The recent FA Cup defeat of Derby County has brought once-humble Crawley Town into the limelight for perhaps the first time in their history. A 1990s cup run that saw the Sussex side beat Northampton Town, before being thumped 5-0 two rounds later by Brighton, was the only other time they stuck their heads above the parapet, but this time the Red Devils are looking to be more than just a flash in the pan.
For the fans, when Sergio Torres (the "Real" Torres, as they say in Sussex) scored that now-famous last minute winner against Derby, it was a moment to truly savour. The club almost disappeared completely in recent years, having gone into administration in the late 90s, then suffered horrendous financial problems in 2006. It was touch and go for a long time, and there were genuine fears that they wouldn’t survive at all.
As recently as February 2010, a winding up order was ready and waiting to swallow the club, and with it well over 100 years of history. However, new co-owner Bruce Winfield proved to be a knight in shining armour, and as of July 2010 the club’s debts had all been repaid. The transformation from ugly duckling to beautiful swan was complete, and Crawley Town are now effectively the Manchester City of England’s highest tier outside the Football League – the Blue Square Premier.
The Red Devils’ home, the impressive Broadfield Stadium, was built in the 1990s and is owned by the local council, which leases it back to the club. Many Crawley fans will fondly remember the rather ramshackle Town Mead ground, and the quaint way that games were often held up briefly while the match ball was thrown back into the stadium from the fire station next door.
Of course, an FA Cup run at this level is the icing on the cake, but it’s the league position that provides the lovely sponge substantial bit. Crawley are placed very handily at the moment, in third place behind AFC Wimbledon and Luton Town. They are currently just four points off the top of the table, but crucially have four games in hand of Wimbledon and three on Luton, meaning there is very much all to play for as the season enters its business end.
The interesting thing about Crawley Town is that the club has genuine potential to become a far bigger outfit than they currently are. The population of the town is just over 100,000, around the same as Blackburn, so the catchment area is certainly there. While most people in the town support one of the bigger clubs, if Crawley could make it into the Football League there are distinct opportunities for growth.
The club’s nearest rivals in the professional ranks are Crystal Palace to the north and Brighton to the south, both around twenty miles or so away. If Crawley could win promotion this season then every year they remain in the Football League will surely see the club building a larger fan base. Who knows where they could end up?
Having managed to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history, Crawley now travel to Torquay United for their next test. For the winners, a place in the fifth round could take them to Old Trafford, The Emirates or Stamford Bridge, perhaps, so the reward is a potentially high one.
While the Devon side, currently in mid-table mediocrity in League Two, will be grateful to have home advantage, they won’t be savouring the prospect of facing an in-form Crawley Town. The match promises to be an interesting one for neutrals, especially those with a penchant for potential upsets.
But the cup run should not overshadow the recent rebirth of a club that has remained under the radar for over a century. Live television broadcasts, player and manager appearances every week are all a far cry from a couple of hundred hardy souls sheltering from the rain beside the old programme shed at Town Mead. From Bovril to prawn sandwiches, Sussex style.
