Scott Lindsey performed miracles as Crawley Town boss - and now it's WAGMI's turn to perform one to find his replacement

Yes, I know José Mourinho coined that moniker, but this time it is being used for Scott Lindsey. Now, I am not a Crawley Town fan but the club has a very special place in my heart.

At times in the last couple of decades it’s taken over my life, for good and bad reasons.

But in that time, it’s the last couple of years that has been the best and most enjoyable time. And it is mainly down to Scott. And, believe it or not, I was as gutted as anyone when I heard the news filter through that he was off to pastures new.

It took a while for all us to get to know Scott and his football. After he joined in January 2023, the first few months was a struggle to watch – but the former Swindon Town gaffer had a job to do and he did it. Reds looked dead and buried when he arrived but he got his side to scrap for every point to ensure survival. The win at Hartlepool at the end of that season will live long in the memory of anyone who was there (I wasn’t, but I can imagine it!). That was miracle number 1.

For me, it took a while to build that relationship with Scott. It’s the same with any manager - you are working each other out for a while and getting to know the right time to ask certain questions etc. But once we did, I feel we had a great working relationship.

There were times when the camera stopped rolling and we would talk off the record for 30 to 45 minutes about everything from Crawley Town to family.

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It was during the summer of 2023 when we saw a clear out of established and popular players and a bunch of relative unknowns brought. How was this team going to survive? Were fans going to have to endure another painful season? Well, as we came to learn, In Scott We Trust.

A minor miracle he performed was drawing the attention of the fans towards the football and not WAGMI. At the beginning of the 2023/234 season, you could still feel the tension at games – not from all fans - with WAGMI Out chants and posters. But with the brand of football and some eye-catching results – one of them being the 2-1 win over MK Dons at the Broadfield Stadium – the fans soon had something to cheer about.

And what amazing football it was to watch. Possession based with a lot of flair, it was the best football I have seen covering Crawley Town. And remember, this was with a team full of unknowns who were tipped to go down. That was miracle number 2.

Every week I tired to eek out of Scott and his players what their ambitions were for the season but they kept it private and they never let the mask slip. But looking back now it was clear they all knew they could win promotion – and I honestly believe at one point they thought they could get it automatically.

But come March and April Crawley were brilliant and finally clinched their place in the Play-offs – the first time in the club’s history. But MK Dons stood in there way. But not for long, it was just five minutes in to the first leg when Liam Kelly scored and set up a record-breaking score over a two-leg Play-off semi final. I wanted to call winning at Wembley miracle number 3, but after what had come before, it was never in doubt that they would beat Crewe.

It was another tactical masterclass from Scott and his merry men. At this stage it is worth noting – and Scott would be the first to say – he didn’t do it on his own. The likes of Jamie Day, Carl Laraman, Ben Gladwin, Steve Hales, Ricky McFarlane and many more behind the scenes helped Scott perform these miracles.

But then came the summer noone really expected. Eight of the team that played in the historic Wembley final left the club and Scott had to, once again, mould a whole new squad ready for League One.

And on the opening day against Blackpool it was like nothing had changed. The football was still as brilliant and in some positions it looked like there have been some upgrades. The fact they have seven points from their opening six game is a miracle. But now they have to carry on the spirit, the football and the results without their fearless leader.

The people who have the task of performing the next miracle are WAGMI United. In this piece so far I haven’t given them much credit. But they really do deserve some. Yes Scott made all those players perform, but it was WAGMI who found them. People were sceptical about their data/maths model but over two seasons now they have unearthed some brilliant players.

And they were also the ones who got Scott to join – so more credit to them. But now they need to perform the biggest miracle of all and find Scott Lindsey’s replacement.

Every week since the middle of last season, myself and another reporter – Andy Arlidge – have had a discussion about what happens if Lindsey leaves. We have always said that you can replace owners, you can replace a Danilo Orsi or a Liam Kelly, but how do you replace Scott and what he has done?

It will not be easy and may be their toughest test yet. Let’s hope it doesn’t take as many managers and much time as it did to find Lindsey himself.

Dare I say, In WAGMI We Trust.