IN A FOOTBALL fairytale for the ages, Cwm Albion FC Reserves – crowned Specsavers’ Best Worst Team in 2023 – have achieved the unthinkable by reaching the final of the Reserve Cup.
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.
Dan Gill, Manager of Cwm Albion FC, reflected: “To be honest, at the very start of our last season we were at our lowest point that I can remember.
“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.”
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 added: “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 today (May 11) 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
