rawley Town FC was formed in 1896 and played their formative years in the West Sussex and Mid Sussex Leagues at a variety of grounds in and around the town.

They remained in junior football until they entered the Sussex County League in 1951. The club then switched to the Metropolitan League in 1956 and won the Metropolitan League Cup in 1959.

Crawley adopted professional status in 1962 and joined the Southern League the following year. For the next 20 years Crawley played in the First Division in its various guises, apart from a brief taste of Premier Division football in 1969-70. In 1983-84, under manager John Maggs, Crawley returned to the Premier Division where they remained until 2004. The club enjoyed various cup successes over the years including winning the Sussex Senior Cup in 1990 and 1991.

He was replaced on September 7, 2018, by the Italian coach Gabriele Cioffi, a former defender with extensive coaching experience abroad. He was also part of the management team at Birmingham City during the 2016-17 campaign. Gabriele signed a three-year contract and a few days later named the former Blackburn and Fleetwood youth coach Nathan Rooney as his assistant. Reds finished the season in 19th place and sealed a ninth season as a Football League club.

Off the pitch the club entered into a two-year agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion to stage FA Women’s Super League and under-23 fixtures at The People’s Pension Stadium, the new name for our home after the club agreed a naming rights deal with the Crawley-based company in December 2018.

Northampton 0 AFC Wimbledon 1- Leauge Cup

Anthony Hartigan’s stoppage-time strike from 30 yards was enough for League One AFC Wimbledon to beat fourth-tier side Northampton in the Carabao Cup.

The midfielder’s effort agonisingly squirmed through Cobblers goalkeeper Jonny Maxted’s grasp and into the net.

Before that the hosts had looked stronger, Dylan Connolly and Danny Rose both denied by Dons keeper Nik Tzanev.

But Hartigan’s speculative effort saw Mark Robinson’s side avoid a penalty shootout and reach the third round.

Jon Brady’s Northampton – relegated from League One last season – made six changes for the tie, while for Wimbledon it was a first victory since their first-round triumph at Charlton.

24/08/21	Northampton 0 AFC Wimbledon 1	L
21/08/21	Northampton 1 Rochdale 3	L
14/08/21	Colchester 0 Northampton 1	W
11/08/21	Coventry 1 Northampton 2	W
07/08/21	Northampton 1 Port Vale 0	W

Forest Green Rovers 6 Crawley 3 – Leauge Two

Nicky Cadden scored a hat-trick as in-form League Two pacesetters Forest Green saw off Crawley in a nine-goal thriller.

Matty Stevens, Jamille Matt and Jake Young were also on the scoresheet for Rovers in the 6-3 win, with Crawley responding through two Jake Hessenthaler equalisers and Kwesi Appiah’s late effort.

Rovers have now won all five of their matches this season, including four in League Two, to open up a two-point lead at the summit.

Cadden’s deflected goal after 50 seconds got the hosts off to a flyer but Hessenthaler restored parity after 15 minutes, converting from a deft Tyler Frost flick.

Rovers regained the lead in the 24th minute, Stevens lifting the ball over Glenn Morris for his fifth goal in four games after Matt fashioned the chance, but Crawley hit back soon after to level again.

Hessenthaler was once more the goalscorer, fizzing the ball through Luke McGee to bring a breathless first-half all-square.

However, Forest Green ran away with the game in the second half as they scored four more times before Appiah responded for the visitors.

Matt nosed Rovers ahead in the 48th minute after Kane Wilson’s trickery. Cadden then made it 4-2 after 67 minutes as he fired in from a Regan Hendry cross before helping himself to his hat-trick a minute later thanks to a Matt assist.

Rovers substitute Young grabbed the sixth with 12 minutes left on the clock before Crawley’s Appiah bagged a consolation with four minutes to go.

21/08/21	FGR 6 – CRW 3	L
17/08/21	CRW – 2 – SAL 1	W
10/08/21	CRW E2- GIL 2*	L
10/08/21	HAR 1 – CRW 0	L
07/08/21	BEC 1 – CRW 0	L

Crawley 4 Northampton 0 – 26 December 2019

After the match got the go-ahead following two pitch inspections, Crawley started on the front foot – and eventually took the lead in superb style in the 27th minute when Nathan Ferguson rifled in his fifth goal of the season from a tight angle.

Crawley keeper Glenn Morris showed alertness on the hour mark to claim a dangerous centre by Charlie Goode, but Bez Lubala struck two minutes later to double the Reds’ lead with a low shot into the corner for his 10th goal of the season.

The hosts continued to press and Palmer fired wide before a fierce shot by Ferguson was parried by keeper Arnold, who then came to the Cobblers’ rescue by saving a goal-bound shot by Palmer with his legs.

Palmer was on target, however, in the 80th minute when he made it 3-0 at the near post following a cross by substitute Mason Bloomfield.

Bloomfield was on hand to add the fourth three minutes later after a defensive mistake by Scott Wharton.

To add to the Cobblers’ woe as they slipped out of the League Two play-off places. they had Shaun McWilliams and Harry Smith taken off on stretchers in stoppage time.

27th March 2021 – Wimbledon 1 The Cobblers 0

Played	Won	Draw	Lost	F	A
8	3	2	3

Mr Swabey last Cobblers game was our 2-0 home win vs Salford City 2 years ago. There were 6 yellows in that game. Last season there were 29 games he took charge of, giving 67 yellows and 0 reds. And in his only game so far this season, 1 yellow and 0 reds.

LEE SWABEY

Stephen Brown and Daniel Cook

Fourth Official : Marc Wilson

The last league meeting between Crawley Town and Northampton was back in December 2019, a 4-0 victory for the Red Devils.
In the eight previous Football League meetings between Crawley and Northampton, both sides have won three games apiece with draws in the other two games.
Having won three consecutive league games by a 1-0 scoreline in early March, Crawley have won just three of their 16 League Two matches since (D5 L8).
Northampton ended a 17-game winless run on the road in the EFL with a 1-0 victory at Colchester, last winning back-to-back away matches in November 2020.