IF at first you don't succeed, try, try again...
So says the old saying, and the determined players of one Lowestoft football team can vouch for its wisdom after they battled to their first victory – at the 32nd time of asking!
On a day of firsts, Notley's Lowestoft and District League division three side Lowestoft Albion finally won their first league match, and kept their first-ever clean sheet
After going through an entire debut season without a win, and losing 24 league games on the trot, Albion finally broke their duck when the players notched a 3-0 away win at Gunton United on October 29.
The team had endured another traumatic start to this campaign but, having lost the first seven league matches, albeit with much-improved performances, the buoyant side have finally celebrated its first-ever win.
And having shrugged off their 'losers' tag, the players followed it up last weekend with another point in their first-ever draw.
It is a far cry from the 2010-11 campaign, which saw Albion finish rock bottom with a league record of: played 24, lost 24 and a goal difference of minus 234. The side also finished the season on minus three points after being deducted points they never had for fielding an ineligible player in the opening month of the campaign.
Albion's chairman Lee Parker admitted it had been a steep learning curve for everyone at the club.
'Last season was very bad to say the least!' he told The Journal.
'Turning up with one match ball, half a kit and then getting beaten 21-0 wasn't much fun. But the lads have all worked very had and I've bought them a new kit and footballs out of my own money. And after what seems a lifetime, we finally won our first ever game last Saturday, winning 3-0. It was our first win and first ever clean sheet!
'I now have a lot of young lads in the team and they are all very happy with finally getting a win. And they fully deserve it after all the effort they have put in,'Mr Parker added.
Despite their poor record last season, Albion are by no means the worst team in the history of the game.
The most consecutive league games without a win by a professional club is 37 games by Derby County, in the Premier League and Championship, between September, 22, 2007 and September, 13, 2008. The Rams' manager for the majority of those games was current Ipswich Town boss, Paul Jewell.
Lowestoft Albion, who play on Saturday afternoons at Normanston Park, are looking for a sponsor. Anyone interested should contact Mr Parker on 01986-948166.
LAST SEASON'S LEAGUE RECORD
07/05/11 Royal Oak 6 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
23/04/11 Carlton Rangers 5 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
19/04/11 Oxford Arms Reserves 8 - 1 Lowestoft Albion
16/04/11 Lowestoft Albion 4 - 6 Westhall
09/04/11 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 3 Southwold Town Reserves
19/03/11 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 6 Kirkley & Pakefield B
12/03/11 FC Eastport 5 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
05/03/11 Kirkley & Pakefield B 6 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
19/02/11 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 19 Mutford & Wrentham Reserves
12/02/11 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 14 Harleston Town Reserves
29/01/11 Corton White Horse Seltic Res 21 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
22/01/11 Lowestoft Albion 1 - 10 Factory Arms
15/01/11 Lowestoft Albion 1 - 11 Blundeston Magpies Reserves
08/01/11 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 7 Royal Oak
11/12/10 Blundeston Magpies Reserves 7 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
13/11/10 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 6 Carlton Rangers
06/11/10 Lowestoft Albion 1 - 6 Corton White Horse Seltic Res
30/10/10 Mutford & Wrentham Reserves 17 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
16/10/10 Factory Arms 14 - 1 Lowestoft Albion
09/10/10 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 15 FC Eastport
02/10/10 Southwold Town Reserves 4 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
18/09/10 Westhall 18 - 0 Lowestoft Albion
11/09/10 Lowestoft Albion 1 - 11 Oxford Arms Reserves
04/09/10 Harleston Town Reserves 20 - 1 Lowestoft Albion
THIS SEASON'S RECORD
05/11/11 Lowestoft Albion 1 - 1 Westhall
29/10/11 Gunton United 0 - 3 Lowestoft Albion
22/10/11 Ellingham 4 - 1 Lowestoft Albion
15/10/11 Oxford Arms Reserves 2 - 1 Lowestoft Albion
08/10/11 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 4 Telecom Rovers
24/09/11 Earsham Reserves 2 - 1 Lowestoft Albion
17/09/11 Lowestoft Albion 0 - 7 Corton Seltic Reserves
10/09/11 Factory Arms 6 - 3 Lowestoft Albion
03/09/11 Lowestoft Albion 2 - 4 Lord Nelson
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