After a nationwide search by Specsavers to find the ‘best worst team’ for their latest YouTube show, the Swansea Senior League side who were formed over 100 years ago were deemed to fit the bill after losing all 22 of their games last season.
Amongst the playing staff, the team includes goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald, who has never had a clean sheet in his ten years with the club, and veteran midfielder John Rees, who is still playing aged 74.
After gaining a call from Specsavers, the former Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Southampton and Portsmouth manager, with a managerial career spanning more than 25-years agreed to support current manager Dan Gill at Cwm Level Road until the rest of the season.
‘When I got the call up from Specsavers, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Redknapp.
“The team’s 191-goal difference certainly caught my eye, but after meeting the lads, you can’t doubt their determination.
“They’re a real close unit, and their hard work is already starting to pay off, with the lads securing their first win in three years in their latest match.”
Redknapp is hopeful that victories will keep coming, with the right training and guidance. Whilst showing he still has the same sense of humour, Redknapp jokingly quipped he would try and dust off and convince a former favourite of his in former Croatian international Niko Krancjar, to join the club.
“We’ll dig him out, bring him down. Get a couple of ringers in there, maybe even Crouchy” continued Redknapp.
Cwm Albion’s lineup also includes winger Shane Prior who says he has ‘legs like Bambi’, and holding midfielder Paul DiMarco, who will ‘have a nose bleed’ if he goes too far up the pitch.
Manager Gill feels having Redknapp on board was ‘the biggest thing to have happened to the club’ since he joined when he was 16 years old, with Redknapp a huge inspiration for himself and his teammates.
John Rees, who is now club chairman after being part of the team for 55 years, said that being named Britain’s worst football team had been ‘great’.
“The way people have jumped on the bandwagon with us and helped us out has been brilliant. I thought I had played well, but they haven’t been picked since though”.
Lisa Hale, head of consumer comms at Specsavers, said:
“Almost 2,000 grassroots football teams across the country applied for the opportunity to be Specsavers’ Best Worst Team and we couldn’t have found a better team in Cwm Albion.”
“It’s clear how passionate they are about the game and their community, so we really can’t wait to get behind them and hopefully with our and Harry’s support we will see improvements both on and off the pitch.
Cwm Albion’s journey will be documented by Specsavers throughout the 2023/2024 footballing season in a series of episodes, narrated by Jill Scott, available to view on a dedicated YouTube channel found below.
Here Cwms Harry Redknapp | Specsavers’ Best Worst Team | Series 2 | Episode 2 – YouTube
[Lead image: Press Association]
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