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Luton Town Football Club is by far the most successful and supported team in the county, though there are numerous other teams competing at various levels. The Bedfordshire County Football Association is the governing body of football in the county, and run a number of cups at different levels for teams in the area.
Luton is the home town of Luton Town Football Club who play in the Conference National,[1] the 5th level of the English league structure following their 30 point deduction from the Football League during the 2008/09 season. They are the biggest and most successful team in the county and have enjoyed spells in the highest flight of English Football. Their nickname, "The Hatters", dates back to when Luton had a substantial millinery industry.
The top flight of the Football Conference. Teams promoted from the Conference, pending they meet certain rules, are eligible to play in the English Football League.
Luton Town will play their first ever season in the division in the 2009/10 season
Luton Town FC was one of the 16 founding members of the league back in 1894. Currently, winners of the league are promoted to the Conference South (or North sometimes due to team balancing.)
Spartan South Midlands League
The Spartan South Midlands League consists of teams from London and the Home Counties. The league feeds the Southern Football League and Isthmian League.
United Counties Football League
The United Counties Football League covers Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, as well as parts of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, and Lincolnshire. It has a total of four divisions: 2 first team, and 2 reserve team divisions. Clubs in the Premier Division are eligible to enter the FA Cup in the Preliminary Round stages, and those with floodlights are eligible to enter the FA Vase. There are also knockout cups for the Premier/Division One clubs and for the Reserve Divisions clubs.
Bedfordshire County Football League
Amateur teams in Bedfordshire compete in a league which comprises tiers 11-15 in the English football league system. The league has 71 members spread across five divisions. When a club wins the league championship, it also gains the opportunity to join either the United Counties Football League or the Spartan South Midlands League.
The league runs separate league cups for each division – the Premier Division clubs play for the Britannia Cup, Divisions One clubs play for the Centenary Cup, Division Two sides compete for the Jubilee Cup and Division Three teams play in the Watson Shield.
For the 2009–10 season, the teams are distributed thus:
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The Bedfordshire County Cricket Club is Bedfordshire's county cricket club. They are classed as one of the 'Minor Counties' in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Bedfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy.
The club play most of their matches at Wardown Park, Luton.
Other cricket venues in the county include:
The club has produced several cricketers who have made an impact on the first-class game:
Luton has 2 18 hole golf courses. One in Stockwood Park and the other at Warden Hill. A driving range and 9 hole golf course can also be found at Tea Green.
The Bedfordshire Blue Raiders are members of the British American Football League.
Speedway racing was staged in Luton in the mid 1930s.