A Swansea-based football club dubbed the UK’s “worst team” has celebrated a successful 23/24 season with an open top bus parade in Swansea.
Specsavers’ Best Worst Team Cwm Albion had plenty to celebrate this season following their first wins in 3 years, and did so in true footballing style, with an open top bus parade through the streets of their hometown.
The Swansea Senior League Division 4 side racked up an impressive 50 goals and 7 wins this season – a far cry from their last – which saw them lose all 22 of their games with a staggering -191 goal difference.
It’s been a very proud season for the team’s coach, Harry Redknapp, who returned to the dugout for the first time in seven years. An impactful talisman for the team, Harry was regularly on the sidelines for their games – including the nail-biting injury time win over Birchgrove Colts 3rds.
Speaking about this epic moment, Harry said: “It has been an unbelievable season with Cwm Albion, and I can’t express what a pleasure it’s been to coach such a dedicated, enthusiastic and down to earth group of guys. Their work ethic is off the charts.
“Working side by side with manager Dan has been such a great experience, he’s taught me a thing or two even at this stage in my career. Hopefully he’s picked up some tips from me as well!
“If I had to pick one moment that stood out to me, it’s got to be the injury time win against Birchgrove Colts – I’ve been everywhere, I’ve been to Real Madrid, Milan, Old Trafford, Anfield and oh my God, how exciting was that game. I was so into it… I was just as excited on that day as when Tottenham beat Milan 1-0 in Milan. That game and this season was just as exciting for me.”
Formed more than 100 years ago, Cwm Albion were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by Specsavers to turn their fortunes around following a nationwide search to find a club in desperate need of help. Over the past 11 months they received invaluable support throughout the season, including money-can’t-buy experiences usually reserved for elite clubs.
The team have attended movie premieres, been inspired by their Icons like Garry Monk, appeared on national TV and even tried hypnosis to improve their performance.
Speaking about the season, manager Dan Gill said: “It’s been fantastic, this season has breathed new life into the club. The wins have been amazing and I could hardly believe it when Harry walked in saying he wanted to join us. The main thing though is there’s a real buzz around the team, with fresh players reaching out all the time, keen to join the team. It’s the people that make this club, that come back game after game and so they are the real stars. For us to experience a season like this has been so rewarding, so thank you to Specsavers.”
The season also marked the end for one of Cwm Albion’s star players, 74-year-old John Rees, who has been with the club for over 50 years. Speaking about the season, John said: “It’s been an honour to play with the lads for so many years and for this season to be our most successful for a while is the icing on the cake. The team’s spirit is what kept me coming back and I look forward to supporting from the sidelines next season.”
Lisa Hale, head of consumer comms at Specsavers says: ‘From the offset, it’s been very clear how passionate Cwm Albion are about the game and their community, so we could not be prouder of everything the team has achieved this season.
‘For decades, Specsavers has always celebrated and made heroes of those who really “Should’ve gone to Specsavers” and we wanted to take our commitment to celebrating human moments to the next level, by investing in an underfunded area of culture which relies heavily on excellent sight and hearing – grassroots football.
‘We wanted to give this community of heroes a taste of fame – celebrating them and their humanness in way that only they can dream about and it’s been a real pleasure to do that with Cwm Albion.’
The final episode of Specsavers Best Worst Team is available to watch here. You can view all the episodes on the Best Worst Team YouTube channel here.