The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Unwinnables’: Worst football team back together for charity.
Team taking on its modern counterparts
They are one of the worst teams to have ever taken to a football pitch – but three years after hanging up their boots, one of Fife’s most famous teams is reuniting for charity.
Glenrothes Athletic failed to register a single victory in its debut 2013/14 season, one of a series of embarrassing statistics the newly-founded club racked up that year.
However, the side dubbed “The Unwinnables” is taking to the field in the town once again this Saturday to take on players from the club’s successive and ultimately more successful seasons to raise funds for Cash For Kids.
Though aware of the burden of history that rests on the players’ shoulders, centre-half David Alexander said reuniting the squad was easy for charity.
“The results were not good,” he confessed. “We had a good group of boys but the standard we were up against was a bit better than we expected.
“We’re still good friends now, though and everybody wanted to come back and play for charity.”
From the kick-off of Athletic’s first competitive game there were warning signs the club’s inaugural season in the Fife Amateur Football Championship was going to be difficult.
Indeed, it took just 3.5 seconds for the club to concede its first goal, one of the quickest recorded strikes in football history.
They would eventually lose that game 10-0.
As the heavy defeats mounted, morale plummeted and the club’s turnover of players went into overdrive.
While teams in England’s Premier League operate on a squad size of 25, Athletic unveiled their 50th player just seven months into the season.
That landmark signing was indicative of the disastrous year, the player being promptly sent off on his debut and never playing for Glenrothes again.
From the club’s formation in June 2013, it would take 14 months for Athletic to register their first victory, finally scraping a 3-2 win against Portmoak.
Ahead of the team reuniting this weekend, David says there are plenty of old scores to settle.
“The players that came in after that season maybe thought that it would be easy to improve on that team, so it would be good to prove them wrong,” he added. “We have a good team spirit and I haven’t scored before, so that’s my aim.”
The match will take place this Saturday at Overstenton Park at 2pm, with all invited to watch for free.
Following the tie, a charity quiz night will take place in Coaltown of Balgonie’s Victoria Hall at 7.30pm, with tickets priced £5 available on the door.