{"id":26542,"date":"2022-08-20T16:05:17","date_gmt":"2022-08-20T16:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/?p=26542"},"modified":"2022-08-20T16:05:17","modified_gmt":"2022-08-20T16:05:17","slug":"the-real-deal-peter-mccormacks-bedford-bitcoin-bet-scores-more-than-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/?p=26542","title":{"rendered":"The Real Deal? Peter McCormack&#8217;s Bedford Bitcoin Bet scores more than goals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-v-28d77a7a=\"\">\n<p>The Bitcoin Standard has many formations. For some, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/the-bitcoin-family-talks-about-traveling-giving-and-orange-pilling\" rel=\"noopener\">selling all possessions and living off magic internet money is key; <\/a>for others, it\u2019s about <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/the-business-of-a-bitcoin-standard-profit-people-and-passion-for-good-food\" rel=\"noopener\">sweeping every spare penny into Satoshis.<\/a> For <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/2021\/02\/09\/the-wealthiest-time-of-my-life-was-the-most-miserable-peter-mccormack\" rel=\"noopener\">popular podcaster Peter McCormack<\/a>\u2013an avid football fan\u2013it meant buying his local club and signing Bitcoin (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/bitcoin-price\" rel=\"noopener\">BTC<\/a>) onto the team sheet.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bitcoin advocate McCormack acquired <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/peter-mccormack-acquires-local-sports-club-bedford-fc-with-premier-league-ambitions\" rel=\"noopener\">his hometown football club in December 2021<\/a>. He renamed and rebranded the club to Real Bedford, and at the ground, Bitcoin qualifies as payment for shirts, drinks and tickets. <\/p>\n<p>But with the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/bitcoin-price-corrects-after-hitting-a-wall-at-a-multi-month-descending-trendline\" rel=\"noopener\">price of Bitcoin wallowing in the $20,000s<\/a>, can the ethos behind a falling currency transform a football club\u2019s future? And more importantly, why has this lower league club caught the attention of Bitcoin advocates around the world? <\/p>\n<p>Pitchside, Cointelegraph caught up with McCormack, local fans and Bitcoiners on the first match of the season which was streamed to hundreds of Bitcoiners around the world. <\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Bitcoin netted Peter McCormack&#039;s childhood dream to buy a soccer team\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VGYItQKWpq8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Ever since he was a boy, McCormack dreamed of buying Bedford Town, the local football club. \u201cBedford could support a team in the Fooball League,\u201d he told Cointelegraph. He ended up buying the lesser local team, Bedford Football Club which plays in the Spartan South Midlands Football League. <\/p>\n<p>At six leagues below the English Football League (EFL), the footballing ladder for Real Bedford towers high above. McCormack jokes that playing in the Premier League is more of a wind-up\u2013at least for now. Nonetheless,\u00a0 while footballing achievement is crucial for promotion, the biggest challenge the club currently faces is that \u201cthe team\u2019s sponsors are Bitcoin companies.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2022-08\/b261f8ec-3531-4061-825a-c913559607f7.png\" \/><figcaption style=\"text-align: center\">The post-match interview spot is entirely crypto sponsors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In somewhat surreal scenes, adverts for Bitcoin-friendly brands including Casa, Gemini and Compass Mining plaster the billboards surrounding the stadium, while match day kits also feature crypto companies. However, with the Bitcoin <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/explained\/market-correction-vs-bear-market-key-differences-explained\" rel=\"noopener\">bear market in full swing,<\/a> there\u2019s a risk <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/bear-market-some-crypto-firms-cut-jobs-while-others-aim-for-sustainable-growth\" rel=\"noopener\">these companies are in trouble<\/a>. <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cAt some point towards the end of the season, I need to go back to them, say, look, we delivered, hopefully, hopefully, hopefully we\u2019re promoted, and it\u2019s all going very well, but I need to go back and say, okay, we need to go to the next level. Okay, I need you to sponsor again.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Some local fans were bemused by billboard Bitcoin advertisements that enclosed the pitch; others were keen to ask where to get their hands on Bitcoin. Despite the Bitcoin-centric approach, fans Cointelegraph spoke to place greater weight on the manager\u2019s impact than the impact of the club <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/peter-mccormack-acquires-local-sports-club-bedford-fc-with-premier-league-ambitions\" rel=\"noopener\">putting \u201cbitcoin at heart.<\/a>\u201d In essence, Chairman McCormack has financed the team; now it\u2019s time for the manager to galvanize the team and inspire the athletes. <\/p>\n<p>To their credit, the team has enjoyed excellent pre-season results. Real Bedford drew with teams several leagues above and the squad is top of the league table at the time of writing. <\/p>\n<p>The manager, as well as some key players, transferred from local rivals Bedford Town FC before the season, despite that Real Bedford sits two leagues lower down the English footballing pyramid. Plus, McCormack jokes there are more people attending the pregame Bitcoin meetup than attending match days last season.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Building a community is one of those important things for our club. We had 273 at the game today, a huge increase on last season.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you to everyone who came out for the game, bought merchandise and supported the lads. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/s5mCOXO5o2\" rel=\"noopener\">pic.twitter.com\/s5mCOXO5o2<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Real Bedford FC (@realbedford) <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realbedford\/status\/1555991101923885056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"noopener\">August 6, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Bitcoin Gandalf of Braiins Bitcoin mining company, who attended the game, summed up the atmosphere: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe fact that there are people coming from all around the U.K. and even Europe to watch a lower league team primarily because they are the first club to run on a Bitcoin standard is a testament to what a paradigm-shifting technology Bitcoin is.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Bitcoin meetup participants varied <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/bitty-kitty-cat-spoils-bitcoin-node-during-price-crash-with-dirty-protest\" rel=\"noopener\">from seasoned node runners<\/a> to newcomers. One lady asked, \u201cWho controls mining?\u201d while some enthusiasts performed their first peer-to-peer or Lightning Network transaction. The Bitcoin \u201c\u20bf\u201d is hard to miss at the club, while the reach of the lower tier league club is global. Fans in Amsterdam and Minnesota have <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LazerEyezOnMe\/status\/1491550846789861377\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">bought<\/a> merchandise for the lower league club.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.cointelegraph.com\/uploads\/2022-08\/2eb88304-74ea-420c-8bf0-ad09807479b6.png\" \/><figcaption style=\"text-align: center\">Real Bedford supporters spotted on the streets of Amsterdam. Source: BTC Magazine Youtube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the clubhouse, meanwhile, Bitcoin-backed bonuses for goalscorers were brought up. Daniel Prince, a fellow Bitcoin podcaster, suggested sharing Bitcoin QR codes specific to players on the live stream. It would allow Bitcoin and football fans around the world <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/busking-on-bitcoin-how-lightning-network-outperforms-ethereum-for-tipping\" rel=\"noopener\">to \u201ctip\u201d players in real-time<\/a>\u2013say when a player scores a goal or wins a challenge. \u201cIt\u2019s proof-of-work in action,\u201d Prince explained.<\/p>\n<p>Despite McCormack\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/shitcoins-are-garbage-bitcoin-only-brokers-on-freedom-and-finance\" rel=\"noopener\">Bitcoin-first focus<\/a>, players still dabble in altcoins. The season\u2019s top goal scorer, Dan Walker, told Cointelegraph that he made good money tinkering with \u201csmart DeFi protocols\u201d in 2022. Granted, \u201cBitcoin is the future,\u201d he explained, but he didn\u2019t have any Bitcoin on match day while his salary is paid in Great British pounds sterling.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bitcoin aside, the passion McCormack harbors for his local town is infectious. He pours his heart and soul into the team\u2013and by proxy the town. The team\u2019s football t-shirt merely says \u201c\u20bfedford\u201d \u2014 as opposed to Real Bedford \u2014 signaling the intention to put his hometown on the Bitcoin world map. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/tourism-in-el-salvador-up-30-since-bitcoin-adoption-minister-says\" rel=\"noopener\">El Salvador exploded onto the scene<\/a> by way of Bitcoin adoption, so maybe Bedford could also ride that wave.<\/p>\n<p>In a post-match interview, McCormack told Cointelegraph he would much rather have a pint in the local pub than a big one in Las Vegas, and it\u2019s Bedford over Texas every day of the week, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/texas-a-bitcoin-hot-spot-even-as-heat-waves-affect-crypto-miners\" rel=\"noopener\">despite Texas\u2019 taste for Bitcoin<\/a>. Plus, Real Bedford\u2019s promotion means far more to him than Tottenham Hotspur\u2019s relegation. Tottenham Hotspur, a London Premier League club, are staunch enemies and often the butt of McCormack\u2019s jokes.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Related: <\/em><\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/oxford-city-football-club-to-accept-bitcoin-for-matchday-tickets\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em>Oxford City Football Club to accept Bitcoin for matchday tickets<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Locals also commented to Cointelegraph that there&#8217;s more to McCormack&#8217;s character than magic internet money: He\u2019s the first to lend a hand and support the community. True to form, McCormack could be found handing out drinks, wiping down tables and greeting fans on match day \u2014 most if not all of whom he knew on a first-name basis.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s short-sighted to call the team and the transition to a Bitcoin Standard a success. Nonetheless, with 3-0 and 7-1 results to kick the season off, combined with lively Bitcoin meetups and a growing turnout of fans, there are encouraging signs that Bitcoin is setting the standard.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/news\/the-real-deal-peter-mccormack-s-bedford-bitcoin-bet-scores-more-than-goals\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Bitcoin Standard has many formations. For some, selling all possessions and living off magic internet money is key; for others, it\u2019s about sweeping every spare penny into Satoshis. For popular podcaster Peter McCormack\u2013an avid football fan\u2013it meant buying his local club and signing Bitcoin (BTC) onto the team sheet.\u00a0 Bitcoin advocate McCormack acquired his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[37],"tags":[10602,2458,50,2649,5011,10601,5336,231,4358],"class_list":["post-26542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bitcoin","tag-bedford","tag-bet","tag-bitcoin","tag-deal","tag-goals","tag-mccormacks","tag-peter","tag-real","tag-scores"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/1200_aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5jb2ludGVsZWdyYXBoLmNvbS91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjItMDgvOTA5Y2VkZmItNWNiNy00ODNkLWJjM2EtNGNlODNjMGViMThiLmpwZw.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26544,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26542\/revisions\/26544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/egrowonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}