[Football] Crawley Town no longer officially exist

[JakyBF]

Dorking Wanderers are a good example of a club recently formed (1999) and making their way up the leagues fairly quickly. In their first season in the National League Premier they are mid-table and adjusting well to a tough division. In five years they'll be a football league side - if the ground is adequate.

Chicken Cottage FC ?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Surely Hastings have the biggest potential fan base

Agree re the Hastings fanbase, it's a real working class town and they love their football down there, however this much mooted ground move needs to happen, plus of course they are still several promotions away from the Football League.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Dorking Wanderers are a good example of a club recently formed (1999) and making their way up the leagues fairly quickly. In their first season in the National League Premier they are mid-table and adjusting well to a tough division. In five years they'll be a football league side - if the ground is adequate.

Hmmm doing very well at the moment l'll grant you, but saying that they will be gracing the Football League in five years time is one heck of a bold statement.

The National League is notoriously difficult to get promoted from, and a lot van happen in non-league football in that time span.

I'm sure the likes of Wrexham and Notts County anticipated being back in the top flight long ago, but they are still waiting..

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Let’s see. So many clubs have had such ambitions and then the money runs out or is insufficient to compete in the higher leagues. Look at Billericay, Lewes, Whitehawk, ……..

I agree, the list is almost endless, it often only takes one benefactor at that level to take his money out of the club, and . . . BANG.

 

[Smillie's People]

Let’s see. So many clubs have had such ambitions and then the money runs out or is insufficient to compete in the higher leagues. Look at Billericay, Lewes, Whitehawk, ……..

I didn't know it was money that led Lewes to drop down from the National league, wasn't it the appointment of a manager who had virtually no experience of football management, who refused to step down until after it was confirmed that Lewes were relegated? And didn't his uncle have some influence...

 

[Smillie's People]

Fans of Crawley Town should waste no time in registering the club as a Community Asset. If they don't know how to, there's plenty of help available. As a starter, they could do a lot worse than ask the folks at Lewes FC how to go about it

Didn't help much with Lewes Bus Station, did it...

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Didn't help much with Lewes Bus Station, did it...

Saw off the greedhead property developer who wanted to 'establish Lewes as a sporting hub' by flogging off the much of the town's prime sporting assets tho eh? He lost interest pretty quickly after that

 

[Ali_rrr]

I didn't know it was money that led Lewes to drop down from the National league, wasn't it the appointment of a manager who had virtually no experience of football management, who refused to step down until after it was confirmed that Lewes were relegated? And didn't his uncle have some influence...

Lewes had a mass exodus which meant pretty much the whole squad who got promoted as well as the manager, Steve King, left the club. The club had some financial issues due to the recession at the time and went straight back down as they were only playing youngsters at the time. It meant they dropped down again a couple years later to the Ryman League.

 

[timbha]

Lewes had a mass exodus which meant pretty much the whole squad who got promoted as well as the manager, Steve King, left the club. The club had some financial issues due to the recession at the time and went straight back down as they were only playing youngsters at the time. It meant they dropped down again a couple years later to the Ryman League.

I think Kevin Keehan took over and with little money had to play kids who battled but were just not strong enough to compete with the wealthier clubs.

 

[amexer]

I think Kevin Keehan took over and with little money had to play kids who battled but were just not strong enough to compete with the wealthier clubs.

Like most of football money and greed is the problem . Many would be surprised what players get paid even at this level. Players swap clubs for the money and new owners come in with ambition and pay more than other clubs.
I played at this level many years ago and remember queuing up at training for petrol money .

 

[timbha]

Like most of football money and greed is the problem . Many would be surprised what players get paid even at this level. Players swap clubs for the money and new owners come in with ambition and pay more than other clubs.
I played at this level many years ago and remember queuing up at training for petrol money .

Ditto - and being told you wouldn’t get your bonuses if you didn’t sign for the next season!

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I think Kevin Keehan took over and with little money had to play kids who battled but were just not strong enough to compete with the wealthier clubs.

Indeed he did, Dick Tight's son-in-law. Also ran the hospitality portacabin at Withdean for a while.

 

[Shooting Star]

I would worry with Crawley that if they dropped into the National League they may never come back

Oh dear, what a pity, never mind.

 

[wehatepalace]

I really don’t get the beef with Crawley on here, they’re absolutely no threat to us, they’re pretty insignificant in the scheme of things and apart from thumping them in the cup many years ago there is pretty much zero history between us.
I personally couldn’t care less about them, but I’d hate to see them go out of business, and actually it’s pretty good for a small county like Sussex to have two professional football clubs.

 

[wuntbedruv]

I really don’t get the beef with Crawley on here, they’re absolutely no threat to us, they’re pretty insignificant in the scheme of things and apart from thumping them in the cup many years ago there is pretty much zero history between us.
I personally couldn’t care less about them, but I’d hate to see them go out of business, and actually it’s pretty good for a small county like Sussex to have two professional football clubs.

And plenty of fun watching us stuff them in pre season friendlies, I still remember when we spontaneously cried " Morris" as they were announcing MOTM.

He did throw the ball in his own net though

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

Matthew Etherington now appointed new manager

 

[Lenny Rider]

Indeed he did, Dick Tight's son-in-law. Also ran the hospitality portacabin at Withdean for a while.

Nephew

 

[Lenny Rider]

I'd agree with Worthing having a chance and I'd say Horsham may not be that far behind (as an outside guess)?

Worthing’s biggest drawback is that half their catchment area is in the sea.

Crowds have been very healthy even pre pandemic but ultimately fans will support a winning team, but to finance a winning team at National South level The Rebels need between 1200/1500 full paying adults every week.

I hope it happens, but unfortunately history tells us that Worthing have nearly gone to the wall over the years aiming for the stars.

One potential drawback of another 2 successive promotions would be the ripping up of the 3G pitch to comply with FL regulations, the same thing happened to Sutton United who prior to going in the Football League had 9 clubs playing home games on the all weather surface at Gander Green Lane.

It would be interesting to see the difference in the overall turnover from the last season in the National League to the first in the EFL?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Worthing’s biggest drawback is that half their catchment area is in the sea.

Crowds have been very healthy even pre pandemic but ultimately fans will support a winning team, but to finance a winning team at National South level The Rebels need between 1200/1500 full paying adults every week.

I hope it happens, but unfortunately history tells us that Worthing have nearly gone to the wall over the years aiming for the stars.

One potential drawback of another 2 successive promotions would be the ripping up of the 3G pitch to comply with FL regulations, the same thing happened to Sutton United who prior to going in the Football League had 9 clubs playing home games on the all weather surface at Gander Green Lane.

It would be interesting to see the difference in the overall turnover from the last season in the National League to the first in the EFL?

I find the FL stance on 3G pitches for League 2 (and maybe League 1) really odd.

There’s hardly any money in those leagues and the 3G is a great source of income.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I find the FL stance on 3G pitches for League 2 (and maybe League 1) really odd.

There’s hardly any money in those leagues and the 3G is a great source of income.

Indeed. Especially because “artificial pitches” were used at Oldham, Luton, Preston and QPR in the 92 club structure.

Brighton lost 6-1 at Oldham on that pitch. Straight afterwards I played against Oldham’s Supporters for ours on the same pitch. They won with a 30 yard volley into the pitch that bounced like a powerball. One of our midfielders lost most of the skin off the side of his leg

Artificial has progressed 1000% since then. It really should be part of the business plan for most clubs whose aspirations hover between League One and Conference Regional