I have seen Crawley Town play at Old Trafford and win at Wembley, but nothing will equal the euphoria I saw at the end of the Salford City game

Watching them go to Old Trafford and compete was special.

Being there for the maulings of Leeds United during Covid and at Stadium MK in the Play Offs was pretty good as well.

And, of course, Wembley was a day I will never forget. Seeing 18,000+ fans supporting Crawley really did bring a tear to the eye.

But Saturday, May 2 at around 5pm might just be the most incredible feeling I have had watching Crawley Town.

Old Trafford was just a stunning occasion where no one expected Crawley to win and they didn’t, but they fought well and it was great to see Reds on the biggest stage.

Stadium MK and Wembley were magnificent but both times there was an air of inevitability - they were always going to win those fixtures. Scott Lindsey had set us all up with the Laws of Attraction. He knew they were going to win, and because he did, we all did.

But the final day of the 2025/26 season - Crawley v Salford - was just different. Jay Williams said before the game that there would be no comparison to the feeling from Wembley and this one IF they survived – and he was not wrong.

I arrived at the ground quite early and chatted to a few Reds fans before the game and I don’t think I have ever seen any of them so nervous.

I tried to calm them down and more than one said to me ‘I wish I have your positivity’. After the game, one person actually thanked me for being so positive pre-match because it actually calmed them down. You’re welcome.

Maybe I was trying the Lindsey method, but I genuinely felt - and you can watch the episodes of Gull-Mouth Action podcast back - they were never getting relegated.

And even though with 20 minutes of the game left, a Salford goal would have relegated Crawley (in the end it would not have mattered if they had scored) I never felt any nerves.

Why? Because there were always two worse teams than Crawley and those two worse teams were the ones to get relegated - Barrow and Harrogate.

I have referenced this before, but after Crawley lost 3-1 to Cambridge on October 4, Lindsey said to me and Gary Smith from the BBC something along the lines of ‘thank god there are two worse teams than us in this league’. He was not wrong.

And when I was interviewed by Robin Grey on the BBC when Colin Kazim-Richards was appointed, I was asked ‘can he save Crawley’s season?’. And I said then that there was nothing to save. Crawley were not in the relegation zone, it was in their hands, so all he had to do was maintain their position.

I understand being a football fan is tough and the glass is always half empty, but a positive mindset is so important. And when I looked back at the standings week-by-week, Crawley had not been in the relegation zone since November 1.

I still think they would have survived with Lindsey in charge, but I also think something needed to change and it was a very brave decision by Raphael Khalili to oust Lindsey and bring in Colin Kazim-Richards - a manager with no experience - with seven games left.

I still don’t know if Kazim-Richards is the right man to take the club forward - only time will tell on that front - but he did what he needed to do and probably deserves a shot at a full season.

But back to when the final whistle went on Saturday, the sense of relief was palpable. And why did it feel different? I think it was because 90 per cent of the ground was expecting the worst to happen. And when it didn't, all those feelings came out and to see the elation and relief on players’, fans’ and the staff’s faces, it was a joy to behold. I got to go on the pitch and capture the scenes (see our videos on the Crawley Observer Facebook page) but I also got to go in the stands with the players, owners and staff.

To see that joy and relief so close up showed me what it means.

I am quite philosophical when it comes to football. My team Oxford United were relegated from the Championship this season. Yeah it was gutting but next season is another opportunity.

My wife and son are Tottenham fans, imagine what they are going through?! But at the end of the day, you lose a match or get relegated, nothing in the world actually changes so you just get on with your life. That is just my view.

But on Crawley on Saturday I saw first hand what that club means to a lot of people. Harry McKirdy said afterwards that it is strange to celebrate finishing 22nd and he is right to some extend but if they had gone down, that would have been seismic for them.

That’s why Saturday May 2 will always live long in my memory as I saw what euphoria was.

There will be more ups and downs to come but if the fans can generate that kind good feeling from the off next season, it’s going to be another wild ride for Crawley Town.