Ref. 27758-45Dubbed the worst dressed footie team in the UK, New Town United now have a new kit and their eyes on getting off the bottom of the league

NEW Town United have won a national footballing accolade but the title has nothing to do with their skills on the pitch.

The team, formerly called the Homebase team, has won a national competition called Is Your Kit The Pits? which aimed to find the nation's worst dressed football team and help them raise their game by providing them with a brand new strip worth £350.

Since the club formed two years ago, their kit has not served them well. After just two washes the colours started to run and the club logo fell off.

The situation worsened when, a couple of months later, the kit was shrunk in the wash and most players had to take to the field in ill-fitting shirts.

Colin Tewkesbury, club captain, said: "The kit we have been playing in for the past two years has been a shambles since day one.

"We can handle having no logo, the colours running and fading, but no self-respecting footballer should have to endure taking to the pitch with their belly hanging out."

Colin's wife, Sally, is in charge of washing all the kit. Her husband's team will not be wearing them until he has registered them with the league. This may mean the team, who play every Saturday, cannot wear them until Saturday, November 22.

As yet, New Town United have yet to win a match and remain rooted to the bottom of the Swindon and District League. The team have been playing together for two seasons and have scored 10 goals in that time. But there is hope the new kit will change their poor form.

"The new kit has given us a massive boost and will give us a great lift to start winning some games," said Mr Tewkes-bury, who lives in Penhill, and works as a warehouse manager for Homebase. Homebase previously sponsored the team.

The competition was sponsored by the brewers of Kaliber, the alcohol free lager. Each month they aim to find the worst kit in the country and have had entries from more than 100 teams. New Town United were October's winners while a team from Wrexham were runners-up.

Brand manager Kirstie Yates said: "New Town United are certainly worthy winners of the competition and I hope our kit helps them to play at the top of their game."

Editor