Thoughts of a lifelong fan: My realistic Crawley Town hat instead of my optimistic one
Sunday, January 18. Ten players signed and just over halfway through the January transfer window and when we played Notts County on Saturday, we certainly looked up for the challenge ahead of us.
However, with six new players in the starting eleven I for one had my realistic hat on instead of my optimistic one, as we settled down for what was to be an exciting game. As it turned out, despite producing world class saves from Counties new keeper, James Belshaw, on two occasions in the first half from new boy Jonny Russell and Jay Williams we lost again and went down one place to 22nd.
However, one day later, I am now absolutely convinced that we can “write” one of the Greatest Escape stories ever written. The four new players who started the game yesterday, Russell, Akin Odimayo, Theo Vassell, Louie Copley and the two, not so new, returning Devils, Danilo Orsi and Klaidi Lolos, certainly looked impressive throughout the time they were on the pitch.
Listening to Scott’s interview post-match, he seems convinced that our goal that was disallowed for offside should have stood and that the sending of Lolos in the 65th minute was a complete mystery. I can’t comment, because of my position in Torres Corner, but I have no doubt that we can get the necessary results in the next twenty games to drive us into mid table or even higher.
With four more new players in Taylor and Lewis Richards, Tobi Adeyemo and Kellan (the leader of the band) Gordon alongside Max Anderson returning from injury, chomping at their bits I think that by the time we meet Harrogate at home at the end of January, all fans of the real Red Devils will be feeling a lot better about the future at the Broadfield Stadium.
Certainly, the reaction from the vast majority of the home crowd after the game to the players and Scott Lindsey was very good and, I think, shows we are all up for the fight. Town Team Together.
Before the game on Saturday, I spent just over two and a quarter hours selling the Red Devils’ Diary, the new independent match day programme for all who watch Crawley Town games at the Broadfield, be they be home or away fans.
The response we have had to this venture has been amazing and with three issues covering four home games, because of the Christmas double header, we have managed to sell all but 24 of the 86 programmes printed. The unsold twenty-four are all for the Christmas double header against Colchester United and Bromley, so if you missed the Christmas games and would like one, please contact me via Facebook or email on [email protected] and you can have one for half price at £1.
The most rewarding part of this venture for me has to be the warm, appreciative comments I have received from the buyers, no matter their allegiance, to what we have managed to produce. The concept of by the fans, for the fans has been warmly received, as has the policy not to include commercial advertisements but to limit them to items such as the “kick it out” campaign or those submitted by the fans themselves to advertise football related objects or charities we can all relate to such as FoxtrotOscarCancer.
I would like at this point to thank everyone involved in the RDD, including Steve Hedges, whose idea it was and is now Editor in chief, Kev Neylon who produces content about games played since the last programme, Ivan Noel who tells you about the opposition and officials of the game you are watching including face to face statistics, Mick Fox who writes about a Crawley Town prior to our time in the Football League, Ian Mulcahy of ctfchistory who provides all sorts of data and statistics, Grant Mansfield, an ex-student of mine at ICC who supplies fan and player photographs and last, but by no means least, Alain Harper and Steve Herbert who tell us how to get to away games by coach and train.
However, without you lot, the fans of Crawley Town and even those of our opposition, it would all just be a way of keeping up our love in the beautiful game in general and Crawley Town in particular. The next programme, out on the 31st January at the Harrogate home game will feature an article about girls, women, females and their involvement in football at Crawley Town and elsewhere, but we could and would gladly accommodate regular inputs from female supporters themselves, so if you’re interested , why not get in touch.