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How big is the gap between BHA & Crawley?



Brovion

In my defence, I was left unsupervised.
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
19,864
'Junior club'
Utter Tosh
Crawley have had it all their own way lately & are still viewed by less than we had at Gillingham, in a division lower.
You didn't read what I wrote did you? And fortunately we'll never find out. But if you think us being above Crawley is some sort of natural order that could never have been threatened, well I sort of envy your cosy naivety.
 




seagullsovergrimsby

#cpfctinpotclub
Aug 21, 2005
43,944
Crap Town
The gap is a chasm , Crawley see Palace as their local rivals now.
 


The Birdman

New member
Nov 30, 2008
6,313
Haywards Heath
People say Crawley are 'no threat' to us and aren't our rivals and of course they're right. (Until such time as Crawley have plans for a 35,000 capacity stadium and a state-of-the-art training centre). However we should also be grateful that the stars of both clubs are in the ascendant at the same time. If Crawley had shot up the leagues when we were bumping along in division four would the gap between the clubs now be as big? Would we have got Falmer? ("If Sussex people want to watch football in a modern stadium they can go to Crawley which is an ideal location") Would people from mid-Sussex suddenly have decided that it would be a good idea to support their local team instead?

Like all good comedy it was all about timing. If Crawley had got their act together earlier and had cashed in on our misfortune we could well have ended up here in 2013 as the junior club. (Although there would be umpteen rows on here as people would claim to our gloating Crawley rivals that we were bigger than them).

Also if they had let the Albion ground share they might have had a better stadium left when we moved back to Brighton and we may have never played at the Withdean so they would of made more money than that arse Scallywag!!!!!Gillingham made loads out of the Albion
 


Mo Gosfield

Well-known member
Aug 11, 2010
6,362
Good luck to Crawley but I fear that they will struggle to maintain this status. Their potential will always be squeezed between BHA and London. Their fanbase is probably smaller than Wycombe and their stay in Div1 is always short.
 






Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,952
Surrey
Good luck to Crawley but I fear that they will struggle to maintain this status. Their potential will always be squeezed between BHA and London. Their fanbase is probably smaller than Wycombe and their stay in Div1 is always short.

I'm not sure. They really ought to be able to sustain league football as their hinterland is substantial: Crawley, Horsham, Redhill, Horley, East Grinstead & Reigate are all substantial population centres within ten miles of their ground. I quite like Crawley, but they'll probably never be a true threat to us, in the same way as Accrington is never going to be a threat to Blackburn or Burnley.
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,953
Brighton
How big is the gap between Blackburn and Rochdale? I'd say it's about the same as that.
 


Hamilton

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
12,953
Brighton
I'm not sure. They really ought to be able to sustain league football as their hinterland is substantial: Crawley, Horsham, Redhill, Horley, East Grinstead & Reigate are all substantial population centres within ten miles of their ground. I quite like Crawley, but they'll probably never be a true threat to us, in the same way as Accrington is never going to be a threat to Blackburn or Burnley.

Agree.

Thing is. If you lived in Horsham or Reigate would you really want to support Crawley when you could hop in the car and get to the Albion or - dare I say it - Palace respectively?
 




Brovion

In my defence, I was left unsupervised.
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
19,864
Agree.

Thing is. If you lived in Horsham or Reigate would you really want to support Crawley when you could hop in the car and get to the Albion or - dare I say it - Palace respectively?
Dunno. They are definitely picking up support in Crawley itself. This is very unscientific but my friend's son plays for Maidenbower Colts (a youth team in Crawley) and I go and see him play occasionally. He's at u13 or u14 level now and when I first went to watch him when he was about 9 I didn't see one Crawley shirt, all the kids (and parents) were in the usual bog-standard Prem shirts. Recently though I've noticed a fair few Crawley tops being worn, amongst the kids and on the sidelines.

Like I say, unscientific and I wouldn't offer it up as conclusive proof that people from Crawley and its hinterland have permanently adopted their local team, but if they can maintain their current level their bubble may not burst just yet.
 


Seasidesage

New member
May 19, 2009
4,467
Brighton, United Kingdom
Although it is a dramatic overreaction. I see every fan that turns up to watch them as one potentially lost to us (despite the fact that Crawley has never been an Albion town)

They will never be a threat to us, but the day they return to the minor leagues cannot come too soon for me...
 


loz

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2009
2,482
W.Sussex
Well as a Palace fan ST holder, I have seen Crawley more than Palace this season!! mainly because as of today we have not yet played at 3.00 on a sat (got to wait for Nov 9th for the 1st home 3.00 oclock!!) and so far they have been doing cracking deals...anyone with a prem season ticket can get in the west stand for £10 and the cup game the other night was £5.00!! which is cheaper than East Grinstead in the county league.

They have a long way to go, but me and a few of my Palace mates are going to watch them and really enjoy it to.
 




chucky1973

New member
Nov 3, 2010
8,829
Crawley
Dunno. They are definitely picking up support in Crawley itself. This is very unscientific but my friend's son plays for Maidenbower Colts (a youth team in Crawley) and I go and see him play occasionally. He's at u13 or u14 level now and when I first went to watch him when he was about 9 I didn't see one Crawley shirt, all the kids (and parents) were in the usual bog-standard Prem shirts. Recently though I've noticed a fair few Crawley tops being worn, amongst the kids and on the sidelines.

Like I say, unscientific and I wouldn't offer it up as conclusive proof that people from Crawley and its hinterland have permanently adopted their local team, but if they can maintain their current level their bubble may not burst just yet.

my daughter is at a local primary school, 5 mins from the ground. 2 years ago, visits by the club never happened. they have now had 2 in 6 months, give out tickets and memorabillia. They are doing the things they never did well and good luck to them. They will never be rivals, but I do hope they can keep improving that gate.
 


The Birdman

New member
Nov 30, 2008
6,313
Haywards Heath
This is why we should continue to try and build our fan base and not take our eye of doing the free tickets for schools and youth football clubs etc The potential is still very good or Brighton.
 


mac04

Active member
Nov 15, 2011
387
RH12
Agree.

Thing is. If you lived in Horsham or Reigate would you really want to support Crawley when you could hop in the car and get to the Albion or - dare I say it - Palace respectively?

Very few people in Horsham would watch Crawley over BHA or a London club. I think they would probably rather watch Horsham in the Ryman league than Crawley in L1.
 














Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,889
Guiseley
Well as a Palace fan ST holder, I have seen Crawley more than Palace this season!! mainly because as of today we have not yet played at 3.00 on a sat (got to wait for Nov 9th for the 1st home 3.00 oclock!!) and so far they have been doing cracking deals...anyone with a prem season ticket can get in the west stand for £10 and the cup game the other night was £5.00!! which is cheaper than East Grinstead in the county league.

They have a long way to go, but me and a few of my Palace mates are going to watch them and really enjoy it to.
Great news!
 


AZ Gull

@SeagullsAcademy @seagullsacademy.bsky.social
Oct 14, 2003
13,093
Chandler, AZ
Article in the Argus today says that Crawley are keen to work more closely with the Albion after patching up their relationship with the Seagulls. The links between the clubs became virtually non-existent during Steve Evans' rein at Crawley (the article suggests Evans' abrasive character may have played a part in putting off Albion sending their squad players or youngsters up the A23 for important experience). However, now that Martin Hinshelwood, Steve Coppell and Richie Barker are at the club (and with ex-Crawley Simon Rusk being Albion's youth team coach) things have been smoothed over. Apparently Richie Barker has already held talks with Nathan Jones about the possibility of taking players on loan (with one thought to be George Barker) - it might have happened already if not for all the injuries at the Albion.
 


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