Crawley Town F.C.

English association football club

Football club
51°05′59″N 0°11′41″W / 51.0997°N 0.1948°W / 51.0997; -0.1948OwnerWAGMI UnitedChairmanPreston Johnson & Eben SmithManagerScott LindseyLeagueEFL League Two2022–23EFL League Two, 22nd of 24WebsiteClub website
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
Current season

Crawley Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crawley, West Sussex, England. The team compete in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system.

Founded in 1896 as Crawley Football Club, helped to found the West Sussex League later that year before transferring to the Mid-Sussex League. The club disbanded in 1935, but were re-established in the Brighton, Hove & District League three years later. The club switched to the Sussex County League in 1951 and then moved on to the Metropolitan League five years later. In 1958, the club changed its name to Crawley Town Football Club. The club moved from amateur to semi-professional status in 1962 and were accepted into the Southern League the following year. They secured promotion out of Division One in 1968–69, only to suffer relegation the next season.

Crawley were promoted out of the Southern League Southern Section 1983–84 and spent the next 21 seasons in the Premier Division, before winning promotion into the Conference as champions of the Southern League in 2003–04. The club turned fully professional in 2005 but faced immediate financial difficulties and entered administration the following year. The club survived and appointed Steve Evans as a manager in May 2007. Evans led them into the Football League as champions of the Conference in 2010–11 and then secured promotion in their first season in League Two. Crawley spent three seasons in League One before relegation in 2015. The club has played home games at Broadfield Stadium since 1997 and are nicknamed the "Reds" or "Red Devils" due to the colour of their kit.

History

Early years

Having played friendly matches from 1890, with the club's first match played on 22 November 1890 at home to Lingfield,[2] Crawley Town were formed in 1896, and became founding members of the West Sussex Football League that year, joining the Junior Division.[3] They remained in the West Sussex league for five years before transferring to the Mid-Sussex League, winning the League in only their second season. After disbanding at the end of the 1934–35 season, the club reformed in 1938 and joined Division Two of the Brighton, Hove & District League.[4] They played in the Sussex County Emergency League in 1945–45, before returning to the Brighton, Hove & District League in 1946–47, becoming members of Division One.[5]

They stayed at this level until they entered the Sussex County League in 1951 before switching again five years later to the Metropolitan League, which was a competition for both professional and amateur sides. In 1958, Crawley changed their name to Crawley Town.[6] Town retained their amateur status and went on to win the Metropolitan League Challenge Cup in 1959.[7]

Crawley turned semi-professional in 1962 and the following year they joined Division One of the Southern League. In 1969 they were promoted to Premier Division of the Southern League but the joy was short-lived as the following season they were relegated back to the first division where they remained until the 1983–84 season when they were promoted as runners-up.[8]

Crawley's most successful cup run at the time was in the 1991–92 season when they reached the FA Cup third round proper and played local Brighton & Hove Albion, losing 5–0 in front of 18,301 at the Goldstone Ground.[9]

In 1999, the club entered administration with debts estimated to be around £400,000.[10] In October 1999, the club was bought by John Duly after a period of 2 months in administration, with Billy Smith appointed as manager.[11] At the time, the Reds were second-bottom, but the club went on to finish in 12th place, 6 points above the relegation zone, at the end of this season various players from there first and reserve team were released to try and free up finances including John Sawyer, Jason Davy, Daniel Cullingham, Alex Barber and Jimmy Drew who all were part of a promising reserve team at the time finishing runner-up in the reserve league to Crystal Palace Reserves.[12] Whilst the 2000–01 season saw Town finish 11th, Crawley were much improved in a 2001–02 campaign which saw them finish fourth. This season saw the return of some of the previously released players as the administrators had now found new owners[12] Whilst Crawley finished 7th in 2002–03, the Reds found success in the 2003–04 season, when they ended their 20-season stay in the Premier Division of the Southern League by winning the division with 84 points, 12 points clear of second-placed Weymouth, and winning the Southern League Cup for the second successive season. The title was secured with four matches remaining with a 3–0 victory at Welling United, sparking celebrations from a large travelling contingent.[13] Crawley would now be playing in the Football Conference, the highest level of non-League football, for the first time in their history.

Conference

A final position of 12th in their first season in the National Division was considered an impressive achievement for the club who finished as the highest-ranked part-time team in the country. Crawley also retained the Sussex Senior Cup by defeating Ringmer.

In 2005, the SA Group bought the club and made the decision to go full-time for the first time in the club's history.[14] Although this was necessary in order to allow them to compete in the division,[15] it led to the departure of several key players, including fans' favourite Charlie MacDonald and goalkeeper Andy Little, who were unable to give up their day jobs to play full-time.

The 2005–06 season didn't start well for Crawley as the club found themselves third from bottom and out of the FA Cup after a shock defeat to Braintree Town. Francis Vines was subsequently sacked and replaced by former Chelsea FC manager and player John Hollins and his assistant Alan Lewer.[16] Things got worse for Crawley and as attendances dropped, and so too did the club's income; the club's owners were forced to slash the players' and staff wages by 50% due to lack of funds.[17] Several key players left the club, including captain Ian Simpemba, Simon Wormull and record signing Daryl Clare; it looked certain that relegation was on the cards.[17] However five straight wins through March and April saw the club climb the table to 17th place and beat the drop by 10 points. The club was docked three points at the end of the season for breaching the annual playing budget but this had no effect on the final standings and Crawley's league status was safe. However, they later went into administration, with insolvency specialists Begbies Traynor placed in control of the club.[18]

Financial problems

Although Crawley Town F.C. had been in administration in the late 1990s,[10] trouble began in March 2006 when the club's players and staff were made to take a 50% pay cut and the entire squad was put up for sale; Crawley went into administration in June of that year.[17] It was revealed by local newspaper the Argus several days later that the chairman Chas Majeed was an undischarged bankrupt and therefore banned from holding a high position within the club.[19] Majeed later resigned from his post but remained involved.

The fans started a "Red Card" campaign in order to remove Chas Majeed and his brother Azwar Majeed (Crawley Town's owner) from the club, with fans waving red cards at the Majeeds and forming a supporters' trust.[20] It was revealed that the club was around £1.1million in debt with nearly £400,000 due to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and the Majeeds claimed they were owed £700,000 by the club. By July of that year, the debts were closer to £1.4 million, including money owed to current and former staff, and an offer of 25p in the pound was rejected by the creditors. With HMRC unwilling to move on its demand and being the biggest creditor (the Majeeds were unable to vote on the matter despite being owed money), it looked unlikely that the club would be saved.

By August 2006, only one bid had come in for the club which was from the current owners; it was rejected by three to one; the administrators were therefore obliged to liquidate the club and it was announced that the club would fold later that day.[21] However, a couple of days later, in one final attempt to rescue the club, the creditors met again to decide on a final offer. The creditors were split and so the administrator voted in Crawley Town's favour, allowing them to start the new season. The creditors would meet 14 days later to decide on an offer of 50p in the pound. The club was told that if the offer was rejected then the club would fold there and then, and there would be no going back.[21][22] By September 2006 the club's debt was at £1.8 million making former/current players and staff the biggest creditors and giving hope that a rescue bid would be accepted. The offer of 50p in the pound was later accepted and Crawley Town was able to continue playing for the time being, though this didn't stop HMRC from trying to wind up the SAGroup (Majeed's company) over unpaid taxes.[23] Azwar Majeed was later jailed for tax fraud relating to his various other businesses.[24]

Crawley started the 2006–07 season by winning their opening three games and all but wiped out their 10-point deduction. The following month, however, the club's form dipped and this led to John Hollins and Alan Lewer losing their jobs. The news did not go down well with the fans as the pair had stuck with Crawley when others decided to leave and they had managed to lift the club off the bottom despite a 10-point deduction. They were replaced by players Ben Judge and David Woozley with the help of John Yems, the former Fulham FC and Millwall FC coach.[25] Life started well for the trio who picked up 10 points from a possible 12. Crawley finished 18th in the division and managed to beat the drop after securing the point they needed on the final day of the season.

In May 2007, it was confirmed that all of Crawley Town's debts had been cleared.[26] However, complications arose and as a result Crawley were given a six-point penalty for the new season and a transfer embargo was put in place because of financial irregularities.[27] It is believed that Crawley failed to confirm to the league that the debts had been paid. For the start of the 2007–08 season, a new regime was put into place which included Victor Marley as club Chairman and Steve Evans as manager, with Paul Raynor as an assistant. Crawley finished the season in a respectable 15th place, and were runners-up in the Sussex Senior Cup, despite the club's financial position and points deduction.

In April 2008 Prospect Estate Holdings Limited took control of Crawley after buying it from the SA Group in conjunction with former owner John Duly.[28][29] The club's financial worries were over and the club could look to build again and start the 2008–09 season on a level playing field.

After a short period of stability, Crawley Town ended up in the High Court in London to face a winding-up order on 17 February 2010; again this was because of money being owed to HMRC. The hearing was adjourned until 17 March 2010.[30] The latest setback appeared to be the end of Crawley Town, as the club had very few assets to sell in order to satisfy the debt. However, the case was later dismissed by the High Court as the club proved the debt had been paid.[31]

In a move that showed confidence in the new management, on 29 March 2010 Crawley Borough Council agreed to lease the Broadfield Stadium to Crawley Town F.C. and to help secure the long-term sustainability of the club.[32]

FA Cup run & Football League

In 2010, Bruce Winfield announced that he and Susan Carter had become majority shareholders and had attracted new investment for the club, some of which came from overseas.[33] The investment allowed manager Steve Evans to start rebuilding the squad, which saw 23 players signed over a six-month period including Matt Tubbs, for £70,000,[34] Sergio Torres for a record £100,000,[35] and Richard Brodie for an undisclosed fee,[36] which was estimated to be a new Conference record of £275,000.[37]

The investment paid off as Crawley were challenging for promotion to the Football League and embarked on a remarkable FA Cup run. Victories over Newport County,[38] Guiseley[39] and Swindon Town[40] saw the club progress to a third round tie at home to Championship side Derby County.[41] They won 2–1,[42] and followed it up with a 1–0 win at League Two side Torquay United in the fourth round.[43] The fifth round draw saw Crawley face away tie with then Premier League leaders Manchester United, with manager Steve Evans admitting it was 'the tie of his dreams'.[44][45] Crawley lost the fifth round tie 1–0 in front of 9,000 Crawley fans, though were denied a draw when Richard Brodie's header hit the bar in the 93rd minute.[46]

In March 2011, club owner Bruce Winfield died from cancer, aged 61.[47] Despite their cup run and the death of owner Bruce Winfield, Crawley didn't halt their progress in the league as just 19 days after Winfield's death, Crawley secured the 2010–11 Football Conference title by beating Tamworth 3–0 and reaching the Football League for the first time in the club's history.[48]

In the 2011–12 season, they once again enjoyed success in the FA Cup, beating Championship clubs Bristol City and Hull City both 1–0 home and away respectively.[49][50] They suffered a 2–0 defeat against Stoke City in the fifth round. This was Crawley's first match against Premier League opposition at the Broadfield Stadium.

Crawley finished 2011 at the top of League Two; a positive start to their first campaign in league football. However, despite continued success in the FA Cup, form slipped. Between 17 December 2011, and 13 March 2012, Crawley won just two league games out of a possible 14. Many argued the sales of Matt Tubbs and Tyrone Barnett for £800,000[51] and £1,100,000[52] respectively, as well as failing to reach a deal over Andy Drury[53] contributed to their dip in form. Three Crawley players were involved in a post-match brawl[54] against Bradford City, including former club captain Pablo Mills (suspended for six matches) and fellow defender Claude Davis (suspended for four matches). Five players from both clubs were suspended in total[55] equalling the record for the most dismissals in an English game. Consequently, Crawley were fined £18,000.[56] Following an FA inquiry into the events that took place, Kyle McFadzean[57] was handed a four-game suspension after being found guilty of violent conduct. All three players released apology statements, and were all fined two weeks' wages.[58] Despite apologising,[59] Mills was stripped of his captaincy for behaviour not befitting the role of a club captain.[60] He was released by the club at the conclusion of the 2011/12 season.[61]

On 9 April, it was announced that Steve Evans had left Crawley to take up a post at Rotherham United.[62] Evans revealed "In my opinion, how far can I take Crawley Town? League One certainly, but beyond that I was not so sure".[62] Evans had previously admitted frustration over the departures of Matt Tubbs and Tyrone Barnett. Assistant manager Paul Raynor also left the club with immediate effect, with coach Craig Brewster taking over as manager for the remainder of the season.[63] Steve Coppell was appointed as director of football with immediate effect.[28]

On Saturday 5 May Crawley secured League One promotion, courtesy of a 67th minute Scott Neilson strike against Accrington Stanley.[64]

It was announced on 12 May, that Crawley were in talks to appoint Sean O'Driscoll as their new manager. Under a tight budget at Doncaster Rovers he achieved promotion to the Football League Championship in his first full season. He was appointed as manager four days later.[65] Despite Crawley chief executive Alan Williams being convinced they had made 'the perfect appointment', he left on 12 July, to become the new manager of Nottingham Forest, meaning that he did not take charge of Crawley for a single game.[66]

On 7 August 2012, Crawley appointed Bury F.C. manager Richie Barker as their new manager.[67] Under him, the club had a successful debut season in League One, challenging for the play-offs for much of the campaign and finishing comfortably in tenth place. The club caused controversy, however, by banning a reporter from Crawley News because the club's management disliked two of his paper's headlines.[68] The club were condemned for this in a motion signed by 23 MPs on 10 December 2013.[20] Barker was sacked early in the following season for speaking to League Two side Portsmouth about their manager's job. He was replaced by John Gregory, who steered the club to another mid-table finish despite a poor late run.[69]

The 2014–15 season saw Crawley struggle for form, and Gregory resigned for health reasons near the end of 2014, with the club in the relegation zone.[70] Dean Saunders was appointed to replace him on an interim basis,[71] and despite an upturn in form, was unable to get the club out of trouble. On Sunday 3 May 2015, Crawley were relegated to League Two, following a 1–2 defeat at home to Coventry City. Saunders' short-term deal was not renewed after the season ended, and he was replaced by Mark Yates.[72]

Return to League Two

While Crawley were among the pre-season promotion favourites,[citation needed] one win in their first ten games quickly put paid to any such hopes. Their form improved as the season progressed, with the West Sussex outfit 12th by 26 December.[73] In March 2016, the club was purchased by Turkish businessman Ziya Eren, who set a target for the club to be playing in the Championship within 8–10 years.[74][75][76] Following a run of six consecutive defeats, Yates was sacked just before the season ended,[77] with Dermot Drummy appointed as his successor.[78]

The 2016–17 season started strongly for the Reds. However, after drawing 3–3 at home to Carlisle United thanks to captain Jimmy Smith's late goal, Crawley only narrowly survived in League Two.[citation needed] On 4 May, the club sacked Drummy after under a year in charge.[79] Just over a year later, on 27 November 2017, Drummy was found dead near the A414 in Hoddesdon, with the cause of death later confirmed to be suicide.[80]

On 23 May 2017, former Leeds United winger Harry Kewell was appointed as head coach.[81] Kewell led Crawley to a 14th-placed finish - their best finish since relegation from League One.[82] Kewell left the club shortly into the 2018–19 season, to manage fellow League Two club Notts County.[83] Gabriele Cioffi was appointed as his successor a week later[84] and led the club to finish 19th that season.

Despite the club reaching the fourth round of the EFL Cup in the 2019–20 season,[85] their best performance in the competition,[86] manager Gabriele Cioffi left the club by mutual consent on 2 December 2019, with the club having won just once in 11 matches leaving the club 17th in League Two.[87] Cioffi was replaced by former manager John Yems three days later on a deal until the end of the season.[88] Following an upturn in the club's form, with Crawley losing just two of 11 matches, Yems' contract was extended until the end of the 2022–23 season in late January 2020.[89] However, in March 2020, the League Two season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Crawley still to play a further nine games.[90] The season was later terminated, with Crawley finishing 13th after clubs agreed to base the final table on points per game.[91][92] The following season, Crawley improved one place to 12th. In the FA Cup, they reached the fourth round of the FA Cup after beating Premier League Leeds United 3–0.[93]

On 7 April 2022, it was announced that the club had been acquired by Wagmi United LLC, a group of US cryptocurrency investors.[94] The "crypto bro" new owners promised a new approach to football club ownership, talking of building a "tight-knit community" of fans "stretching from West Sussex to anywhere in the world with an internet connection", but they quickly encountered controversy. Manager John Yems left the club in May 2022 after allegations of racist behaviour[95] (he was later banned from football until January 2026 after being found guilty of 12 charges of racist abuse towards his players)[96][97] and was subsequently replaced by Kevin Betsy.[98] After a disastrous start to the 2022–23 league season, Betsy left the club on 9 October 2022 following a 3–0 defeat to Grimsby Town which left the club bottom of the league.[99] The reign of the next manager was even shorter; Matthew Etherington resigned in December 2022 after just 34 days in charge.[100] Amid what The Guardian called "reckless leadership" and a "shambles", caretaker manager Darren Byfield was joined in the dugout at the 3–1 defeat by Stevenage by co-chairman Preston Johnson,[101] who was ridiculed online by Stevenage staff for his lack of understanding of substitution rules. After Crawley fans requested a meeting with the owners, Johnson delayed, saying the club needed to get to "the bottom of sensitive legal issues".[102] Scott Lindsey was appointed as the club's new manager on 11 January 2023.[103] A vital 2–0 win at direct rivals Hartlepool United all but secured survival,[104] confirmed the following week after a 0–0 draw at home to Walsall in the penultimate match of the season.[105]

Stadium

Broadfield Stadium

Crawley Town FC spent 48 years at their Town Mead home until the land was sold to developers in 1997. The club then moved to the Broadfield Stadium, about two miles across town. The stadium has a capacity of 5,996 people, and is owned by Crawley Borough Council.

In January 2012 the application for the new 2,000-seater East Stand (and facilities including new turnstiles and Premier League standard flood lights) was accepted by Crawley Borough Council.[106] The upgrade is required to meet the league rules which require a minimum 5,000 capacity stadium. After just one week of construction, the new East Stand was completed on 2 April 2012, bringing the total capacity of the Broadfield Stadium to 5,500. Upon completion, Crawley's first game with the new stand was against League Two side Crewe Alexandra on 6 April. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with a new record crowd of 4,723, the previous best being 4,522.[107][108]

The record attendance reached 5,880 on 5 January 2013 when Crawley Town hosted Reading in the FA Cup.[109]

Between 2013 and 2018, the stadium was called The Checkatrade.com Stadium as part of a sponsorship deal with the online trades comparison company Checkatrade.[110] Since December 2018 the stadium has been named The People's Pension Stadium.

Rivalries

Crawley Town supporters view AFC Wimbledon as their biggest rivals, according to a 2012 survey, with Brighton & Hove Albion and Swindon Town seen as their second and third largest rivals respectively.[111] The AFC Wimbledon rivalry is partly due to their close geographical proximity. The sides have played each other 15 times since 2009; both sides have won six games each, with three draws.

Also due to close proximity, a rivalry with South London side Sutton United has become the clubs most recent one following crowd trouble after a tie in October 2021 which saw a late Sutton goal win the game. The teams last met in September 2023 which the Red Devils won 3-0. at[112]

Players

First-team squad

As of 10 January 2024[113]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Jamaica JAM Corey Addai
2 DF England ENG Kellan Gordon
3 DF England ENG Dion Conroy
4 MF Republic of Ireland IRL Liam Kelly
5 DF England ENG Harry Ransom
6 DF England ENG Laurence Maguire (on loan from Chesterfield)
7 MF England ENG Ben Gladwin (captain)
8 FW Greece GRE Klaidi Lolos
9 FW England ENG Danilo Orsi
10 MF England ENG Ronan Darcy
11 MF Cyprus CYP Jack Roles
12 DF England ENG Mustapha Olagunju (on loan from Huddersfield Town)
14 MF England ENG Harry Forster
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 DF England ENG Tobi Omole
17 FW England ENG Jedidiah Brown
19 MF United States USA Jeremy Kelly
20 DF England ENG Joy Mukena
22 FW England ENG Ade Adeyemo
23 DF England ENG Travis Johnson
24 GK England ENG Ryan Sandford
25 DF Cyprus CYP Nick Tsaroulla
26 DF England ENG Jay Williams
27 MF England ENG Rafiq Khaleel
28 FW England ENG Adam Campbell
29 MF England ENG Florian Kastrati
30 DF England ENG Will Wright

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
15 FW Wales WAL Sonny Fish (on loan to Farnborough)
18 MF England ENG Jayden Davis (on loan to Worthing)
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 GK Thailand THA Roshan Greensall (on loan to Broadbridge Heath)

Club management

Backroom staff

Position Name
Manager England Scott Lindsey
Assistant manager England Jamie Day
Goalkeeping coach England Steve Hale
First-team coach England Carl Laraman
Analyst England Jack Oliver
Head of Performance England Ricky McFarlane
Physio England Tom Dudeney
Kit Manager England Ben Harwood & Peter Reynolds

Honours and achievements

League

Cup

References

  1. ^ "BBC Sport – Football – Crawley boss Evans calls for focus ahead of FA Cup tie". BBC News. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  2. ^ "Crawley Town Football Club History". ctfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Shoreham F.C. – Early football in Shoreham and the 'Glory Years". Shoreham History Portal. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Crawley Town Football Club History - Part one - pre-war". www.ctfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  5. ^ [Brighton, Hove & District League Part two - pre-Southern League] Crawley Town History
  6. ^ "Football Club History Database - Crawley". www.fchd.info. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  7. ^ BBC. "Crawley Town Football Club". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  8. ^ "115 years of proud history". 1 February 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Crawley Town FC". Sussexcountyfc.milbint.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  10. ^ a b Beech, J.; Horsman, S.J.L.; Magraw, J. "Insolvency events among English football clubs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2019.https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/30618575.pdf Archived 16 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "More problems for Smith". The Argus. 22 October 1999. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  12. ^ a b "England - Southern League Final Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  13. ^ Wigmore, Simon (19 April 2004). "Crawley eye double". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Football: New owners at Crawley Town". The Argus. 12 July 2005. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  15. ^ "NEW OWNERS REVEAL PLANS – Sport Video highlights". Crawley Observer. 26 July 2005. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  16. ^ "Lowly Crawley sack manager Vines". BBC News. 24 October 2005.
  17. ^ a b c Oliver, Pete (6 March 2006). "Crawley squad have wages slashed". BBC News. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  18. ^ "Crawley placed in administration". BBC News. 5 June 2006.
  19. ^ "Crawley Town FC Chairman is bankrupt (From The Argus)". Archive.theargus.co.uk. 10 March 2006. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  20. ^ a b "Fans vow to show owners red card". The Argus. 22 March 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Crawley Town". Clubs in Crisis. 9 April 2009. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  22. ^ "Crawley Town (football), Football, Sport". The Guardian. London. 12 April 2011.
  23. ^ "Crawley creditors back rescue bid". BBC News. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  24. ^ "Ex-football boss jailed for fraud". BBC News. 7 April 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2010.
  25. ^ "Reds Sack Hollins And Lewer – News". Crawley Observer. 30 October 2006. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  26. ^ Godfrey, Miles (30 May 2007). "Reds out of the red and back to black". The Argus. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  27. ^ "Crawley Town". Clubs in Crisis. 9 April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 January 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  28. ^ a b "Crawley purchased by new owners". 1 April 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  29. ^ "Reds announce new owners". Crawley Observer. 1 April 2008. Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  30. ^ gebrey. "Crawley Town given breathing space after winding-up order is adjourned". Thisissussex.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  31. ^ "Crawley Town and Farnborough in court today " Football Management". Footballmanagement.wordpress.com. 17 March 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  32. ^ "BREAKING NEWS: Crawley Town FC to lease ground from council – Video News Reports". Crawley Observer. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
  33. ^ Chadband, Ian (28 January 2011). "Crawley Town's owner, Bruce Winfield, on his lifelong passion for the club others love to hate". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  34. ^ "Tubbs completes Crawley transfer". BBC News. 1 July 2010.
  35. ^ "CRAWLEY Town have broken their transfer fee record for the second time in a month after securing the signature of winger Sergio Raul Torres". This is Sussex. 9 July 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  36. ^ "Crawley land York striker Brodie". BBC News. 1 September 2010.
  37. ^ Talbot, Bruce (2 September 2010). "Evans beat deadline by minutes to snare striker". The Argus. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  38. ^ "Newport County 0-1 Crawley Town". BBC News. BBC. 23 October 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  39. ^ "Guiseley 0-5 Crawley Town". BBC News. BBC. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  40. ^ "Swindon 2-3 Crawley Town (aet)". 7 December 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  41. ^ "Man Utd face Liverpool in FA Cup". BBC News. BBC. 8 December 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  42. ^ "Crawley Town 2-1 Derby". BBC News. BBC. 10 January 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  43. ^ "Torquay 0–1 Crawley Town". BBC News. 29 January 2011.
  44. ^ "Man Utd to host Crawley in FA Cup". BBC News. BBC. 30 January 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  45. ^ Talbot, Bruce (31 January 2011). "Crawley boss is relishing chance to face Sir Alex". The Argus. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  46. ^ "FA Cup: Crawley Town Lose 1–0 To Man U". News.sky.com. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  47. ^ Talbot, Bruce (21 March 2011). "Crawley Town in mourning after Bruce Winfield dies". The Argus. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  48. ^ Alexander, Jeremy (11 April 2011). "Crawley dreams realised as they gain promotion to Football League – Jeremy Alexander". The Guardian. London.
  49. ^ "BBC Sport – Crawley Town 1–0 Bristol City". Bbc.co.uk. 7 January 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  50. ^ "BBC Sport – Hull 0–1 Crawley Town". Bbc.co.uk. 28 January 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  51. ^ GMT (30 January 2012). "BBC Sport – AFC Bournemouth sign Crawley Town striker Matt Tubbs". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  52. ^ Swan, Peter (29 February 2012). "BBC Sport – Tyrone Barnett out to justify record fee". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  53. ^ "Andy Drury still has a future at Ipswich as Crawley end interest – Latest News – Green Un". Greenun24.co.uk. 30 December 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  54. ^ "Bradford vs Crawley Fight brawl march 2012 – BBC News Report". YouTube. 27 March 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  55. ^ GMT (28 March 2012). "BBC Sport – Bradford v Crawley player brawl: FA launches investigation". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  56. ^ "Bradford City and Crawley Town fined by FA for post-match brawl". BBC Sport. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  57. ^ GMT (2 April 2012). "BBC Sport – Crawley defender Kyle McFadzean handed three-match ban". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  58. ^ "Club Statement". crawleytownfc.com. 5 April 2012. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012.
  59. ^ "Mills and Davis apologise". crawleytownfc.com. 31 March 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012.
  60. ^ "Crawley Town strip Pablo Mills of captaincy after Bradford brawl". The Guardian. London. 4 April 2012.
  61. ^ "Defender Pablo Mills among six released by Crawley Town". 8 May 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  62. ^ a b "Evans takes Rotherham reins". Sky Sports.
  63. ^ "Steve Evans leaves Crawley Town". crawleytownfc.com. 9 April 2012. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012.
  64. ^ "Neilson seals Crawley promotion". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  65. ^ "Sean O'Driscoll appointed Crawley Town manager". 16 May 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  66. ^ "Sean O'Driscoll appointed new Nottingham Forest manager". 19 July 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  67. ^ "BBC Sport – Crawley Town appoint Bury's Richie Barker as new manager". Bbc.co.uk. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  68. ^ Greenslade, Roy (6 November 2013). "Newspapers banned by football clubs should fight back". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  69. ^ "John Gregory: Crawley appoint ex-Aston Villa boss as manager". 3 December 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  70. ^ "John Gregory resigns as Crawley manager ahead of open-heart surgery". The Independent. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  71. ^ "Dean Saunders in at Crawley as John Gregory faces heart surgery". 27 December 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  72. ^ "Crawley Town appoint Mark Yates as their new manager". The Guardian. 19 May 2015. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  73. ^ "11v11 league table generator". www.11v11.com. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  74. ^ Hollis, Steve (9 March 2016). "Turkish businessman completes takeover of Crawley Town". The Argus. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  75. ^ "Crawley Town: Ziya Eren completes takeover after Football League approval". 9 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  76. ^ "Prospective Crawley Town owner Ziya Eren eyes Championship football". 22 February 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  77. ^ "Crawley Town's Mark Yates and Jimmy Dack leave with immediate effect". The Guardian. 25 April 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  78. ^ "Crawley Town appoint Dermot Drummy as head coach on two-year deal". The Guardian. 27 April 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  79. ^ "BREAKING: Crawley Town axe manager". The Argus. 4 May 2017.
  80. ^ "Dermot Drummy: Former football boss took own life". BBC News. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  81. ^ "Harry Kewell: Crawley Town appoint ex-Leeds and Liverpool winger as head coach". BBC Sport. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  82. ^ "League Two (Sky Sports)". SkySports. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  83. ^ "Harry Kewell: Notts County appoint Crawley Town boss as new manager". 31 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  84. ^ "Gabriele Cioffi: Crawley Town appoint Italian as head coach". 7 September 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  85. ^ "Crawley 1–3 Colchester: League Two side reach Carabao Cup quarter-finals". BBC Sport. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  86. ^ Dunford, Mark (25 September 2019). "It's Colchester United — Crawley find out Carabao Cup fourth round opponents". Mid Sussex Times. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  87. ^ "Gabriele Cioffi: Crawley Town part company with head coach after 14 months". BBC Sport. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  88. ^ "John Yems: Crawley Town reappoint former manager until end of season". BBC Sport. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  89. ^ "John Yems: Crawley Town head coach signs new deal until 2023". BBC Sport. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  90. ^ "Coronavirus: Premier League and EFL suspended in England — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland halt games". BBC Sport. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  91. ^ Owen, Brian (9 June 2020). "Crawley drop a place but it's still their best finishing position for five years". The Argus. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  92. ^ "League One and League Two seasons over: Who are the winners and losers from points-per-game system?". Sky Sports. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  93. ^ Michael Beardmore (10 January 2021). "Crawley Town 3–0 Leeds United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  94. ^ "US crypto investors complete Crawley takeover". BBC Sport. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  95. ^ MacInnes, Paul (6 May 2022). "John Yems leaves Crawley Town after allegations of racist behaviour". Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  96. ^ "John Yems: Ex-Crawley Town manager banned for 18 months over racist abuse of players". BBC Sport. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  97. ^ "John Yems' suspension increased following successful appeal from the FA". The FA. 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  98. ^ MacInnes, Paul (9 June 2022). "Web3 in League Two? Crawley Town and the 'crypto bros'". Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  99. ^ "Crawley sack Betsy with club bottom of League Two". BBC Sport.
  100. ^ Dunford, Mark (29 December 2022). "Crawley Town manager Matthew Etherington leaves club after just 34 days in charge". Sussex Express. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  101. ^ "Stevenage 3-1 Crawley Town". BBC Sport. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  102. ^ Unwin, Will (5 January 2023). "Crypto chaos: how Crawley crumbled under owners' reckless leadership". Guardian. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  103. ^ "Scott Lindsey appointed as manager". www.crawleytownfc.com. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  104. ^ "Hartlepool United 0–2 Crawley Town: Pools on brink of relegation after Crawley Town defeat". BBC Sport. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  105. ^ "Crawley Town 0–0 Walsall". BBC Sport. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  106. ^ "East Stand project: work underway". Crawley Town F.C. 12 January 2012. Archived from the original on 29 January 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  107. ^ Events (3 April 2012). "Stand or East Stand? | Crawley Happy Times Online". Crawleyhappytimes.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  108. ^ "Crawley Town 1–1 Crewe". BBC Sport.
  109. ^ "Royals through to FA Cup fourth round". The Reading Chronicle. 5 January 2013. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  110. ^ "Reds team up with Checkatrade.com". 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  111. ^ "2012–13 Football Rivalry Survey Results". The Chris Whiting Show. 28 August 2012.
  112. ^ "Crawley Head-to-head v AFC W'bledon". Soccerbase. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  113. ^ "2022/23 Squad Numbers Confirmed".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crawley Town F.C..
  • Official website
  • Crawley Town F.C. at CTFC.net
  • Crawley Town page on BBC Sport
  • v
  • t
  • e
Crawley Town Football Club
Overview
Grounds
Seasons
  • v
  • t
  • e
Seasons
Clubs
2023–24 clubs
Former clubs
Competition
Statistics and awards
Finances
Sponsors
Associated competitions
Prospects
  • v
  • t
  • e
Seasons
Clubs
2023–24 clubs
Former clubs
Competition
Statistics and awards
Finances
Sponsors
Associated competitions
Prospects
  • v
  • t
  • e
Administration
The New Town
Neighbourhoods
and other areas
Geography
Transport
Education
Places of worship
Buildings
Heritage
Leisure