Crawley Town co-owner says what this team have pulled off is 'incredible' after stunning win at Wembley

Reds completely dominated the final and beat Crewe 2-0 thanks to goals from Danilo Orsi and Liam Kelly – and gained promotion to League One for the first time since 2015.

Co-owners and co-chairmen Preston Johnson and Eben Smith, who took over the club in April 2022, were there to celebrate the win and the former appeared on Sky after the victory to praise the side.

He said: “I don’t actually think it’s real. I am not speechless very often in my life. Last year was the complete opposite feeling to this now. Last year I felt we were stripping the happiness and joy from the fans, so for them to find joy in their club again means the world to me.

“It’s incredible what this team, these players, the coaching staff have pulled off.”

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Ownership group WAGMI United are known – and have been criticised in the past – for their data and analytics. This has been praised by manager Scott Lindsey throughout the season.

When asked about the secret to Crawley’s incredible turnaround from last season, Johnson said: “One thing I have had confidence in my whole life is data and analytics, we bet on that in the summer with a coach and manager instilling a new culture and that was a pretty good marriage. But you also have to be fortunate for things to go your way, and they did.”

And Johnson said they have already been looking ahead to next season. “We have to, in the background you are preparing because you don’t want to waste time.

"We have done stuff already, my co-chairman Eben Smith has done a phenomenal job since the summer, negotiating contracts, looking at the numbers, assessing everything. It’s back to drawing board now to give us the best chance of competing in League One ans staying relevant.”