The unofficial "No-one cares about Crawley Town" thread

[Marky]

First topic message reminder :

Hi.

The Crawley Town thread, for all things loosely and tediously linked to Crawley Town FC.

"We're going down, I'm yelling timber..."

[NickisBHAFC]

All joking a side Marky mate, can i just get you're opinion on all of this mate?

[Marky]

Rumour is Barker applied for the Portsmouth job. Club found out, sacked him for it. Despite the poor form I'd be amazed if we sacked him for it. Considering where we were and where we are now, low budget and mid table in League One, despite a very bad run of form.

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah my old man thought it was to do with the Portsmouth job. 

I would say he has you punching above you're weight IMO, i think Crawley's natural level is probably low League 2, high Conference but he has you as a side more than holding its own in League One and has left the club in good shape. Martin Allen would be a good appointment for you guys i recon. Steve Coppell if he wants the job would probably be the best appointment though. 

Above all though, losing to county 2 side Eastboune United, what's all that about

[Marky]

1. Crawley Town were already in League One before Barker joined.
2. Last nights game against Swindon had EIGHT players signed by either Steve Evans or Sean O'Driscoll, hardly a Barker team.
3. Don't want Martin Allen. Realistic best candidate IMO is Mike Phelan, he of Fergie's assistant fame. Happens to be based in Brighton too, so local.
4. Coppell wont take it but he is part of the caretaker management team for Crewe on Saturday.
5. The defeat to Eastbourne United looks bad, but the Starting XI was Sergio Torres, Gary Alexander, and 9 actual youth players.

[Marky]

Argus reporting it was due to an argument over our low budget. Barker wanted funds to strengthen and the board may have to sell in January, let alone add to the squad.

Press conference at 11:30am today, and Steve Cotterill is the early favourite with the bookies.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Wtf just found out about the sacking. Crazy times

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10850220.Coppell_resigns_as_Crawley_director_of_football/

rut oh

[Marky]

Yep. New era beginning at the Checkatrade.com Stadium.

Richie Barker sacked, assistant Taff Williams gone the next day, Steve Coppell quits as he was working with Barker and wasn't happy about the sacking.

Former Villa and QPR manager John Gregory to be unveiled at a press conference at 10:30am tomorrow, some bookies not taking bets but the ones who still are have him priced at 1/20 to be the new manager. And unofficially, it's a done deal.

To be honest, I get the feeling Gregory and Coppell would clash anyway. Gregory seems too controlling to allow a DoF like Coppell to have any significant say. All the best to Coppell though, he stepped in when Steve Evans went to Rotherham and with Craig Brewster guided us to promotion to League 1.

On a sidenote, Steve Evans is now the bookies' favourite for the Sheffield Wednesday job

I hope Wednesday have a significant budget...

[NickisBHAFC]

John Gregory 

[Marky]

I'm still unsure about the appointment. He knows loads about Football, but not at this level. Time will tell. The job description is pretty much "Be competitive in the race for the playoffs, with a pretty small budget". I'm not sure that suits John Gregory.

I still think staying up is our mission this season but the board think otherwise.

[Marky]

Michael Appleton to be John Gregory's assistant. That's impressive for little old Crawley!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Appleton would be a better appointment than Gregory as manager in my eyes

Always think lower league clubs should take a punt on a young manager with talent, can sometimes lead to great things

[Marky]

No mention of Appleton. Only confirmation is that John Gregory is the manager on an initial 18 month contract.

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah Appleton would be a good appointment as manager. Gregory is a bad appointment.

[Marky]

Can't believe they called that game off last night...

Crawley Town v Bristol Rovers, the rearranged 2nd round replay is now scheduled for Saturday 4th January, AKA 3rd Round day. With the Birmingham v the winner tie scheduled for Tuesday 7th January.

[Marky]

Fraking atrocious performance from Crawley tonight. Bristol Rovers deserved the win but mainly because we were so awful. John Gregory's honeymoon period is well and truly over.

[NickisBHAFC]

Did he ever have a honeymoon period?

Apart from the epic win at Orient? As he won apart from that?

Ill probably be proved wrong, but i think its a shocking appointment. Should of gone for Micheal Appleton.

[Marky]

Started off with draws at Bristol Rovers and at home to Preston, wins over Orient and Notts County with a defeat against MK Dons on Boxing Day, but it wasn't the fact we lost last night it was how we lost.

It was just abysmal for the majority of the game, and if Barker was still manager there would have been uproar. Gregory seems to have the benefit of the doubt which is what I meant by honeymoon period.

Still gutted we've chucked away our chance of a cup run, but our next four league games are Coventry away (well, Northampton), Wolves home, Rotherham away, Port Vale away. Need to pick up some points.

[Marky]

The shortlist for best Crawley Town goal of 2013. Have a look. I had to choose Goal A but all five goals are class.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_3nCN_fa0&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dko_3nCN_fa0

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Goal C by Gary Van Alexander for me

[Marky]

He's more Van Driver than Van Basten but that was a stunner.

[Marky]

Crawley Town v Wolves called OFF due to Waterlogged pitch. Gutted, but not shocked. Seeing as there's loads of local flooding, the stadium car park is underwater, and our pitch was waterlogged despite being covered!

[NickisBHAFC]

Huge loss for Crawley town on the financial side of things. 

Would of been a gate close to 5,000 i imagine. 

Week night game, Wolves won't bring the 2000 fans they were suppose to bring tomorrow, home attendances for any side are usually down mid week anyway, plus the cost of the flood lights.

[Marky]

Cost of floodlights

Like it wouldn't be getting dark at 3pm in January

Wolves will still have a lot of away fans, but probably not all 2000. I got terrace tickets the other day as there were very few seats left for home fans. 5000+ tomorrow probably still end up 4000+ though. On the plus side, two weeks to sort the pitch out for Stevenage at home on Feb 1st, Wolves likely to be Feb 4th. Roll on Rotherham away next weekend then.

Shame Evans isn't still here, the amount of time the ball was in the air when he was manager the condition of the pitch would be irrelevant

[Marky]

Crawley Town have signed Gary Dicker. Will wait and see but first impression is that of "meh". Ex Brighton, moved to Rochdale, get the feeling he's only here due to the close proximity of his Sussex home. Only on a contract until the end of the season so if it doesn't work out we don't get lumbered with him. Similar to Matt Sparrow this time last year, another ex Brighton CM who played the second half of the season for us, was alright, nothing spectacular and moved on in the summer.

[NickisBHAFC]

Dicker is decent for league one level, like Matt Sparrow played a big part in our promotion season, but then found Championship level a bit too much. Good signing none the less for you, wouldn't be surprised if we loaned out some kids to you in this window.

[Marky]

wouldn't be surprised if we loaned out some kids to you in this window.

Why would we want your youth teamers? We're after players who can add to our squad and team in League One. With all due respect, I fail to see why we would take Brighton youth team players on loan when we have a small budget and they wouldn't actually play ahead of what we have, maybe a decent winger would get into our team but that's about it.

[Marky]

Gary Alexander's gone to Burton Albion, and Nicky Adams has gone to Rotherham. Both permanent deals although both were out of contract in the summer. Gutted about Adams, the irony is that the move was probably only resurrected because Adams tore Rotherham's defence apart last weekend.

Billy Clarke on Sheff Utd's radar but Nigel Clough himself said probably no time to get a deal done.

[Marky]

Ross Atkins joins Crawley Town on a 28 day emergency loan from Derby County. Current #2 keeper Johnny Maddison has suspected appendicitis.

[Marky]

New signings?

https://twitter.com/crawleytown/status/429265453748207616/photo/1

[NickisBHAFC]

Alexander is awful. You must be happy to lose him. Can't believe you lost Adams for just 95k. He is worth a lot more than that surly? Hear you might be signing some guy from FC Halifax. Has a great goal scoring record.

[Marky]

Lee Gregory from Halifax. Depends if we pay the fee Halifax want.

Regarding Adams and only £95k, he is out of contract in the summer so would have been £0. £95k can be reinvested. Plus Adams was homesick. Blaady Nawwveners.

Did you not see Gary Van Basten's goal at Peterborough? My God man! Goal A here:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_3nCN_fa0&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dko_3nCN_fa0

To be honest we were apparently trying to sell Emile Sinclair on, but as no-one wants a permanent deal, he's staying and Alexander has gone.

[NickisBHAFC]

Hmmm, i have seen a lot of players do that before. Great goal, but still many pro footballers from Conference up could still do it. 

I really rate Sinclair, why isn't it working out for him?

[Marky]

Lack of fitness and lack of effort. Simple as. And he's gone to Northampton Town tonight, that's just broken. Striking options are Tubbs, Proctor and Clarke.

[Marky]

When will be play football again?

Only 2 points off the bottom 4, only 6 points off bottom. But between 3 and 6 games in hand on all of the sides below us

[Marky]

Also brought in a couple of loanees, Sully Kaikai (striker) and Hiram Boateng (midfielder) from Crystal Palace. Initial one month deal that can be extended if we ever play any games again...

Next two games (if on) are at home to Carlisle and at home to Tranmere. Both below us, if the games go ahead those 6 points are vital to us.

[Marky]

Another game off.

People blaming the club for the noon inspection, the ref inspected the pitch at 10am then gave the go-ahead for volunteers and staff to do their best to get the game on. Shame for the Carlisle fans who'd almost arrived in Crawley but would they rather we didn't try and get the game played or just call it off on Friday without trying?

[Guest]

That's what 7 games in hand now Marky?

Gotta feel for the players. Gonna be a whole cluster of games coming up within a short time span. Not ideal.

[NickisBHAFC]

Hmmm players still get paid weekly wage. Club i feel sorry for. Clubs at League one level below, simply rely on the lucrative Saturday 3pm kick offs. Weeknight games naturally generate a smaller gate, therefore smaller income.

[Marky]

Think we're Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday until the end of the season as it is. Only one available Tuesday for the Carlisle game. Luckily we have the loan market to bring in a few more and as soon as the weather brightens up we'll be able to play at home!

Tranmere at home Tuesday, then away to Walsall next Saturday and Swindon away the following Tuesday. Three winnable games, a decent return will give us the points cushion above the relegation zone. A poor return and it puts a lot of pressure on our games in hand.

[Marky]

Rory Fallon is Crawley Town's new number 9... Signed until the end of the season after being released by St Johnstone. World Cup experience should be vital in League One

On a serious note, looks like the ideal foil for Matt Tubbs if we play two upfront.

[Marky]

Four week break and win away to playoff challengers Walsall

Matt Tubbs with both goals in a 2-1 win. That's 3 in 3 since returning to CTFC. Sign him up...

[Marky]

Rumour has it, the head groundsman's been sacked

Four home games called off in 2014, in the wettest winter ever recorded, and it's obviously his fault. Scapegoat was obviously needed...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Matt Tubbs and Crawley Town. Amazing how some players and clubs just click

[NickisBHAFC]

It is quite incredible really, dog turd for Bournemouth and Rotherham and is scoring for fun again at Crawley. Player i would always like to see in a Brighton shirt. Him and Ulloa upfront could be quite something.

Good point at Swindon for Crawley tonight, but how did you let Nathen Byrne score   he is terrible.

[Marky]

Byrne didn't score, his cross was deflected in and credited locally as an own goal.

And yeah, Tubbs. Wasn't dog turd at Bournemouth and Rotherham, he was just expected to perform miracles playing a bit part role. Four games for Crawley is four consecutive starts and he scores four goals. Pretty straightforward management.

Brighton don't play two strikers together so no chance Nick

[Marky]

Tubbsy again, and we've done the double over Peterborough

Quality finish.

http://instagram.com/p/lAd0CCDUrL/

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

How can you not beat Stevenage cost me 48 quid you bastards

[NickisBHAFC]

More importantly how the Frak did Matt Tubbs miss a pen!!!

[Marky]

How can you not beat Stevenage cost me 48 quid you bastards

Is that the Stevenage who had won their previous two games going into this one? Great scouting...

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