#cwm-albion — Public Fediverse posts

SWANSEA: From -191 goal difference to promoted — Cwm Albion complete the most remarkable turnaround in Welsh football

The 114-year-old Swansea club secured promotion to Division One of the Swansea Senior League on Saturday with a thumping 6-2 victory over African Community Centre — completing one of the most remarkable turnarounds in grassroots football anywhere in Wales.

The win sparked wild celebrations among players, staff and supporters who had endured some very dark days not so long ago.

In the 2022/23 season, Cwm Albion finished bottom of Division Four with a goal difference of -191.

They lost every single game.

It was as bad as it sounds — and it earned them a rather unwanted distinction.

Specsavers selected them as its “Best Worst Team” — an initiative designed to help the UK’s worst-performing grassroots club turn things around.

The support that followed included mentorship from footballing legend Harry Redknapp, who worked with the squad and helped attract new players to the club.

The transformation began almost immediately. Within a season, Cwm Albion went from a team conceding ten goals a game to one that couldn’t be beaten.

They then reached a cup final for the first time in 26 years — a moment that would have been unthinkable during those bleak days at the bottom of Division Four.

And now, promotion.

Manager Dan Gill said the achievement was hard to take in. “Three seasons ago we couldn’t buy a win, we were conceding games heavily every week,” he said. “To go from that to now being promoted in the Swansea Senior League is unbelievable. Looking back, it doesn’t even feel like the same club anymore.”

Gill said the Specsavers initiative had been the turning point. “We’ve got more players coming in, we’re winning more, scoring more and conceding less,” he said. “I’m so proud of everyone involved.”

He said other clubs had been asking how Cwm Albion kept going during the worst of it. “It just shows how far we’ve come,” he added.

Saturday’s 6-2 win takes them into Division One next season — and nobody who watched them three years ago would have believed it possible.

The Cwm Albion story

Harry Redknapp helps Swansea amateur side deemed UK’s worst performing football team
How the Specsavers Best Worst Team initiative brought Harry Redknapp to Cwm Albion.

Cwm Albion turn from Best Worst Team to unbeaten heroes
The remarkable transformation that followed Specsavers’ involvement.

Former worst team in the UK reach cup final for first time in 26 years
The moment that showed how far Cwm Albion had come.

Former ‘worst’ team in the UK Cwm Albion FC Reserves reach cup final for the first time in 26 years

The team, who lost all their games and racked up a staggering -191 goal difference in the Swansea Senior League Division 4 just two seasons ago, haven’t been anywhere near a final since 1999, so it’s a remarkable turnaround for the 100-year old side.

It’s good news elsewhere at Cwm Albion too, as the 1st team are also in contention for silverware this May. Next week they will compete in the final of the Maes-Y-Gollen Cup, marking a historic double for the club.

At the start of its 2023/24 campaign, Cwm Albion reserves 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.

“To be honest, at the very start of our last season we were at our lowest point that I can remember,” reflects Dan Gill, Manager of Cwm Albion FC. “Then the Specsavers Best Worst Team campaign gave us that push that we needed, helped us get more players wanting to join, and we’re winning more, scoring more and conceding less.”

“To think of where we were a couple of seasons ago – winning zero games, getting battered every week, finishing bottom of the table by a country mile – to now being in the top half of the table and in two cup finals… we’re just unrecognisable,” the manager adds.

In 1999, Cwm Albion played Gors FC in a nail-biting cup final that ended in a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat. Among the starting lineup was Colin Gill, father of current manager Dan Gill, who still plays for Cwm today.

Speaking about the full-circle moment that spans nearly three decades, Colin said: “We have a bigger squad now for a start! We couldn’t get a full team on the pitch before, and now we have two teams every week.”

“We had about 50-odd lads get in touch wanting to join after last season. The atmosphere is so different – we used to just turn up, and now I hate being the one to break the news that a game has been called off because the team are just gutted.”

The Cwm Albion reserves team includes Shayne Prior, who commutes nearly 200 miles from London to play in the squad.

Colin adds: “Shayne has played for us for six or seven years now and travels down near enough every week just to play for us. We had our semi-final on a Tuesday night, so Shayne took a half day off work, drove down to be in the squad, and drove straight back to London after we got the win.”

The Cwm Albion FC reserves are taking on Port Tennant Colts in the Reserve Cup at 12.30 on 11th May at Llandarcy Park Stadium Pavillion Complex, before the 1st team play Talycopa in the Meas-Y-Gollen Cup on 15th May.

Colin sums up the club’s achievement: “Win or lose, we’ll be celebrating either way, but both teams are focused on winning to close off the season. Just getting to this point has been a massive milestone.”

“We have other clubs coming over to us after games asking how we managed to keep the club going when we were conceding ten goals a game – it’s such a huge moment to get to this point.”

Speaking on the achievement, Lisa Hale, head of broadcast and consumer PR & social said: “Since being crowned Specsavers’ Best Worst Team in 2023, we’ve loved following Cwm Albion’s journey.

“It’s a true grassroots underdog story and shows the benefits and legacy of Specsavers Best Worst Team – Cwm Albion are thriving; they’ve won game after game and attracted new players which have given the whole club a boost.”

“To mark the occasion, we’ll be showing the action from the games in a special episode on the Best Worst Team YouTube channel – we’re rooting for both teams!”

The Cwm Albion Final episode will be available to watch on Specsavers Best Worst Team YouTube Channel in July 2025

#CwmAlbion #football #Plasmarl #Specsavers #Swansea