- Founded: 1896
- Nicknames: The Reds; The Red Devils
- Major Honours: Conference (2010/11)
Founded as Crawley Football Club in 1896, The Reds spent their formative years in the West Sussex League, before moving to the Mid-Sussex league in 1901. In the 1927/28 season, Crawley had one of their most successful pre-war seasons. The team topped the table until late April, when they lost 5-0 to their nearest rivals and finished runners-up, but they had won the Sussex Intermediate Cup in a 6-1 win over Hailsham.
The town itself has a huge residential, commercial, and industrial heritage. Crawley was a trade centre of ironworks for the Roman Army, as it sits comfortably between London and the south coast. Crawley’s most known however for its international access. Gatwick Airport sits just outside the town and has helped turn the area into one of the most important commuter towns in the country, if not the World.
In 1958 Crawley added the Town suffix to its football club and remained as an amateur side until 1962. Crawley would go on to play in the Sussex County league and Metropolitan League before turning Semi-pro and joining the Southern League. For most Crawley fans the year to be remembered was that of the 2010/11 season.
Town reached the 5th Round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, and the still non-league Red Devils got drawn away to a certain Premier League team with the same nickname. The fixture was played before a crowd of nearly 75,000 fans at Old Trafford: including over 9,000 visitors from Sussex. Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, and Michael Carrick were amongst those on show as the star-studded Manchester United team narrowly ran out 1-0 winners.
But even then, that achievement of Steve Evans’ side would be topped at the end of the season. The team finished the season with two records of 105 points and a 30-match unbeaten run, to gain Football League status for the first time in their history. This clearly wasn’t a one off as the very next season Crawley finished 3rd in League 2 to gain back-to-back promotions to the third tier. The stay lasted three seasons, but the incredible rise of Crawley in just the last 10 years must be admired.
League Two – The Cobblers 2 Hartlepool 1
Northampton registered their second victory of the season with a hard-fought 2-1 success over winless Hartlepool at a sweltering Sixfields on Saturday.
Josh Umerah cancelled out Tyler Magloire’s opener in the first half but Louis Appere grabbed the winner to give the Cobblers seven points from their first three games.
Appere was unable to connect cleanly with Mitch Pinnock’s cross in a decent early chance for Northampton before Hartlepool responded through David Ferguson whose shot was blocked.
Ben Killip thwarted Harvey Lintott but Northampton did have the lead just past the half-hour mark when Magloire headed in from virtually on the goal-line after Killip had twice denied Danny Hylton.
Hartlepool levelled with their first goal of the season and it came deep in first half stoppage-time as Umerah forced the ball in from a free-kick.
Northampton retook the lead 13 minutes into the second half with what proved to be the winner, Appere scoring at the second attempt after his first effort was handled on the line by Alex Lacey.
Hartlepool did have one big chance to grab a point but Lee Burge brilliantly saved from Umerah.
League Two – Harrogate 0 Crawley 0
Crawley’s early season goal drought stretched to three league games at the start of the season for the first time as an English Football League outfit following a goalless draw at Harrogate.
That said, the Red Devils did pick up their first point of the campaign and created the better opportunities against a subdued Sulphurites side.
In a cagey first half, chances were at a premium, but home keeper Pete Jameson did well to race out of his goal and thwart Kwesi Appiah.
Crawley’s Travis Johnson also reacted sharply to deny Jaheim Headley a tap-in after Corey Addai had parried Luke Armstrong’s shot.
After the break, Jameson made an excellent flying save to deny on-loan Arsenal defender Mazeed Ogungbo, while James Tilley’s looping header clipped the top of the hosts’ crossbar.
Substitute James Balagizi also blazed over with the goal at his mercy, but Jack Muldoon might have snatched an unlikely victory for Harrogate at the death when he broke clear only to drag his shot across the face of goal.
Their blank scoresheet meant Crawley have now failed to net in six of their last seven league fixtures, including last term’s run-in.
8/01/22 – The Cobblers 0 Crawley 1
Tom Nichols’ first-half goal proved enough as Crawley recorded a narrow 1-0 League Two victory to end Northampton’s five-game winning run at home.
Nichols scored the only goal of the game late in the first half as Northampton missed a series of late chances to avoid back-to-back defeats.
James Tilley’s sweet long-range strike whistled narrowly over in the first five minutes but the opening half was desperately short on entertaining and goalmouth action.
Sam Hoskins and Jack Sowerby never threatened the target with half chances for the home side before Crawley took a surprise lead when Nichols latched onto Sam Matthews’ through pass and clinically fired the ball home.
Northampton improved after half-time and dominated possession but their end product was poor and they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
Debutant Chanka Zimba came off the bench and hit the crossbar with his very first touch while Aaron McGowan cleared the angle of post and bar from a corner.
Zimba was also superbly denied by Glenn Morris in the closing stages as Crawley just about held on for maximum points.
*in the last 10 games
Games Played – 10
Games Won – 4
Games Drawn – 3
Games Lost – 3
STEPHEN MARTIN
Nigel Lugg and Lee Venamore
Fourth Official : Alan Dale
Staffordshire official Stephen Martin is the son of former Premier League referee Andy, who officiated during the 1990s. He took charge of his first Championship game during the 2012/13 season.
- Crawley Town are unbeaten against Northampton in their last five league meetings (W2 D3), with their last defeat coming in December 2018.
- Northampton have failed to score in their previous three matches against Crawley, conceding five goals in that time (D1 L2).
- Crawley Town are the only League Two side without a goal this season and have attempted the fewest shots on target in the division (5).
- Northampton Town are unbeaten in their last nine League Two games (W6 D3) since losing 1-0 to Mansfield Town in April.
