40   35

  3. Holbeach United                  28   13   8    7   69   43   34

  4. Rushden Town                     28   15   1   12   61   67   31

  5. Kettering Town Reserves   28   13   3   12   73   67   29

  6. Biggleswade Town              28   14   1   13   64   68   29

  7. Stamford                              28   13   3   12   74   83   29

  8. Wellingborough Town       28   11   6   11   62   64   28

  9. King’s Lynn Reserves          28   10   7   11   70   67   27

 10. Wisbech Town Reserves   28   11   5   12   66   81   27

 11. St Neots & District              28   10   5   13   56   64   25

 12. Corby Town Reserves         28    9   6   13   50   66   24

 13. Bedford Town Reserves   28    9   4   15    55   53   22

 14. Bourne Town                        28    8   6   14   54   69   22

 15. Desborough Town               28    4   4   20   38   92   12

(The outstanding fixture between Spalding and Timken appears not to have been played)

The Metropolitan League (1955/6 to 1970/1)

This League had been formed in 1949 and was regarded as a notch above the London League in terms of standards. Bedford moved across from the UCL because Tim Kelly was not impressed with the standard of the latter league when he became manager late in 1954/5. By then the membership comprised several Football League "A" teams -third elevens- plus Southern League reserve teams and first elevens of smaller town clubs, most of whom were amateurs. The "A" teams were attractive to spectators in the early seasons and at their strongest were often too good for the Eaglets. The League ran two cup competitions, a Challenge Cup for all clubs and a Professional Cup for the professional clubs which was played on the Saturdays when the amateur clubs were involved in the FA Amateur and County Senior Cups. The best-finishing amateur club in the League also received a special trophy. 

The Eaglets' best finish in the League was in their second season, 1956/7, when they finished second, only two points behind Chelsea "A", and their worst in 1968/9, when they finished bottom. 

They had more success in the Cups. They won the Challenge Cup in their first season, 1955/6, beating Headington Reserves (see 1955/6 -four minutes from Cup history), and were runners-up the following year to Guildford. They avenged that defeat with a 3-1 aggregate victory in the 1962/3 final, and in 1963/4 they reached the final of the Professional Cup, but lost on aggregate to Hastings Reserves; in the first leg Hastings played most of their first team and won 7-0, and in the second Bedford, who were forced to play a Metropolitan League match at Guildford on the same evening,  did likewise but could only score five! Another Professional Cup final was lost to West Ham "A" in 1966/7, 2-4 on aggregate. 

The Eaglets started 1956/7, their second season in the Metropolitan League, with a torrent of goals-22 in their first five matches-but their unbeaten record ended with a 2-3 defeat in this game against Headington Reserves on 15 September, watched by over 2400. Here Bedford's Don Adams (9) , who was soon to move to Headington for work reasons, seems to be winning an aerial contest watched by Colin Gill (far left) and Phil Nolan. Gill had three seasons as an Eaglets regular but spent most of his career with Kempston, Biggleswade and Potton, while Nolan, an experienced former Watford defender, had two seasons as regular reserve centre half (captaining the team in 1956/7) and played only a handful of first team matches.

The Eaglets' first match of the 1957/8 season was at home on 24 August to Chelsea "A" who had beaten them to the Metropolitan League title the previous season by just two points. The game ended 2-2, and here Chelsea's keeper Owen Medlock, later of Oxford United and Chelmsford, fields a cross watched by Bedford's centre-forward Syd Asher (far left). 

Gates for home games in this League were good to start with; in 1955/6 they averaged nearly 1,700 and sometimes reached 2,000 or more, especially against the "A" teams, but inevitably dwindled as the years went on to a few hundred by the late 60s. As membership numbers dwindled an extra cup competition called the Autumn Shield was run from 1967/8, but Bedford's best performances in this were semi-finals defeats by Chelmsford in 1967/8 and Sheppey United in 1968/9 (despite its name the latter stages of this competition were played in the spring!). In 1967/8 the reserves also competed in the Bucks Border League, a midweek competition which included Bletchley Town, Wellingborough, Wealdstone, and a mixed Watford eleven, but this was adjudged to be one League too many and the club dropped out after one season (table shown below with the Metropolitan League tables).

[Scroll down below the images to continue the story]

West Ham "A" keeper Wylie catches a high ball under challenge from Eaglets' centre forward Brian Liscoe in a 2-4 defeat on 7 September 1957, watched by 2,130. Liscoe was one of several players who were picked up while doing National Service in the area. He was a fairly regular scorer for the Eaglets-including one in this game- but managed only a single first team appearance before playing for Dunstable and then Bletchley Town.

The "A" teams of First Division clubs seen at The Eyrie sometimes featured future stars-this West Ham side which won 3-2 on 28 December 1959 contained a future World Cup winner in Geoff Hurst and three more of the Hammers side that won the FA Cup four years later, Burkett, Bovington and Boyce.

Another West Ham connection with the Eaglets was George Fenn, a centre forward signed in the summer of 1959 who'd been a contemporary of Bobby Moore at Upton Park in the mid-50s. Malcolm Allison coached both players and in his autobiography, "Colours of My Life" (1975),  says that many rated  Fenn, a youth international, more highly than Moore and predicted that he would reach the top, but in Allison's view "he wasn't interested enough". With Len Duquemin established in the first team at Bedford, Fenn got few chances and eventually drifted off to Tonbridge and then Bexleyheath after just six senior appearances. Above,  he is seen (right)  in a duel with a  Tonbridge Reserves defender in a 0-0 draw at the Eyrie on 9 January 1960. Watching is Brian Richman, an amateur who played several times that season but wasn't signed permanently.

John Fahy, recently signed from Letchworth, heads one of the two goals he scored against Tonbridge Reserves on 29 August 1962 in a 2-0 win. He soon got his chance in the first team and became a key member of the team that had a succesful FA Cup run in 1963/4

Captain Ken Hawkes with the Metropolitan League Challenge Cup trophy after the Eaglets had beaten Guildford 3-1 on aggregate in the final on 4 May 1963. He is carried by Roy Banham (left) and Tommy Kay, who had arrived with Bobby Anderson from Cowdenbeath in 1962. His career was handicapped by injuries but he became a much respected coach in Scottish junior football.

Bobby Gilmour (far left) sends a looping header goalwards to give the Eaglets an early lead against Arsenal "A" at The Eyrie in the second leg of the Metropolitan League Professional Cup semi-final on 15 April 1964. He added a second later to give them a 3-0 aggregate win, although they were beaten in the final by Hastings Reserves in bizarre circumstances (see main text). Arsenal's team included Peter Storey, Tommy Baldwin and John Radford, all later first team stars. In the previous round the young George Cleary, still to make his Bedford first team debut, had scored all five goals in a 5-3 win against Chertsey Town.

George Cleary (far left) scores the only goal of the reserve match v Romford Reserves at the Eyrie on 20 March 1965. I've included it because the man he's just beaten in Romford's goal is Ted Ditchburn, the famous former Spurs and England goalkeeper who was by this time Romford's assistant manager and was probably only playing because of injuries to others. At some point in this half of the match, a ballboy threw the ball to him from behind the Raleigh Street end goal only for Ditchburn to hurl it back violently at the small boy's face. Possibly the boy had said something rude to Ditchburn but the spectators at that end-not that there were many of them-reacted with jeers and boos. The referee or a linesman, or both, must have seen what happened but did nothing. (Thanks to Mike Crisp for reminding me of this odd incident)

The Eaglets were unlucky in 1969/70 when they reached the final of the Professional Cup again. The final was held over to the following season because of fixture congestion. However, the chance of another trophy was taken away when their opponents, Stevenage Athletic, were elected to the Southern League in the summer and declined to take part. It appears that the League simply cancelled the competition rather than giving the Eaglets a walk-over.  

By 1971 the Metropolitan League had become too small to be viable and was wound up. By now only West Ham "A" and the Eaglets had been members in every season since 1955/6. Fittingly, therefore, these two met in the last Professional Cup final, and Bedford beat the young Hammers 4-2 on aggregate, avenging their defeat by the same team four years earlier and making up for their disappointment the previous season. The second leg was at Upton Park, a rare event since the "A" teams usually played on their club's training ground. But the gate for the home leg of this final was only 182; in that final season the best home crowd was 434 to see the first home game, a 2-2 draw with Bletchley Town, and the average was about 275.

In fact, it's revealing to compare first and reserve team gates in 1970/1 with those for 1955/6, the club's first season in the Metropolitan League. Southern League gates over this period declined by some 66% (an average of 5,500 down to 1,855), but reserve gates plummeted by 84% (1,700 down to 275); the additional decline may reflect the fact that most supporters no longer had to work on Saturday mornings and could either travel away with the first team or, more likely, watch a match in London or Luton, rather than turn out to see the Eaglets. 

To see complete results for these seasons click on Reserve results 1946-71

A scene from the latter days of the Metropolitan League as Mike Dixon takes on the Sheppey United defence on 14 March 1970. Dixon missed this chance but the team won 1-0, watched by 315 people, slightly better than the average for attendances by that time.

The Eaglet's last Metropolitan League fixture-the programme for the second leg of the Professional Cup final at Upton Park on 28 April 1971, where goals from Steve Byrne and Barry Fry gave Bedford the Cup 4-2 on aggregate. (The team that actually played was Barron, Payne, Hulett, Scurr, Lawson (Earle sub), Cooley, Williams, Massey, Byrne, Fry, Alcock-somewhat stronger than the one printed!) The League was disbanded at the end of the season. Note former World Cup referee Ken Aston, the League chairman, presenting the cup-he had refereed the first leg of the 1962/3 final when the Eaglets beat Guildford. 

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE TABLES (1955/6 TO 1970/1)

1955-1956

  1. Hastings United Reserves           32   26    2    4   97   42   54

  2. Chelsea ‘A’                        32   25    3    4  111   30   53

  3. Headington United Reserves         32   21    1   10  105   41   43

  4. Dartford Reserves                  32   19    5    8   72   44   43

  5. Bedford Town Reserves              32   19    4    9   90   49   42

  6. Gravesend & Northfleet Reserves    32   18    4   10   70   49   40

  7. Tonbridge Reserves                 32   15    5   12   78   57   35

  8. Newbury Town                       32   13    5   14   70   64   31

  9. Guildford City Reserves            32   12    5   15   66   76   29

 10. Dunstable Town                     32   13    2   17   85   84   28

 11. Luton Town ‘A’                     32    9    6   17   52   73   24

 12. Horsham                            32   11    2   19   55  105   24

 13. Haywards Heath                     32    9    6   17   50  103   24

 14. West Ham United ‘A’           32    7    9   16   55   75   23

 15. Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’         32    8    5   19   48   71   21

 16. Windsor & Eton                32    6    4   22   45  108   16

 17. Wokingham Town                     32    6    2   24   49  127   14

1956-1957

  1. Chelsea ‘A’                    34   22    5    7  106   38   49

  2. Bedford Town Reserves              34   20    7    7  113   64   47

  3. Tonbridge Reserves                 34   21    5    8   83   62   47

  4. Hastings United Reserves           34   19    8    7  129   63   46

  5. Luton Town ‘A’                     34   20    4   10   97   67   44

  6. Newbury Town                       34   17    7   10   75   56   41

  7. West Ham United ‘A’                34   16    5   13   83   66   37

  8. Dartford Reserves                  34   17    3   14   64   60   37

  9. Headington United Reserves         34   15    5   14   71   66   35

 10. Guildford City Reserves       34   15    5   14   71   69   35

 11. Eastbourne United                  34   14    6   14   72   67   34

 12. Windsor & Eton                     34   13    4   17   62   98   30

 13. Dunstable Town                     34   10    7   17   72   90   27

 14. Crawley Town                       34    9    7   18   61   75   25

 15. Wokingham Town                     34    7    7   20   69  109   21

 16. Haywards Heath                     34    9    3   22   42  100   21

 17. Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’    34    8    3   23   46  105   19

 18. Horsham                            34    3   11   20   50  111   17

1957-1958

  1. Chelsea ‘A’                        34   28    3    3  107   34   59

  2. Tonbridge Reserves             34   21    8    5  102   58   50

  3. Hastings United Reserves           34   19    6    9   90   54   44

  4. Dartford Reserves                  34   17    7   10   98   71   41

  5. Bedford Town Reserves              34   16    8   10   73   59   40

  6. Dunstable Town                     34   16    7   11   77   64   39

  7. Luton Town ‘A’                     34   15    8   11   82   71   38

  8. Headington United Reserves    34   17    2   15   73   70   36

  9. Newbury Town                       34   14    8   12   71   74   36

 10. West Ham United ‘A’                34   14    6   14   69   67   34

 11. Crawley Town                       34   12    7   15   70   75   31

 12. Guildford City Reserves            34   13    5   16   53   62   31

 13. Haywards Heath                     34   12    4   18   58   69   28

 14. Windsor & Eton                     34   11    3   20   51  110   25

 15. Fulham ‘A’                         34    8    7   19   51   79   23

 16. Didcot Town                        34    8    6   20   60   92   22

 17. Eastbourne United                  34    8    3   23   47   81   19

 18. Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’         34    7    2   25   39   81   16

1958-1959

  1. Arsenal ‘A’                    36   25    6    5  118   51   56

  2. Chelsea ‘A’                        36   26    3    7  109   35   55

  3. Tonbridge Reserves                 36   22    8    6  103   58   52

  4. Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’         36   18    7   11   71   61   43

  5. Dunstable Town                36   17    5   14   78   64   39

  6. Newbury Town                       36   16    7   13   64   60   39

  7. Hastings United Reserves           36   16    6   14   68   64   38

  8. Haywards Heath                     36   13   10   13   61   62   36

  9. Headington United Reserves         36   13   10   13   73   83   36

 10. Guildford City Reserves            36   16    4   16   69   80   36

 11. Bedford Town Reserves              36   12    9   15   67   83   33

 12. West Ham United ‘A’                36   14    4   18   73   73   32

 13. Fulham ‘A’                         36   13    6   17   72   77   32

 14. Crawley Town                       36   12    7   17   65   86   31

 15. Luton Town ‘A’                     36   12    6   18   72   74   30

 16. Didcot Town                        36    8   14   14   53   61   30

 17. Eastbourne United                  36   10    7   19   54   69   27

 18. Dartford Reserves                  36    8    6   22   62  127   22

 19. Windsor & Eton                     36    5    7   24   46  110   17

 Portsmouth "A" dropped out in the autumn and their record was deleted

1959-1960

  1. Luton Town ‘A’                     38   24    6    8  100   61   54

  2. Arsenal ‘A’                        38   21    9    8  108   52   51

  3. Canterbury City                    38   21    8    9   99   62   50

  4. Chelsea ‘A’                        38   21    6   11  104   55   48

  5. Dunstable Town (-2)                38   22    5   11   94   66   47

  6. Bedford Town Reserves              38   20    4   14   72   79   44

  7. Guildford City Reserves            38   16   11   11   87   69   43

  8. Headington United Reserves         38   18    5   15   79   87   41

  9. Newbury Town                       38   18    4   16   85   68   40

 10. Tonbridge Reserves                 38   14    12  12   60   53   40

 11. Fulham ‘A’                    38   15    10  13   84   80   40

 12. Eastbourne United                  38   12    14  12   77   77   38

 13. Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’         38   14     6  18   67   86   34

 14. West Ham United ‘A’                38   14     5  19   78   102  33

 15. Windsor & Eton                     38   12     7  19   77    84  31

 16. Dartford Reserves                  38   12     6  20   78   101  30

 17. Hastings United Reserves           38   11     8  19   66    88  30

 18. Didcot Town                        38   10     3  25   71   101  23

 19. Haywards Heath                     38    8     5  25   52   103  21

 20. Crawley Town                       38    9     2  27   52   116  20

1960-61

  1. Arsenal ‘A’                        34   26    3    5  141   40   55

  2. St. Neots Town                     34   23    4    7  110   48   50

  3. Eastbourne United                  34   19    8    7   75   42   46

  4. Bedford Town Reserves              34   21    4    9   79   56   46

  5. Oxford United Reserves             34   20    5    9  105   64   45

  6. Newbury Town                       34   17    8    9   91   66   42

  7. West Ham United ‘A’                34   17    5   12   83   60   39

  8. Dartford Reserves                  34   18    3   13   81   66   39

  9. Luton Town ‘A’                     34   14    7   13   72   57   35

 10. Guildford City Reserves            34   14    7   13   69   72   35

 11. Hastings United Reserves           34   15    5   14   70   78   35

 12. Tonbridge Reserves                 34   12    3   19   71   96   27

 13. Didcot Town                        34   11    3   20   62   86   25

 14. Dunstable Town                     34    8    9   17   68  103   25

 15. Metropolitan Police                34    9    5   20   49   82   23

 16. Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’         34    7    6   21   45   93   20

 17. Crawley Town                       34    5    4   25   39  123   14

 18. Haywards Heath                34    4    3   27   32  110   11

1961-62

  1. Dartford Reserves                  32   24    4    4  102   51   52

  2. Arsenal ‘A’                       32   20    9    3   93   42   49

  3. St. Neots Town                     32   19    7    6   88   42   45

  4. Bexleyheath & Welling Reserves     32   18    7    7   81   63   43

  5. Crawley Town                       32   19    2   11   90   55   40

  6. Guildford City Reserves            32   17    5   10   81   71   39

  7. Oxford United Reserves             32   17    4   11  104   64   38

  8. West Ham United ‘A’                32   13    7   12   91   78   33

  9. Bedford Town Reserves              32   11    7   14   75   60   29

 10. Rainham Town                       32   13    3   16   54   63   29

 11. Didcot Town                        32   11    6   15   68   80   28

 12. Brighton & Hove Albion ‘A’         32   11    5   16   58   73   27

 13. Eastbourne United                  32   11    5   16   59   76   27

 14. Tonbridge Reserves                 32    9    5   18   84  102   23

 15. Newbury Town                       32    8    3   21   42   93   19

 16. Woodford Town                      32    5    2   25   42  120   12

 17. Metropolitan Police                32    4    3   25   33  112   11

1962-63

  1. Arsenal ‘A’                        32   26    2    4  107   29   54

  2. Oxford United Reserves             32   23    3    6   77   36   49

  3. Kettering Town Reserves            32   21    5    6  102   47   47

  4. Bedford Town Reserves              32   22    2    8   99   42   46

  5. West Ham United ‘A’                32   19    4    9   94   55   42

  6. Crawley Town                       32   19    4    9   82   49   42

  7. St. Neots Town                     32   18    2   12   93   70   38

  8. Dartford Reserves                  32   15    6   11   84   56   36

  9. Tonbridge Reserves                 32   13    5   14   78   80   31

 10. Rainham Town                       32   14    2   16   67   65   30

 11. Guildford City Reserves         32   13    3   16   66   82   29

 12. Eastbourne United                  32   11    5   16   64   67   27

 13. Bexleyheath & Welling Reserves     32    6    8   18   46   82   20

 14. Woodford Town                      32    8    3   21   41   95   19

 15. Metropolitan Police                32    6    4   22   44   98   16

 16. Gravesend & Northfleet Reserves    32    3    4   25   37  106   10

 17. Didcot Town                        32    3    2   27   26  148    8

  (=

1963-64

Division 1

  1. Charlton Athletic ‘A’              38   27    4    7  135   51   58

  2. Chelmsford City Reserves           38   23   10    5  105   47   56

  3. Tottenham Hotspur ‘A’          38   25    3   10  122   60   53

  4. Oxford United Reserves             38   19   13    6  104   50   51

  5. Cambridge City Reserves            38   20    9    9   94   78   49

  6. Woodford Town                      38   20    7   11   92   67   47

  7. Arsenal ‘A’                        38   18    9   11   80   57   45

  8. Eastbourne United                  38   16   10   12   72   60   42

  9. West Ham United ‘A’                38   18    6   14   95   82   42

 10. St. Neots Town                     38   17    7   14   94   67   41

 11. Guildford City Reserves            38   16    7   15   79   62   39

 12. Romford Reserves                   38   12   11   15   75   84   35

 13. Kettering Town Reserves            38   12    7   19   78   98   31

 14. Rainham Town                       38   10    8   20   75  113   28

 15. Dartford Reserves                  38   12    4   22   61  102   28

 16. Metropolitan Police                38   11    5   22   64  102   27

 17. Bexley United Reserves             38   11    5   22   65  105   27

 18. Bedford Town Reserves          38    9    7   22   68  108   25

 19. Crawley Town Reserves              38    8    7   23   51   92   23

 20. Tonbridge Reserves                 38    5    3   30   38  162   13

Division 2

  1. Gillingham Reserves            28   26    1    1  132   28   53

  2. Hastings United Reserves         28   16    5    7   71   44   37

  3. Stevenage Town Reserves         28   18    0   10   72   46   36

  4. Dover Reserves                 28   12    7    9   61   50   31

  5. Chertsey Town                 28   13    5   10   85   82   31

  6. Deal Town Reserves                 28   12    6   10   60   57   30

  7. Margate Reserves            28   13    3   12   68   48   29

  8. Folkestone Town Reserves           28   11    6   11   57   62   28

  9. Dunstable Town                    28   11    6   11   41   53   28

 10. Canterbury City Reserves           28   12    3   13   59   60   27

 11. Sittingbourne Reserves          28   13    1   14   56   62   27

 12. Gravesend & Northfleet Reserves    28    7    4   17   54   89   18

 13. Ashford Town Reserves              28    5    6   17   31   68   16

 14. Chingford                          28    5    5   18   31   81   15

 15. Ramsgate Athletic Reserves         28    6    2   20   44   92   14

1964-65

  1. Gillingham Reserves                42   31    4    7  149   58   66

  2. Tottenham Hotspur ‘A’              42   30    3    9  129   39   63

  3. West Ham United ‘A’                42   29    4    9  107   52   62

  4. Bury Town                          42   26    6   10   85   56   58

  5. Arsenal ‘A’                        42   23    6   13   98   53   52

  6. Wimbledon Reserves                 42   23    6   13  100   76   52

  7. Bedford Town Reserves              42   21    6   15   91   76   48

  8. Woodford Town                      42   19    9   14   94   93   47

  9. Chatham Town                42   19    9   14   79   84   47

 10. Chertsey Town                      42   18    9   15  105  108   45

 11. Chelmsford City Reserves           42   18    6   18   82   66   42

 12. St. Neots Town                     42   13   14   15   66   66   40

 13. Dunstable Town                     42   15    9   18   72   89   39

 14. Charlton Athletic ‘A’              42   14    8   20   74   98   36

 15. Guildford City Reserves         42   13    9   20   82   83   35

 16. Romford Reserves                   42   15    5   22   70   93   35

 17. Dartford Reserves                  42   10   11   21   91  112   31

 18. Metropolitan Police                42   10    9   23   66   94   29

 19. Cambridge City Reserves            42    9   10   23   59  108   28

 20. Luton Town ‘A’                     42    9    7   26   72  123   25

 21. Stevenage Town Reserves            42    8    7   27   62  123   23

 22. Bexley United Reserves             42    6    9   27   39  122   21

1965-66

  1. Bury Town                          36   29    5    2  108   27   63

  2. Tottenham Hotspur ‘A’              36   28    3    5  123   35   59

  3. Brentwood Town                     36   25    7    4  101   46   57

  4. West Ham United ‘A’                36   24    7    5   85   34   55

  5. Arsenal ‘A’                        36   21    8    7  107   54   50

  6. St. Neots Town                     36   21    5   10   83   62   47

  7. Wimbledon Reserves            36   19    3   14   95   74   41

  8. Chelmsford City Reserves           36   15    6   15   80   74   36

  9. Woodford Town                      36   17    2   17   64   84   36

 10. Barnet Reserves                    36   13    7   16   69   72   33

 11. Sheppey United                     36   13    7   16   63   88   33

 12. Chatham Town                       36   12    7   17   68   78   31

 13. Metropolitan Police         36   13    4   19   75   67   30

 14. Dartford Reserves                  36    9    5   22   61  105   23

 15. Stevenage Town Reserves         36    8    7   21   50   91   23

 16. Bedford Town Reserves              36    8    4   24   64  108   20

 17. Hatfield Town                      36    6    6   24   58  121   18

 18. Chertsey Town                      36    5    7   24   54  109   17

 19. Dunstable Town Reserves            36    3    6   27   43  122   12

Charlton Athletic ‘A’ left the competition during the season and the team’s record was deleted.

1966-67

  1. Tottenham Hotspur ‘A’              32   20    6    6  102   45   46

  2. Arsenal ‘A’                        32   20    5    7   91   41   45

  3. Brentwood Town                     32   20    4    8   75   41   44

  4. Bury Town                          32   16    8    8   73   46   40

  5. West Ham United ‘A’                32   16    7    9   73   36   39

  6. Hatfield Town                      32   16    7    9   67   47   39

  7. Sheppey United                     32   14    9    9   62   55   37

  8. Bedford Town Reserves              32   13    8   11   60   46   34

  9. Cray Wanderers                     32   14    6   12   60   75   34

 10. Wimbledon Reserves                 32   15    3   14   65   73   33

 11. Metropolitan Police                32   11    9   12   42   48   31

 12. Crittall Athletic                  32   11    3   18   40   62   25

 13. Woodford Town                      32   10    3   19   47   78   23

 14. Chelmsford City Reserves           32    7    7   18   46   77   21

 15. Chatham Town                  32    8    5   19   35   69   21

 16. Hillingdon Borough Reserves        32    6    5   21   29   73   17

 17. Stevenage Town Reserves            32    5    5   22   43   98   15

Barnet Reserves withdrew during the season and the team’s record was deleted.

1967-68

  1. Chelmsford City Reserves           26   17    4    5   56   25   38

  2. Bury Town                          26   15    7    4   56   26   37

  3. Tottenham Hotspur ‘A’              26   15    3    8   53   40   33

  4. Cray Wanderers                     26   12    8    6   50   35   32

  5. Bedford Town Reserves              26   15    1   10   59   42   31

  6. Metropolitan Police                26   13    3   10   66   61   29

  7. Hatfield Town                      26   12    2   12   49   45   26

  8. Arsenal ‘A’                        26    9    6   11   46   48   24

  9. West Ham United ‘A’                26   10    4   12   39   41   24

 10. Wimbledon Reserves                 26    8    6   12   35   46   22

 11. Sheppey United                     26    7    6   13   43   68   20

 12. Chatham Town                       26    6    7   13   23   46   19

 13. Crittall Athletic                  26    7    4   15   36   49   18

 14. Brentwood Town Reserves            26    2    7   17   18   57   11

1968-69

  1. Bury Town                          30   20    3    7   55   23   43

  2. Tottenham Hotspur ‘A’              30   17    8    5   68   38   42

  3. Bletchley Town                     30   16    6    8   47   25   38

  4. Metropolitan Police                30   16    5    9   72   52   37

  5. Braintree & Crittall Athletic      30   12   11    7   36   26   35

  6. West Ham United ‘A’                30   14    6   10   50   41   34

  7. Wellingborough Town                30   15    3   12   57   49   33

  8. Chelmsford City Reserves           30   11    9   10   56   45   31

  9. Stevenage Athletic                 30   11    9   10   50   44   31

 10. Romford Reserves                   30   11    9   10   59   60   31

 11. Sheppey United                     30   12    7   11   53   54   31

 12. Cray Wanderers                    30   11    5   14   49   49   27

 13. Arsenal ‘A’                        30    9    4   17   34   59   22

 14. Hatfield Town                      30    4    9   17   37   65   17

 15. Wimbledon Reserves                 30    6    3   21   30   70   15

 16. Bedford Town Reserves           30    5    3   22   28   81   13

1969-70

  1. Wellingborough Town                28   18    4    6   67   32   40

  2. Stevenage Athletic                 28   15    9    4   54   22   39

  3. West Ham United ‘A’                28   14    8    6   48   24   36

  4. Metropolitan Police                28   13    8    7   50   39   34

  5. Bletchley Town                     28   12    9    7   51   38   33

  6. Bedford Town Reserves              28   10    9    9   30   26   29

  7. Bury Town                          28   11    6   11   48   39   28

  8. Sheppey United                     28   10    7   11   50   45   27

  9. Romford Reserves                   28    9    8   11   37   43   26

 10. Hatfield Town                      28    9    5   14   47   61   23

 11. Braintree & Crittall Athletic      28    7    9   12   32   48   23

 12. Oxford United ‘A’                  28    9    4   15   43   63   22

 13. Cray Wanderers                     28    8    5   15   34   52   21

 14. Brentwood Town Reserves            28    6    8   14   25   56   20

 15. Epping Town                        28    6    7   15   40   68   19

1970-71

  1. Epping Town                        22   14    5    3   58   36   33

  2. Bury Town                          22   13    4    5   45   30   30

  3. Bletchley Town                     22   13    3    6   49   21   29

  4. Cray Wanderers                     22   12    3    7   45   36   27

  5. Metropolitan Police                22    9    7    6   44   27   25

  6. Chelmsford City Reserves           22    9    7    6   55   38   25

  7. Woodford Town                      22    8    7    7   30   32   23

  8. Sheppey United                     22    8    3   11   33   37   19

  9. West Ham United ‘A’           22    6    4   12   22   37   16

 10. Bedford Town Reserves              22    4    5   13   26   49   13

 11. Romford Reserves                   22    2    9   11   24   49   13

 12. Hatfield Town                      22    4    3   15   32   71   11

1971 onwards-the UCL (yet again), the SL Reserve Section and the Wallspan Southern Combination

By the early 70s many clubs had scrapped their reserve teams in favour of running a basic professional squad of about 15 players, and giving "fringe" players a game in midweek floodlit leagues. Bedford did this in the early 70s but went a little further between 1971/2 and 1973/4, by running a team of youngsters in the second division of the United Counties League. This was known as "Bedford Eaglets" and played its home matches at the Eyrie, but the directors for a while insisted that the Eaglets were a separate club that just happened to share their ground. The Eaglets finished in 11th place out of 19 teams in 1971/2 but in 1972/3 they were very succesful, finishing second in the League  two points behind champions Olney Town, who they also beat 2-0 on aggregate to win the Division One Knock-Out Cup. However, the UCL committee insisted that they were a reserve team and under the rules could not be promoted, since the Premier Division (unlike in the 50s) was now for first elevens only. By now the club seems to have dropped the fiction that the Eaglets were a separate club; after finishing fourth in 1973/4 the team was axed in one of the many financial crises of the latter years.

In 1972/3, however, there was also a brief venture into a mid-week League known as the Southern League Reserve Section. This was not part of the official Southern League structure but a private competition between Bletchley Town, Cambridge City, Corby, Dunstable, Kettering, Stevenage and Wellingborough as well as Bedford. Details of results are hard to find but Bedford won 11 of their 14 matches, and clinched the title with a 4-2 home win against Corby in their penultimate match. Only real fanatics were probably aware of this addition to the trophy cabinet. The League was run again in 1973/4 but seems to have been abandoned (like the Eastern Professional Floodlit Competition) when the Government banned floodlit matches during the power workers' strikes in the early part of 1974. The results for 1972/3 appear after the tables below (thanks to Martin Goatley for the information).

After that, there was no reserve team until 1978/9, when with their former stalwart David Skinn as reserve team manager under Trevor Gould,  the club again joined the Bucks Border League, playing midweek matches against Amersham, Aylesbury, Banbury, Milton Keynes City and Wellingborough (results appear below). From 1979/80 this League was sponsored by Wallspan, a paint supplier, and became the Wallspan Southern Combination. The Eaglets remained in this League until February 1982 when they abruptly resigned with their fixtures uncompleted: it was the first instalment of the collapse that was to see the club go out of business that summer.

Sadly, I've been unable to find any League tables from the 1970s for the Southern League Reserve Section, the Bucks Border or Wallspan Leagues; by now press reporting of even first team matches had become unreliable, and for reserve football it was frequently non-existent. If anyone knows of their whereabouts please let me know.

Officially Bedford scrapped their reserves after the 1970/1 season, when they withdrew from the Metropolitan League, but a team suspiciously called Bedford Eaglets appeared in the United Counties League Division Two despite George Senior's claim that they were a separate club. The League took a different view and they were not promoted to the First Division, which was only open to first teams, despite finishing second in their division in 1972/3. This team beat Kettering Park Wanderers on 22 February 1972. Back row, left to right: Terry Chalk (team manager), Andy Lloyd, David Parratt, B Clark, Jimmy Campbell, Ray Silous, Neil Rodney, Martin Bartlett (physio). Front: Dai Hunt, David Earl, G Griffiths, Jim O'Keefe, Bobby Wright. All these players apart from Clark and Griffiths made at least one competitive first team appearance, and Parratt, Campbell, Silous, Rodney and Earl were all regulars at one time or another.