27 wins in a row for record-breaking TNS

Welsh champions The New Saints have ended 2016 in style with a 27th competitive win – eclipsing a mark set by Ajax more than 40 years ago.

The 2-0 defeat of Cefn Druids made it 27 victories in a row – 21 in the league and three each in the two domestic cup competitions – beating the previous world record set by Ajax back in 1971/72. “We’re not comparing ourselves to Ajax in any way, but we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved,” said manager Craig Harrison.

Longest league winning runs

“It’s not something you set as a target. To be the holders of a world record is just so surreal. It feels like a trophy, but it’s not’ it’s a by-product of our season and the players have worked fantastically hard.”

The New Saints had equalled Ajax’s 26-game competition run on 26 December, and now head into 2017 looking to extend their winning streak. “In any standard of football, you try to put together a run of 27 wins on the trot and it’s close to impossible,” said chairman Mike Harris. “I used to watch that side of Cruyff, Neeskens, Rep, Krol and others and marvel at their football.”

Unbelievably proud of all @tnsfc players,Staff and everyone involved with are football club.To break a world record is very surreal. pic.twitter.com/AuncXqEDJN

— Craig Harrison (@CraigHarrison15) December 31, 2016

The Welsh champions have won their last 22 league games – including all 21 this season – and are 21 points clear at the top of the table. The New Saints have also managed 74 league goals in the current campaign, the most in any European top flight in 2016/17.

“The whole team has been outstanding this year,” explained Harrison recently. “We’ve got about four or five players now who haven’t won anything before with TNS, so there’s an added freshness and a hunger to the squad. That’s been proven by the run we’ve been on.”

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