TIN POT PROUD CRAWLEY TOWN | OneFootball

THAT’S RIGHT, CRAWLEY TOWN

Crawley Town’s crest. Photo credit: Author.

On Saturday, August 2nd, 2025, the English Football League (EFL) kicks off their 2025/26 League Two season. It’s not the Premiere League, it’s something much better. It’s the league in which the mighty Reds of Crawley Town play. Or should I say where the future Premier League side, the mighty Reds of Crawley Town reside, for now. That’s the beauty/delusion of a promotion and relegation system. I mean, you can irrationally believe that a club that wages battle in a stadium that seats a whopping 6,134 fans could one day enter the lofty heights of the most popular soccer league in the world. Hey, a fan can dream.

I do love Crawley Town. That’s not the answer that most expect when they ask me if I follow a team in England. They might ask, “Do you have a Premier League team?” My answer is yes, but not yet. I follow a future Premier League team. The mighty Reds of Crawley Town. Their next question is usually something along the lines of, “the mighty who of what?” And that’s just the way I like it. It’s the perfect opportunity to tell the story of how I found the greatest little Tin Pot Proud club in all of the English Football League.

CRAWLEY TOWN HISTORY

Now that you’re curious to know more, Crawley Town Football Club was founded in 1896. They were an amateur side until 1962 when they moved to semi-professional and were accepted into the Southern League. From there they worked their way up and down the pyramid for decades until finally earning promotion into League Two in 2010-11. From there they have been promoted to League One twice. The first time they made the jump they lasted three years. The second only one, last season. Thus, they start the 2025-26 season back in League Two with new ownership and passionate fans optimistic for their Reds to work their way back up the pyramid to even greater soccer success.

LONG DISTANCE LOVE AFFAIR

Did you find Crawley Town or did Crawley Town find you? That’s a great question. I’m glad you asked. It started on a family vacation. It was our first real adventure that involved passports, ten hour flights to get us the 4887 miles there and back, and trying not to die driving on the wrong side of the road. Oh, and roundabouts. I love roundabouts, but that’s a story for another time.

One of the things that we really wanted to do, besides everything obvious when you find yourself in England, was to get to a soccer game. We looked at appeasing our Manchester United or our Arsenal supporter family members and attend one of their matches but that turned out to be cost prohibitive. At least it was for us. With the glitzy and glamorous options out of the question I still wanted to have an ‘authentic’ English Football experience.

THE HAND OF FATE

Enter Crawley Town. As we searched for a game to attend, during the weekend of our stay, there were not a lot of options. It seemed like most of the games, from the Championship to League Two, were hours away from us. So we narrowed down our options and Crawley Town was the choice. Factors that weighed in their favor were ticket prices and, more importantly, stadium size. The smaller the better. I wanted to have a proper English Football experience and size, or lack there of, mattered. At least to me.

So Crawley was the choice. Tickets were bought. A joyful experience expected. To be fair it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that Crawley Town would be my new and official favorite team in England. They had to earn it. I’m not that easy. I told my wife that whichever team won the game, they would be the lucky new owners of a long distance, passionate fan from over 4,000 plus miles away.

WHICH TEAM WOULD IT BE?

As it turned out the decision was made before the whistle to end the game blew. I remember sitting in the stands, listening to the fans share their unsolicited expertise, all of the cheers, claps, exasperation, their sometimes decipherable singing, and occasional English expletive. I remember turning to my wife and saying, ‘screw it, Crawley is my team.’ It was love before the end of the first half.

It was fate. Crawley Town won the game 2-0. I love telling the story about how I fell in love with Crawley Town with the intention to watch them climb up and through the EFL pyramid to reach the holy grail that is the Premier League. So far they have made up to League One, at least for last season, only to be back starting the climb again this season in League Two.

I can testify that promotion is much more fulfilling than relegation. That’s a fact. I will be watching bright and early as the Mighty Reds of Crawley Town start their journey back up the pyramid against Grimsby Town. I will be listening to one of the Crawley Town friends I’ve met along the way, Gary Smith. He will be calling the game for BBC Sussex and probably thinking of his former summarizer and life long Crawley Town supporter and legend, Ken Blackmore. Ken passed away last year. He did get to see his Reds play for the first, and so far only time at Wembley, the season before as Crawley won the playoff and chance to play in League One. I will be yelling, “Get In There!” for him when they score.

Crawley Town is an amazing little club that exemplifies, I believe, what English Football is all about – the fans. Their community. Their town. It has been an absolute joy the several times we have been able to return to watch them play.

THE UNLUCKY CLUB

And if you were wondering which team it was that could have been my new favorite club, if not for our wonderful day out in Crawley at the Broadfield Stadium, that’s the best part. On that fateful day, September 17th, 2016, the foe that fell to the Mighty Reds of Crawley Town 2-0 was the Hatters from Luton Town. If you know you know. It makes me chuckle just thinking about it to this day. But you love who you love. Right? Come on You Reds!

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