Latest news with #BestWorstTeam
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Specsavers partner with Scotland internationals Kirsty Smith and Erin Cuthbert to launch Best Worst Pitch Campaign
The new initiative aims to breathe new life into underfunded grassroots football pitches across the country. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Specsavers has partnered with Scottish international stars, Kirsty Smith and Erin Cuthbert to launch the Best Worst Pitch initiative. Open to clubs across the UK, the initiative will provide 50 teams who are most in need with professional line painting equipment and GPS pitch mapping, pitch maintenance equipment, as well as maintenance training to help them maintain their pitches through the next season and beyond. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Clear and accurate line markings are vital not just for ensuring structure and fairness in the game, but also for helping players and officials navigate the pitch-enhancing visibility, spatial awareness, and overall safety throughout play. Erin Cuthbert is backing the search for Scotland's Best Worst Pitch Kirsty Smith said: 'Grassroots football is the heart and soul of the game. It's important that we back the communities and dedicated volunteers who keep it running. 'I remember how tough it was playing on a rough pitch, but it didn't hold me back, it just made me realise how important these pitches are. 'This is a campaign I'm really proud of – The Best Worst Pitch initiative will ensure that pitches are in the best condition possible so that everyone can enjoy using them.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The announcement comes as UK football governing bodies have recently highlighted that maintaining grassroots pitches across the UK is one of the main issues facing the sport. With councils stretched for funding, the responsibility for maintaining club pitches, often falls on dedicated members of the grassroots football community. It's a challenge Specsavers has seen up close, having renewed its' sponsorship deal with the Scottish FA, to become the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner. The deal will see the 24-year partnership continue for the rest of the season as Specsavers strives to support the growth of Scottish football in both the men's and women's game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Erin Cuthbert added: 'I called my papa 'Net Man'. He's no longer with us but he was always there, two hours early putting the nets up and sorting the pitch out. 'It's little efforts like that that keep grassroots football alive. It's absolutely vital that we get it right at this level so that young players can improve and have a better chance of succeeding in the sport.' Specsavers have also documented the difficulties of grassroots teams through the Best Worst Team campaign, highlighting the real struggles faced at pitch level and further underlining the brand's long-standing commitment to supporting the grassroots football community. Speaking about the struggles of pitch maintenance, Chairman of current Specsavers Best Worst Team, Tunley Athletic, Craig Doughty said: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's a real slog sometimes. Every week, rain or shine, I'm out there doing two full laps of the pitch just to get the lines marked. 'The equipment we've got is ancient - it clogs, it leaks, and it takes twice as long as it should. 'On dark evenings or when the wind's howling, it feels like it takes forever. But I do it because I love this club, it means everything to the community.' In addition to providing equipment, Specsavers is also offering training and education to the selected clubs, aiming to tackle some of the long-term challenges faced by grassroots teams and the volunteers who maintain their pitches. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The ultimate goal is to improve the quality and longevity of these pitches, ensuring local communities can continue to enjoy them for many matches to come. Kim Bull, Specsavers' PR and Social Lead, said: 'Over the last two seasons supporting clubs that need a bit of help with their eyes and ears, as well as their game, we've noticed the effort that goes into keeping grassroots clubs running. 'People like Craig, who quietly put in the hard work behind the scenes to keep pitches playable, is what grassroots football is all about. 'This initiative means we can support more clubs and communities, like Tunley. By making faded lines more visible, we're helping players to see the beautiful game more clearly. And hopefully make fewer mistakes!' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To have a chance of being part of the Best Worst Pitch initiative and help improve the quality of your local club's football pitch, apply online
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Welsh football team named worst in UK ends 74-year wait for trophy
A football team once dubbed the worst in the UK has won its first trophy in 74 years. Cwm Albion rose to prominence by losing all their games and racking up an astonishingly bad -191 goal difference in the Swansea Senior League Division 4 just two seasons ago. However, the team has since enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, culminating in winning the Maes-Y-Gollen Cup last weekend in what was their first final since 1999. READ MORE: Paul Scholes' heartbreaking admission about son as daughter dated famous rugby star READ MORE: Cardiff City manager favourite confirms offers on the table and is 'ready to go' Albion saw off Talycoppa AFC in a tense 2-1 victory, with goals coming from Richard Davies and Gary Halligan, who struck either side of Lee Jones' equaliser. The result caps a hugely impressive rise for the club, who once drafted in former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp in December 2023 in a bid to turn around their staggeringly bad run of form. Redknapp was on hand to offer support and face-to-face training as part of a campaign by Specsavers to find a team in need of help. Now the club are toasting one of their finest moments of their 113-year history. Manager Dan Gill said: 'It's a fantastic result, I can't quite believe it. To think 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 winning the cup… we're just unrecognisable. 'I'm so proud of the team and the club, 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.' Last week, the reserve team also made it through to the final of the Swansea Reserve Cup, with Colin Gill, Dan's father among those in the starting line-up. Colin said: 'It's a huge achievement and the turnaround has been massive. We couldn't get a full team on the pitch two seasons ago, and now we're reaching finals and winning trophies. 'We've certainly been enjoying the celebrations. It's great to see so much hard work pay off. 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.'
Wales Online
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Welsh football team named worst in UK ends 74-year wait for trophy
Welsh football team named worst in UK ends 74-year wait for trophy The club has enjoyed a meteoric rise since being the subject of a Specsavers campaign Cwm Albion were once named as the worst football club in the UK (Image: PA ) A football team once dubbed the worst in the UK has won its first trophy in 74 years. Cwm Albion rose to prominence by losing all their games and racking up an astonishingly bad -191 goal difference in the Swansea Senior League Division 4 just two seasons ago. However, the team has since enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, culminating in winning the Maes-Y-Gollen Cup last weekend in what was their first final since 1999. Albion saw off Talycoppa AFC in a tense 2-1 victory, with goals coming from Richard Davies and Gary Halligan, who struck either side of Lee Jones' equaliser. The result caps a hugely impressive rise for the club, who once drafted in former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp in December 2023 in a bid to turn around their staggeringly bad run of form. Redknapp was on hand to offer support and face-to-face training as part of a campaign by Specsavers to find a team in need of help. Article continues below Now the club are toasting one of their finest moments of their 113-year history. Harry Redknapp talking to Cwm Albion skipper Colin Gill (Image: Mark Lewis ) Manager Dan Gill said: 'It's a fantastic result, I can't quite believe it. To think 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 winning the cup… we're just unrecognisable. 'I'm so proud of the team and the club, 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.' Cwm Albion have ended their 74-year wait for a trophy (Image: PA ) Last week, the reserve team also made it through to the final of the Swansea Reserve Cup, with Colin Gill, Dan's father among those in the starting line-up. Article continues below Colin said: 'It's a huge achievement and the turnaround has been massive. We couldn't get a full team on the pitch two seasons ago, and now we're reaching finals and winning trophies. 'We've certainly been enjoying the celebrations. It's great to see so much hard work pay off. 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.'
