FOR THE RECORD
Kilby are going for 24th win on the trot – but if they beat Ajax’s total of 26, it won’t be recognised
East Kilbride FC are closing in on the WORLD RECORD for the most consecutive wins in association football after they beat Cumbernauld Colts on Saturday to land their 23rd straight victory.
The world record for successive wins in all competitions is held by Ajax, who notched 26 wins in 1972 when the Johan Cryuff inspired side won 19 league matches, four European Cup games and three Dutch Cup ties.
However, Guiness World Records (GWR) have said they won’t recognise Kilby if they match or better that incredible statistic.
The News contacted Guiness World Records to enquire if East Kilbride’s run, which started in March with a 3-2 win over Whitehill Welfare, would make the record books.
With East Kilbride playing in the Lowland League, the fifth tier of Scottish football, any such feat would not qualify as GWR only track “top division football.”
GWR spokeswoman Amber-Georgina Gill told the News: “East Kilbride’s winning streak is hugely impressive but unfortunately there would be no Guinness World Records title applicable on this occasion.
“Due to the varying standards of football played all round the world, we only monitor record breaking from top division football.”
So far East Kilbride’s run comprises 15 league games, four Lowland Cup matches, two East of Scotland Cup
contests, one South Challenge Cup tie and last month’s emphatic 9-1 win over Vale of Leithen in the Scottish Cup.
That success has seen them overtake a run of 22 straight wins achieved by Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2014/15 and leaves them one behind Brazilian side Cortiba, who went on a 24-game streak in 2011.
Ajax hold the honour of the top two winning runs with the club’s record-breaking success in the 1970s closely followed by their class of 1995/96 (Kluivert, Seedorf, Davids, the deBoer brothers et al) who won 25 games on the bounce.
East Kilbride boss Martin Lauchlan said: “The closest I’ve ever got to Ajax at anything was in Subbuteo, so to be mentioned in the same breath as them is pretty special.
“We won’t lose any sleep over our run not being counted if we beat the record, though.
“The form of the players has been sensational and all I’m worried about is that we keep winning games
“A lot of the time people talk about long unbeaten runs, but the fact this is all wins is remarkable.
“It’s all down to the players and that includes the guys who were here last season when this run started.
“We won’t be focusing on getting to 26 or more. Our success has been down to taking it one game at a time and our only thoughts are on the next game.”
Kilby can match Cortiba’s effort with victory over Gala Fairydean in round two of the South Challenge Cup at K-Park on Saturday.
To beat the world record they would also need to defeat Cowdenbeath away in the Scottish Cup on October 22 and win their league clashes at home to Vale of Leithen and BSC Glasgow on October 29 and November 5, respectively.
Scottish champions Celtic hold the British record for most consecutive domestic wins having won 25 straight league matches in 2003/04 under Martin O’Neill, losing a handful of European ties in between.
East Kilbride still have some way to go to beat that as they are on a 15-game winning run in the league, with four wins accrued last term. The club currently sit top of this season’s Lowland League with a 100 per cent record from 11 games.
GWR may not recognise it if it happens, but if they surpass 26 wins Kilby will always go down as world record beaters in the minds of their supporters.