Fort William FC was the worst team in the worst division of Scottish football. They hadn’t won a game in more than two years. Then a police officer on medical leave took over as coach and general manager. (OnlyAGameNPR)
was the worst football team in the Highland League, Scotland’s lowest tier. They hadn’t won a game in more than two years and had come in dead last in 14 of the previous 20 seasons. It got so bad that fans of Fort William disparaged the players at their home games.
"Being inside wrecked cars becomes a 'normal' occurrence," MacMorran says."You don't think there's anything wrong with it. But actually, physically and mentally, you're changing."Nothing would appear to bother me. But, clearly, it obviously was ticking away inside. So, eventually, it gets to that point where it just … it tips.
"It was a very rundown place. And there was about 10 to 15 people sitting. It was an open meeting, but obviously wasn't very well attended," MacMorran says.At the time, the team had just a handful of players under contract. The entire management board had resigned. No one was sure there’d be a next season.
The teams slogged through water that was sometimes ankle-deep. Fort William scored first. Having any lead at all was a rare occurrence. Maybe, just maybe, Fort William had a chance to win a match. Just days before the current season began, MacMorran negotiated a loan of nine players from his former club, Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Fort William FC lost its first match 6-nil. To some, it looked like business as usual. In the second game of the season, on July 31, Fort William again faced Nairn County FC."We got the first goal," MacMorran says,"and that was within ... I think it was 12 minutes, followed very quickly by a second goal. A great goal.
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