Former Luton defender Greg Taylor has joined newly-promoted National League North side Bedford Town on a free transfer.

Former Luton defender Greg Taylor has joined newly-promoted National League North side Bedford Town on a free transfer.

The 35-year-old, who was born in Bedford, joined the Hatters back in November 2011 from Darlington. He went on to play 43 times in total, scoring once, including featuring in the memorable FA Cup fourth round triumph at Norwich City in January 2013, when Town, then a non-league side, knocked the Premier League Canaries out of the competition at Carrow Road.

Taylor fell out of favour under then manager Paul Buckle though, with a loan spell at Mansfield in March 2013, leaving for Cambridge United in June 2013. The left-footed defender racked up well over 350 appearances during his decade at the Abbey Stadium, before a free transfer switch to Woking in July 2023, also heading to King’s Lynn Town in January 2024, where he had spent the last 18 months, playing 42 times and scoring four goals.

He is now back with his hometown side after agreeing a one year contract, as Eagles boss Lee Bircham said: “Goes without saying I am delighted to get Greg done and dusted. From the very first meeting we had I felt Greg wanted to get stuck in with us as much as we wanted to get him over the line. It was really refreshing and easy. Absolutely no hiding from it, Greg is a massive signing for us.

“One that I’m sure will surprise a few. His career to date has been nothing short of exceptional and also has the vital National League North experience that we’ll need from the last two seasons, playing nearly 50 times in helping King’s Lynn reach the play-off semi-finals. It’s an added bonus for Eagles that Greg is from Bedford and lives in Bedford, so it just gives it that extra special feel to him signing for the club. On top of that, he is a lovely fella and will be huge for the tight changing room we already have.”

Today Luton Town Football Club announced the first two of the inevitable raft of friendly fixtures they will play.

Now, while many of us were hoping for something glamorous, a game against a Premier League team or even a European trip, those dreams do not seem to be forthcoming, at the moment.

Instead, for the time being, we’ll have to put up with a short trip down the BED-PAN line to take on Boreham Wood, getting off the train at Elstree, on 05-July, with the game kicking off at 1300 hours, giving us all plenty of time to get home and have a beer or two.

The second of the first two friendly games announced, and a little more enticing, but not much, is a trip down to Kent, to take on Gillingham at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium, this time with a traditional 1500 hours kick-off on 19-July.

I must admit, I’ve never been to Boreham Wood, so that could be another ground ticked off.

However, I have been to Gillingham, albeit many years ago.

Now I can’t recall the exact date but it would have, I reckon, been around about 1980.

I recall travelling down on a coach run by the club and upon arriving at Gillingham FC we were ushered onto an open terrace behind the goal.

Unfortunately, there didn’t appear to be any segragation and soon we were being chased by the locals, keen to give us a painful memory of our visit.

Keeping my head down and in desperate need of emptying my bladder, I recall venturing into the toilet, well I call it a toilet but it was just a trough in the ground surrounded by corregated iron, to say it stunk is putting it mildly.