The Bitcoin Commonplace has many formations. For some it is important to nurture all possessions and abstain from money from the magic web; for others, it’s about putting every spare penny into satoshis. For Standard podcaster Peter McCormack — an avid soccer fan — that meant shopping for his native membership and signing Bitcoin (BTC) on the group sheet.
Bitcoin proponent McCormack acquired his hometown soccer membership in December 2021. He rebranded and rebranded the membership to Actual Bedford, and on the ground bitcoin qualifies as a cost of shirts, drinks, and tickets.
However, can the ethos behind falling foreign money change the future of a football membership as Bitcoin’s value moves into the $20,000 range? And, most importantly, why has this decline in league membership caught the eye of Bitcoin advocates around the world?
On the sidelines, Cointelegraph joined McCormack, local supporters and bitcoiners at the main game of the season, which was streamed to tons of bitcoins worldwide.
Ever since he was a boy, McCormack dreamed of shopping for Bedford City, the local football affiliation. “Bedford could help a group within the football league,” he advised Cointelegraph. He eventually shopped for the less native group Bedford Soccer Membership, which competes in the Spartan South Midlands Soccer League.
With six leagues under the English Soccer League (EFL), Real Bedford’s football ladder is high. McCormack jokes that Premier League participation is more than an end – at least for now. While footballing achievements are essential for promotion, the biggest issue members are currently facing is that “the group’s sponsors are bitcoin companies.”
In quite surreal scenes, billboards for Bitcoin-friendly manufacturers like Casa, Gemini and Compass Mining adorn billboards around the stadium, while matchday shirts also feature crypto companies. Nonetheless, with the Bitcoin bear market in full swing, there is a risk that these companies will run into trouble.
“Sooner or later towards the top of the season I want to go back to them, say, look, we’ve delivered, hopefully, hopefully, hopefully we’ve gone up and it’s going very well, but I want to go back and say, okay, we have to go to the next grade. Okay, I want you to sponsor again.”
Some local followers were amused by the Billboard bitcoin ads surrounding the pitch; others were eager to ask the site to get their hands on bitcoin. Regardless of the bitcoin-centric method, Cointelegraph supporters spoke to give senior influence more weight than membership influence, which places “Bitcoin at heart.” In essence, Chairman McCormack funded the group; Now it’s time for the coach to provoke the group and encourage the athletes.
To their credit, the group has loved glorious pre-season results. In fact, Bedford have drawn with groups a few leagues above and the squad sits at the top of the table at the time of writing.
The supervisor and some key players left home rivals Bedford City FC ahead of the season, despite Bedford sitting two leagues lower in the English football pyramid. Also, McCormack jokes that more people attend the pre-game Bitcoin meetup than last season’s game days.
Building a group is a kind of necessities for our membership. We had 273 in play at the moment, a huge improvement from last season.
Thanks to everyone who came out for the sport, bought merchandise and supported the boys. pic.twitter.com/s5mCOXO5o2
— Real Bedford FC (@realbedford) August 6, 2022
Bitcoin Gandalf of mining company Braiins Bitcoin, which took part in the sport, summed up the ambience:
“The truth that there are individuals who come from all over the UK. and that even Europe is seeing the league group drop, largely because they are the first membership to run a bitcoin standard, is a testament to what a paradigm-shifting know-how bitcoin is.”
Bitcoin meetups from seasoned node runners to newbies. One girl asked, “Who controls the mining?” while some lovers made their first peer-to-peer or lightning community transaction. The bitcoin “₿” is hard to miss when it comes to membership, while achieving membership in the minor leagues is global. Have followers in Amsterdam and Minnesota Bought Merchandise for reducing league membership.
The clubhouse, meanwhile, has launched bitcoin-backed bonuses for scorers. Another bitcoin podcaster, Daniel Prince, recommended sharing bitcoin QR codes specifically for gamers on the Dwell stream. It could allow bitcoin and soccer fans worldwide to “tip” players in real-time — say, when a player completes a goal or wins a problem. “It’s a proof of work in motion,” Prince defined.
Regardless of McCormack’s Bitcoin-First focus, players are still trying their hand at altcoins. The season’s top scorer, Dan Walker, told Cointelegraph that he made good money on “good DeFi protocols” in 2022. Granted, “Bitcoin is more long-term,” he defined, but he had no bitcoin on the day of the game while his wages are in UK kilos.
Bitcoin aside, McCormack’s passion for his hometown is contagious. He pours his heart and soul into the group – and on behalf of the city. The group’s football t-shirt simply reads “₿edford” – versus Actual Bedford – signaling their intention to place their hometown on the Bitcoin world map. El Salvador exploded onto the scene with the adoption of Bitcoin, so Bedford could potentially see that surge as well.
In a post-game interview, McCormack told Cointelegraph he’d rather have a pint at his local pub than a huge one in Las Vegas, and it’s Bedford over Texas day-to-day of the week, regardless of Texas’ style for Bitcoin. Plus, Actual Bedford’s rise means a lot more to him than Tottenham Hotspur’s relegation. Tottenham Hotspur, a member of the London Premier League, are staunch enemies and rarely the subject of McCormack’s jokes.
Associated: Oxford Metropolis Soccer membership to easily accept bitcoin for match day tickets
Locals also told Cointelegraph that there’s more to McCormack’s character than internet magic money: he’s the first to help and support the group. McCormack can very well be spotted handing out drinks, wiping tables and greeting supporters on game day – most if not all of whom he knew by first name.
Calling the group and the transition to a Bitcoin commonplace a hit is short-sighted. Nonetheless, with 3-0 and 7-1 results to kick off the season mixed with vigorous bitcoin meets and a rising base of followers, there are encouraging signs that bitcoin is doing the usual.
