Non league club Risborough Rangers smash the 49-game unbeaten run record which was previously set by the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’.
The Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (9th tier of English football) outfit have now gone on a run of 50 league games without losing a match.
It was Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ who went unbeaten in 49 Premier League matches between a 3-2 home defeat by Leeds United on the 4th of May 2003 and a 2-0 lost at Manchester United on the 24th of October 2004.
Risborough Rangers beat that on Saturday with 4-1 win over beat Oxhey Jets and you would have to go back to the 2018-19 campaign since they last lost a game in the league.
Around 200 spectators were in the ground for that one, the figure which was boosted with the help of some Wycombe Wanderers fans after seeing that their League One fixture was postponed because of Covid.
“I’m incredibly proud we’ve got to that milestone,” Rangers manager Mark Eaton told BBC Three Counties Radio.
“We’ve always had the mantra of trying to take one game at a time and it wasn’t really until about four or five games ago that people started talking about getting to 50.
“I’m glad it’s over now and we can maybe set other goals because I didn’t want it to be the main thrust of what we were doing – we’ve just got to try to win every game, to be honest.”
The Buckinghamshire club won 20 and drew three of their 23 games in 2019-20 and won all six games that they played a season that was halted then deemed null and void in 2020-21, when they were playing in the Hellenic League Division One East.
The team then switched back to the Spartan South Midlands League for this season with the reshuffling of the non league pyramid and are four points clear at the top of the table, following 15 wins and three draws.
“I think it’s really credit to the mentality of the players that they never know when they’re beaten. Even when we’ve been up against it or we’ve had adversity in the game we’ve found a way of bouncing back,” said Eaton, who was appointed in November 2018 after being in charge of other non league sides including the likes of Aylesbury United, Hemel Hempstead Town and Arlesey Town.
“We’re a small club, it’s a small town – we’re not too big for our boots, we’re not thinking we’ve arrived or thinking that we’re something we’re not.
“I’m here in this era where the club’s going places and doing really well, but it’s taken years and years of work and effort from all the committee members that’s given us the opportunity to do what we’ve done now.
“I’m so pleased that I’ve been able to, in some small way, contribute to help the club become a little bit bigger and well known.”
If Risborough want to smash records outside of England, they can plot to beat the following records:
– Bayern Munich’s record of 53 unbeaten games from 2012-2014
– AC Milan’s 58 unbeaten games from 1991-93
– Celtic’s 69 domestic games without defeat until December 2017
Risborough Rangers’ next fixture is away to Holmer Green on the 30th of December.
Twitter users reacted as the non league club smash a 49-game unbeaten run record set by Arsenal ‘Invincibles’…
@HHDAGGER: That’s some run 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@peterlell: Some achievement @RRFC_1971 well done! 👏👏👏
@fc_renegade: Incredible achievement 👏 especially to manage that over COVID interrupted seasons, big well done.
@tomjoneschester: At any level that is impressive!
@CatlingCarl: @SpartanSMFL @HellenicLeague Has a trophy been commissioned yet? 🏆
Jason Lee: blimey this is incredible to hear. I grew up in Chinnor, just down the road from Risborough and the place deserved a great team, nice area with friendly people. 50 games unbeaten, absolutely astonishing achievement through everything gone through. Really would love to see them climb the leagues, wishing you all the best!
Ryan Adlington: Simply incredible, now go and smash the other records and get that deserved promotion, hoping that the season doesnt stop again
Ollie Wright: Just gives everyone in the area a much needed boost, a talking point, something to feel good about. Good luck Risborough, I shall be attending as many as I can, watching no to see how you progress throughout the season
Wow!! 50 LEAGUE GAMES UNBEATEN NOW FOR @RRFC_1971 – Incredible record.. well done to the team, team manager @markeaton1967 & the whole back room staff 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 https://t.co/17RpbUs44B
— Andy Woodward (@AndyWoodward75) December 18, 2021
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