Crawley Town name new manager – and a familiar face stays in the coaching staff

New owners WAGMI United have named Kevin Betsy as the man who will lead the Reds into the 2022/23 season.

They had previously said they would announce the news on Friday (June 3) at 7pm but delayed it until today because ‘they had just heard from the Queen...she really doesn't want us upstaging her on her special weekend’.

But over the weekend some media outlets published a deal had been agreed and even the club’s Wikipedia page had Bety’s name down as manager.

The Reds have been looking for a new boss since John Yems mutually agreed to leave the club at the beginning of May following his suspension after allegations of discriminatory conduct.

The 44-year-old is highly-rated and came through the ranks at the FA to manage at various England junior levels up to the Under-18s.

The former Fulham, Barnsley, Wycombe and Woking midfielder played nearly 600 senior games as a player.

And upon joining the Reds, Kevin Betsy said: “I am joining a club that has a great history that we should no doubt embrace, and we are also looking at an exciting new beginning on many levels both on and off the pitch.

“I was very impressed with Eben [Smith] and Preston [Johnson]’s vision for the club. Following discussions, l knew I would be working for bright and genuine people that share the positivity and energy to take this club forward. I will work extremely hard and put my heart and soul into every single day to help make us successful.

“I am grateful for the opportunity and faith shown in me by Eben, Preston and the others I have spoken with. I am very much looking forward to meeting everyone at the club.

"Together, we can look to Crawley Town to be a club that people enjoy coming to watch and that players and staff love coming to work every day. Crawley will be a positive place to bring our local community together and attract the next generation of supporters globally to the club.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Arsenal, all of the staff and players for a wonderful time at the club. The club has been first class in how things have been conducted and allowing me to take this chance to progress myself with the opportunity at Crawley Town.”

Dan Micciche will also be joining the club as Betsy’s assistant manager. The 42-year-old leaves his role at Arsenal as U18 head coach and professional development phase lead to join the Reds alongside Betsy. Similarly to Betsy, Dan spent time coaching in the England youth setup prior to his time at the Gunners. Before his move to the capital, Micciche spent three months managing Milton Keynes Dons In League One.

Speaking on Micciche’s appointment as assistant manager, Betsy said: “Dan has an outstanding coaching background, he is one of the best in the country and will complement our staff very well.”

Co-chairman Preston Johnson said: “We couldn’t be more excited to have Kevin Betsy coming on board to lead our squad into this new era for Crawley Town. Kevin has been a consistent winner as both a player and a coach.

“His innovative and analytical mindset aligns with our ambitions for the club, and we’re confident that he can deliver the kind of positive results our supporters expect and deserve. We’re eager to equip him with the resources needed to do that.

"We want to thank Arsenal for their partnership in facilitating this appointment, and we’re looking forward to a bright future for the Red Devils with Kevin at the helm.”

The club also confirmed that Lewis Young will remain with the club as a member of Betsy’s coaching staff.

Young was promoted as Yems’ assistant when Lee Bradbury left the club to take up the manager’s role at Eastleigh.

A further announcement on Betsy’s coaching team will be made in due course.

The club said a full interview with Betsy will be recorded next week with a press conference expected to be held this week.

Johnson told the Crawley observer they had interviewed 12 candidates for the post.

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