'A big thing for me' - Crawley Town boss wants to get involved in the local community

The former Newcastle goalkeeper joined from National League side Gateshead last week and says it has been nice to meet new people at the club.

Elliot was present at Crawley’s defeat to Mansfield Town on Tuesday night where he met staff and fans. He took his first game in charge on Saturday away at Wycombe where he stopped to have pictures and sign autographs with Reds fans as he got off the coach.

He said: “It was nice to be at the game and meet people. It was really nice because you can tell there’s a lot of people who have been here for a long time.

"It’s got that real community feel and its something I’m looking forward to getting out to more. I know we’ve got the Crawley Community Foundation who do a lot of work, we’ve said we’ll get out and meet the fans and be working in the different schools and local area.”

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“It’s a big thing for me, I’ve always been someone that buys into the area of the club because its important to help you settle and also throughout my playing career, I’ve spent time at a club, I really enjoy the long-term project and the short term.”

Elliot says he can’t wait to keep growing the Crawley Town fanbase after being appointed as new manager. “It’s a part of the job that will be enjoyable as I know the clubs talked about the fanbase growing and more attendance. We want to continue that,” he said.

Elliot’s first game in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat to Wycombe and his first home game is Tuesday, October 8, when Reds face AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy.