Crawley Town fans assess life under WAGMI United ownership one year on - and what needs to happen in the next 12 months

On April 6, 2022, WAGMI United were revealed as the new owners of Crawley Town Football Club – a US consortium headed by Preston Johnson and Eben Smith. They came with the ambition of taking Crawley Town all the way to the Premier League. It’s fair to say it has not gone they way anyone would have liked. They have have had six managers in the past 12 months – John Yems, Kevin Betsy, Lewis Young, Darren Byfield (both interim), Matthew Etherington and Scott Lindsey.We have seen the departure of fan favourites and experienced players such as Glenn Morris, Tom Nichols, Jake Hessenthaler (on loan) and skipper George Francomb with no explanation from the owners and the club are currently two points off the League Two relegation zone with seven games left.But it has not been all bad. There have been changes at club including lower ticket prices, bigger attendances and better matchday experiences with the new Red Zone set up, as one example.We asked a selection of fans to give their assessment of how the first 12 months have gone, what positives there are to take and what needs to happen in the next 12 months. We approached Preston Johnson and Chris Galley about doing an interview about WAGMI’s first 12 months but had no response.Andy Salmon: So Good Friday sees 1 year since WAGMI took over Crawley Town FC and to say it’s been a turbulent year is a huge understatement. We have seen so many up and downs including suspension and subsequent leaving of John Yems, appointment and dismissal of Kevin Betsy, appointment and then leaving of Lewis Young, appointment and leaving of Matthew Etherington, and finally appointment of Scott Lindsey. We`ve seen senior players leave and go on loan without proper explanation, insulting of opponents, lack of kit available to buy, trialling of YouTubers and then lack of communication from owners etc to fans. Of course, our position in the league is the most disappointing.On the positive side we have seen reduced ticket prices, the buying of players of calibre of Telford, fantastic effort from club staff on things like pitch side view of games, training videos, the 2 games for £2 incentives and more recently the FanZone area. We are also told that club debts are cleared.Going forward what needs to happen? First and foremost, we need to avoid relegation. The manager has brought in some good players such as Ben Gladwin and Kellan Gordon and so we can look to build on that for next season. We need an experienced CEO and recruitment staff. From an ownership side I feel we need to see more communication that gives better explanations for players loaned or leaving and just a better connection to the fans. That connection and relationship and trust needs to be built. A lot of things have been embarrassing. A deep hard look in the mirror is needed by owners to reflect on how to accomplish their aims. We just want the club to succeed. If we can stay up then there is lots to build on. COME ON YOU REDS!

Nick Hilton: It is an understatement to say it’s been difficult since WAGMI took over as owners of Crawley Town. Like others, I gave them the benefit of the doubt that they wanted to inject funds into our small club and would regularly engage with fans. Sadly, although some big signings materialised, the performances on the pitch did not reflect the massive expectations they created. I accept early season injuries and the forced suspension of the manager last year were unplanned. However, many choices made including the dismantling of the existing squad, choosing Kevin Betsy as the new manager and the failure to make sufficient signings in the January transfer window, cost the club dear. As a result, our League 2 status is hanging in the balance, while off the pitch the owners have retreated and appear unwilling to engage with fans.Out of this mess the few positives have arisen are from the fans; over 500 supporters joining the CTSA in 2 days in December, increased attendances home and away despite poor performances and the new fan-zone created by Tom Allman and other club staff. The owners should also be credited for reducing season and match day ticket prices and the recent £2 per game deal that attracted extra fans to the Broadfield.We cannot control what the owners do and keeping EFL status is crucial to our future prospects. Hopefully they can learn from their mistakes and properly engage with the CTSA whose significant membership gives them a mandate to represent all fans. I hope they stick by Scott Lindsey who has helped to put pride into some recent performances and appoint an experienced chief executive to deal with the off-field issues that have plagued the club over the last year.Daniel Maguire: It has been an eventful year with WAGMI! reviewing the first 12 months of their tenure it is no surprise the club finds itself on the brink of dropping out the Football League. Going back to last season when they had to deal with the allegations against John Yems, I do feel this had a torrid fallout over the original squad and without knowing the background it probably explains the sale of players from the previous era. The recruitment of young coach in Kevin Betsy was always a gamble as was the data driven approach to player recruitment all of which has been the core to our problems all season. My hope was that they would be able to resolve issues in the January window but whilst the purchases of Gordon and Gladwin made sense the window lacked a new striker to help Dom Telford and a GK to replace Ellery Balcombe (which would’ve eased the fans anguish of losing Morris and Nichols!). Signing players like Jack Roles and Jack Spong were not thought through and panic buys to fill the bench.Obviously, we all hope that we survive but this has been a season to forget for the owners and regardless of the outcome, they MUST change their approach next season. I think in Scott Lindsey we now have a manager the fans want but I am concerned fitness levels have significantly dropped under his reign which will need fixing in the summer. Personally, I feel our Director of Football Chris Galley needs to be held accountable for our poor performances. IF WAGMI want to stay they need to work with a more realistic plan and they need to work with the fanbase in both a transparent and professional manner. WAGMI and Crawley can work but changes need to happen.Peter Bellamy: What promised so much a year ago has seen a season of disappointment. WAGMI came in with visions of getting Crawley out of League 2. Sadly that could still happen, just not the way they had planned. It’s been a season of excuses and broken promises. We’ve seen a revolving door installed at the Broadfield Stadium. If it’s not managers arriving and departing it’s players being moved on. Whatever you think of the John Yems situation around his departure it was convenient for WAGMI at the time and allowed them to bring their own man in. Fans knew that Betsy ball wouldn’t work in League 2, but WAGMI wouldn’t listen. Relying too much on the data analysis rather than Football League experience has proved to be a real downfall. Moving on the backbone of the side that finished mid-table last season and what could have pushed on this time round was going to cause unrest in the fan base. Once Betsy left, Lewis Young steadied the ship and would have been a welcome choice by many had he been given the manager’s role permanently.Sadly that wasn’t to be and the run of positive results soon ended. The saga with Matthew Etherington and the transfer business that occurred in January showed the second half of the season was going to be a mirror of the first. Personally I’ll be glad when the season is over, and we’ve hopefully stayed up. Bigger teams than Crawley have been relegated from League 2 and struggled to get back. That said, if Crawley stay up it’ll need a big mindset change from WAGMI or we’ll be having the same discussion this time next season.Steve Leake: April 7th, 2022, WAGMI take over Crawley Town Football Club and who could have foreseen the rollercoaster of a ride through their first year. I know some of you will be thinking it has been more like riding on Oblivion at Alton Towers, with one huge down and not a lot of ups, but let’s have a look at what has or has not been achieved.On the playing side we have had some success in the Carabao cCup, notching up our third Premier League scalp by beating Fulham, and putting on a creditable performance away to Premier League-bound Burnley. We have got through three managers before arriving at the Scott Lindsey era and have failed to get any higher than 18th in the league. Currently, we sit in 22nd, fighting for our Football League lives. Added to that, the failure in all other cup competitions seems to paint a totally black picture of Wagmi’s first year.However, football, like any other way of life, is a one-off journey that can’t be re-run. You can only move forward. Hartlepool and Rochdale are not run by WAGMI, but are still below us in the league, and we might have been even lower under different owners. Don’t get me wrong, I am not happy with where we are, and I do feel that failure to listen to advice given, or listen but not take it into account, has contributed to where we find ourselves today.Good things have been done, the fan zone and trying to engage fans are big pluses, and I know from first-hand knowledge that Preston Johnson has also supported local initiatives away from the club. However, here is my plea to WAGMI, focus on listening to people who know the game here in England, and then act on their advice, whatever League we find ourselves in come May 8th.Thomas Frances: Wow, what a season. It’ll certainly be remembered but unfortunately not for the reasons that we all hoped for, when WAGMI purchased the club this time last year.Managers, players, coaches, have come into the club and left since we were faced with the promise of ‘promotion or new directors’ from Preston Johnson when he spoke before the beginning of the season. Over the next few weeks, we have seven huge games, starting with Bradford on Good Friday that will define our season, and hopefully see us keep our football league status.Whilst I agree with the ownership group, that this has to be the priority of everyone, work has to be being done in the background to ensure that this doesn’t happen again next season. A fully in-depth review of all their practices would highlight what most of us seem to have been saying, since the mess of this season unravelled itself.Experienced players, experienced coaches with knowledge of the lower leagues, experienced people working on recruitment are all essential if we are to compete, and eventually, as the owners promise, advance beyond this level. I, personally believe in Scott Lindsey, and his passion for the club is clear for everyone to see, but he’ll need support with a stronger squad next season, if we are to finish higher up the league. Let’s all get behind the players, over the next seven games, and as I say, a review can then happen knowing we are still in the football league. As I say, a review can then happen knowing we are still in the football league.Steve Herbert: A year has now passed since the American crypto sports company WAGMI United bought the ownership of Crawley Town FC. What started as an American fanfare of tickertape, triumph and Premier League dreams has turned into a Crawley Town nightmare, with relegation back to non league football very much a more realistic outcome for the club. Back in April 2022 when WAGMI founders Preston Johnson and Eben Smith boldly announced to the world that ‘we’re gonna take Crawley Town to the Premier League!’ who would of thought that just twelve months later they’d be on the brink of taking us out of the Football League.The initial reaction from the fans was one of scepticism, but also one of excitement. Especially as new owner Preston Johnson in particular was being very forthright and willing to mix with the supporters, holding a fans' forum and gatherings in local pubs and bowling nights etc.Pre-season for the 2022/23 campaign began with a new managerial appointment in managerial novice Kevin Betsy, and a couple of big signings in Swindon Town captain Dion Conroy, and even more impressive League Two’s top scorer from Newport County striker Dom Telford. They were signings of intent, but little did we know that the model these players were signed on, predominantly stats was to fail spectacularly in our opening game of the season at Carlisle United. Where after just 20 minutes of that game it was clear to see that the model and method our owners and in particular our new manager wanted us to play was never going to work at this level. The Reds constantly lost possession trying to play Barcelona style football out of their own box. It was painful to watch and inevitably ended up being Kevin Betsy’s downfall that would see him last only six months in the job.You’d think at this point WAGMI would realise they need a new footballing model to reignite their Premier League dreams. But unfortunately not, as the appointment of another inexperienced manager Matthew Etherington was to quickly follow. This time the appointment only last a matter of weeks. After being told who he could and couldn’t play from those behind the scenes. Mr Etherington decided this wasn’t the job for him and departed the club. Alarm bells were now ringing. It was around this time that the ludicrous decision was made to sell both experienced goalkeeper Glenn Morris and star striker Tom Nichols to relegation rivals Gillingham. A ludicrous decision, and one that could still come back to haunt us. As since Glenn and Tom have been at the Gills, their fortunes have completely transformed.One of the biggest mistakes our new owners WAGMI have made is the failure to appoint a footballing person behind the scenes as director of football who knows the league inside out and who’s knowledge and contacts could get us to where they want us to be.Including interim managers Lewis Young and Darren Byfield, the club is now on to its fifth manager of the season in ex-Swindon boss Scott Lindsey. In Scott, the club have finally appointment someone with a bit of experience, and who’s contacts have resulted in a recent upturn in results. As the experienced players Mr Lindsey has brought in may just be enough to help the club survive relegation and with it the biggest own goal WAGMI will ever score.So if we stay up, can WAGMI survive as owners and make right a footballing model that up to now they have got so spectacularly wrong. In my opinion yes they can, but they must do one of three things for this to happen. Firstly appoint an experienced director of football to make the correct decisions and who has a wealth of knowledge and contacts within the EFL. Secondly leave the management team of Scott Lindsey and Co to do the job they are paid to do, manage the team. Then thirdly and most importantly apologise to the fans for the incompetent failure of not understanding the club, the league and far more seriously not listening to the life and soul of Crawley Town FC, the fans.