The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Every loser wins, which is why you should never give up
Fort William Football Club lose a lot.
Legendary in their ability to crash and burn on a weekly basis, these lads embody clichéd sports page language like “minnows”, “strugglers” and “basement dwellers”. They are unlikely inspirations, but their story of failure is a powerful one.
I used to do shifts on the Sunday Post sports desk on a Saturday night. I didn’t know much about sport; I was in it for the overtime. But other journalists, with kind hearts and phenomenal skills, would tolerate and guide me. Often I found myself building the Highland League page.
It took some editing ability, which did develop after a while. The rule was – describe every goal. In the case of many, that was a lot of scoring per paragraph, and for teams playing Fort William – who have finished bottom of the league 14 times in 20 seasons – it was ludicrous.
The only West Highland team in the league bleeds goals every week, and a good week is when they get a consolation. In September, Lossiemouth beat them 4-3 and they must have been dancing in the streets of Fort that night.
So why are they an inspiration? As real football fans will know by now, the documentary A Long Way To Winning is grabbing the limelight online. It’s the story of a group of losers who never stop trying.
They’re asked: Why keep playing? Because if they didn’t, there wouldn’t be football any more.
A fat, middle-aged man who couldn’t even get a game for Fort William, I watched and instantly understood. In these days of “participation” awards when youngsters are told they can do anything, in defiance of all credible evidence, it’s refreshing to see a group maintain hope while losing.
The only way to guarantee they will never win is for Fort William FC to stop trying. That’s a message better than anything an overprotective parent can deliver.
Sometimes you try and fail. Life sucks. Deal with it. There are times you won’t win. But you should never give up, because quitting is the worst failure.
To get something done, the first step is to try.
Sometimes you try and fail. Life sucks. Deal with it