Manchester United v Crawley Town
- Thread starter Carl
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
He's left the club mate.Crawley took 80 to Wrexham last night.
I can't wait to hear 12,000 of them described as 'real fans' and singing 'your support is fackin shit'.
Bell ends.
I can't wait to hear 12,000 of them described as 'real fans' and singing 'your support is fackin shit'.
Bell ends.
4 pages already for an FA Cup game against Crawley..... the feck?
Informed United (247 miles away) they could have sold way more tickets than their 9,000 allocation. Had to cancel a minibus to Wrexham (232 miles away) due to lack of interest. "We support our local team!"
I guess some people love discussing Man Utd a bit? Seems odd on a large Man Utd forum, but there you go.
Let's try and get to the bottom of this.
Ooooh look, someone made a joke. Well done.
Matchday threads usually don't pass 2 or 3 pages until at least the lineups are announced unless it's a big game. I'm just pointing out how unusual this is.
Add those three pages after draw results, that makes seven! With three days left.
Seriously though. We don't like a whole week with no match, that's the answer. People get bored and everything seems to be interesting. Even Crawley matchday thread.
Seriously though. We don't like a whole week with no match, that's the answer. People get bored and everything seems to be interesting. Even Crawley matchday thread.
Personally I think it's because of the much improved OP, which let's face it used to be a shower of shit before that toolbag stopped doing it.
I hope to run into Big Man around the Croydon area at some point...perhaps he'd like to expand on his views.
hehe
There is a page or so about that doughnut on their video tbf...
Rest travelling by car and extra trains put on too.
Set off early folks then you're not stuck behind this convoy of coaches.
Why many neutrals won’t be cheering on Crawley in the FA Cup
Normally a non-league team being drawn away to Manchester United in the FA Cup, let alone at such a stage as the fifth round, will attract an enormous amount of goodwill from all across the game. But Crawley Town aren’t a typical non-league club and the level of support the Sussex club will receive from neutrals will probably be considerably less than, say, Burton Albion achieved when they took United to a replay in 2006.
To many outsiders not familiar with non-league, Crawley’s unpopularity may seem odd. Yes, the team may be battling at the top of the Blue Square Bet Premier, but this isn’t about jealousy from rival fans or a desire to see the leaders get their comeuppance. The dislike of Crawley goes way beyond this. Certainly, other big clubs and promotion contenders in the division wouldn’t attract the same level of opprobrium.
The phrase “the magic of the cup” will no doubt be lazily banded around by some journalists with regard to Crawley’s trip to Manchester United, but their cup run so far has been anything but magical.
In the last round, the Red Devils beat Torquay United 1-0 at Plainmoor, but this wasn’t a giant killing. Torquay currently sit 13th in League Two, half a division above Crawley.
While the Gulls have scraped together a squad through the usual means of free transfers and picking up the odd released trainee, Crawley have spent close to £500,000 on assembling a team for “project promotion”. In contrast, Torquay’s record signing was £75,000 on Leon Constantine in 2004. As Barney Ronay notes, Crawley spent more than that on striker Richard Brodie alone. Their budget is likely to be higher than the majority of League Two teams and some in League One.
Crawley, up until this season, have never been flushed with cash. Indeed, much of their time since winning promotion to the Conference in 2004 has been spent battling assorted financial difficulties, while for a time, it was a rare season that didn’t see the Sussex club deducted points for some form of financial problems.
In 2009 Crawley supporters Bruce Winfield and Susan Carter took control of the club, paid off their debts and with it came a level of stability not previously seen around the Broadfield Stadium. This summer, however, Crawley suddenly became the division’s big spenders after Winfield brought in outside investors (although the club has regularly declined to name who these are).
Suddenly, Crawley were like a kid in the proverbial sweet shop. The aforementioned Brodie arrived from York City, along with other high-profile signings Matt Tubbs from Salisbury and Sergio Torres from Peterborough. Crawley had the cash to buy anybody they wanted and were rebuffed in a move for AFC Wimbledon’s captain Danny Kedwell, a bid that has kicked off numerous spats and ill-feeling between the two clubs.
So far, so “Manchester City of the Conference” you might think. After all, City haven’t exactly won many neutrals’ hearts with their big spending. But there are several reasons why the blue half of Manchester remains relatively likeable while few non-league fans wish Crawley well, and chief amongst these is manager Steve Evans.
You could go as far as to say that had Crawley been aiming for “project promotion” with any other manager than Evans, the level of feelings towards the club might be a lot less than with the Scot in charge.
Evans does not come across as a man who cares much for what other people think of him, and nor does he make any effort to win friends in the game. It is a regular site to see the Glaswegian unleash a torrent of abuse at officials or those he simply seeks to wind up, only to deny it ever happened later.
A case in point was Crawley’s trip to Kingsmeadow to play AFC Wimbledon this season. Several Wimbledon fans reported Evans refusing to shake opposite number Terry Brown’s hand after the game and exploding with rage at assorted members of the team and staff. Evans’ recollection was somewhat different, and claimed he’d shaken hands before expressing, politely, his unhappiness at the way towels were being used on the sidelines.
This is one of many incidents that seem to litter Evans’ career. Again, some may point to Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho as coaches who revel in winding up opposition managers, but there’s something about Evans that feels a lot less pleasant than these two managers. What’s more, neither Ferguson nor Mourinho has ever been convicted of fraud.
There’s a genuine feeling within the lower levels of the game that Evans’ criminal record should have resulted in a lifetime ban. At Boston United, Evans led the Pilgrims to promotion to the football league in 2002 off the back of some very creative accounting. Several players were on contracts that said they were on a fraction of what was actually being paid.
For example, as far as the FA were aware, Ken Charlery’s contract said the player was on £120 per week. Charley was actually on £620 a week and received a £16,000 signing on fee. No tax was paid on this, and the total level of tax avoided was £245,188, a significant sum at that level.
Evans and then-Boston owner Pat Malkinson were also found guilty by the FA of paying £8,000 to a witness in an attempt to mislead the enquiry. The FA fined Evans £8,000 and banned him from football for 20 months. Amazingly, Boston’s promotion still stood, although the club was fined £100,000 and docked four points the following season. Many feel that Dagenham & Redbridge, the club that were pipped to the title by Boston, should have found their way into the football league many years earlier than they eventually did.
In the criminal case that arose as the result of Boston’s deception, Evans received a one year suspended sentence. Incredibly, he had already returned to work as manager of Boston before this case and despite being convicted of fraud, kept his job at the club. He eventually resigned in 2007, just before the Pilgrims – then in the midst of a financial meltdown – were relegated from the football league.
Boston suffered two enforced demotions in successive seasons and spent time in the Northern Premier before gaining promotion back to the Conference North. Evans, meanwhile, pitched up at Crawley where he’s been ever since.
The Boston story is designed to give context to why many believe Evans should not be in the game in the first place, but since becoming Crawley manager he has done little to endear himself to the wider public. Controversial statements, touchline bans and regular rants have been a feature of his time at the club. They were already difficult to love with Evans in charge before Winfield and Chapman took control in the boardroom.
To many as well, “project promotion” and the manner in which it’s been assembled also have the distinct feel of a lack of class and an attitude, especially from a club with recently documented spells in administration and other woes, that is at odds with the spirit and ethos of the non-league game. In terms of budget and players, Crawley are a Conference club in name only.
And, although there’s nothing to suggest anything improper on the part of Crawley’s mystery investors, the eye-watering (for non-league level) sums of money involved mean a lot of people in the game would be more comfortable knowing just who is funding the Red Devil’s spending spree.
Evans for his part has said on the BBC Non-League show that he is unconcerned with knowing exactly who these backers are. It’s worth noting as well that the Conference, who have been getting tougher with the financial state of clubs, appear to be happy with Crawley’s current financial situation.
This isn’t to say clubs shouldn’t be ambitious or spend large sums at non-league level – Luton, for example, have a large budget in comparison to the rest of the division – but there’s something of the mixture of the large sums of money, the expensive squad, and Evans himself that makes for a club that attracts a lot of detractors.
Usually, no matter how big or unpopular the team, non-league will get behind one of their own in the FA Cup. That many non-league fans would rather the corporate might of Manchester United crushed Crawley in the competition speaks volumes about their standing within the game.
Why many neutrals won’t be cheering on Crawley in the FA Cup « twofootedtackle.com)
Normally a non-league team being drawn away to Manchester United in the FA Cup, let alone at such a stage as the fifth round, will attract an enormous amount of goodwill from all across the game. But Crawley Town aren’t a typical non-league club and the level of support the Sussex club will receive from neutrals will probably be considerably less than, say, Burton Albion achieved when they took United to a replay in 2006.
To many outsiders not familiar with non-league, Crawley’s unpopularity may seem odd. Yes, the team may be battling at the top of the Blue Square Bet Premier, but this isn’t about jealousy from rival fans or a desire to see the leaders get their comeuppance. The dislike of Crawley goes way beyond this. Certainly, other big clubs and promotion contenders in the division wouldn’t attract the same level of opprobrium.
The phrase “the magic of the cup” will no doubt be lazily banded around by some journalists with regard to Crawley’s trip to Manchester United, but their cup run so far has been anything but magical.
In the last round, the Red Devils beat Torquay United 1-0 at Plainmoor, but this wasn’t a giant killing. Torquay currently sit 13th in League Two, half a division above Crawley.
While the Gulls have scraped together a squad through the usual means of free transfers and picking up the odd released trainee, Crawley have spent close to £500,000 on assembling a team for “project promotion”. In contrast, Torquay’s record signing was £75,000 on Leon Constantine in 2004. As Barney Ronay notes, Crawley spent more than that on striker Richard Brodie alone. Their budget is likely to be higher than the majority of League Two teams and some in League One.
Crawley, up until this season, have never been flushed with cash. Indeed, much of their time since winning promotion to the Conference in 2004 has been spent battling assorted financial difficulties, while for a time, it was a rare season that didn’t see the Sussex club deducted points for some form of financial problems.
In 2009 Crawley supporters Bruce Winfield and Susan Carter took control of the club, paid off their debts and with it came a level of stability not previously seen around the Broadfield Stadium. This summer, however, Crawley suddenly became the division’s big spenders after Winfield brought in outside investors (although the club has regularly declined to name who these are).
Suddenly, Crawley were like a kid in the proverbial sweet shop. The aforementioned Brodie arrived from York City, along with other high-profile signings Matt Tubbs from Salisbury and Sergio Torres from Peterborough. Crawley had the cash to buy anybody they wanted and were rebuffed in a move for AFC Wimbledon’s captain Danny Kedwell, a bid that has kicked off numerous spats and ill-feeling between the two clubs.
So far, so “Manchester City of the Conference” you might think. After all, City haven’t exactly won many neutrals’ hearts with their big spending. But there are several reasons why the blue half of Manchester remains relatively likeable while few non-league fans wish Crawley well, and chief amongst these is manager Steve Evans.
You could go as far as to say that had Crawley been aiming for “project promotion” with any other manager than Evans, the level of feelings towards the club might be a lot less than with the Scot in charge.
Evans does not come across as a man who cares much for what other people think of him, and nor does he make any effort to win friends in the game. It is a regular site to see the Glaswegian unleash a torrent of abuse at officials or those he simply seeks to wind up, only to deny it ever happened later.
A case in point was Crawley’s trip to Kingsmeadow to play AFC Wimbledon this season. Several Wimbledon fans reported Evans refusing to shake opposite number Terry Brown’s hand after the game and exploding with rage at assorted members of the team and staff. Evans’ recollection was somewhat different, and claimed he’d shaken hands before expressing, politely, his unhappiness at the way towels were being used on the sidelines.
This is one of many incidents that seem to litter Evans’ career. Again, some may point to Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho as coaches who revel in winding up opposition managers, but there’s something about Evans that feels a lot less pleasant than these two managers. What’s more, neither Ferguson nor Mourinho has ever been convicted of fraud.
There’s a genuine feeling within the lower levels of the game that Evans’ criminal record should have resulted in a lifetime ban. At Boston United, Evans led the Pilgrims to promotion to the football league in 2002 off the back of some very creative accounting. Several players were on contracts that said they were on a fraction of what was actually being paid.
For example, as far as the FA were aware, Ken Charlery’s contract said the player was on £120 per week. Charley was actually on £620 a week and received a £16,000 signing on fee. No tax was paid on this, and the total level of tax avoided was £245,188, a significant sum at that level.
Evans and then-Boston owner Pat Malkinson were also found guilty by the FA of paying £8,000 to a witness in an attempt to mislead the enquiry. The FA fined Evans £8,000 and banned him from football for 20 months. Amazingly, Boston’s promotion still stood, although the club was fined £100,000 and docked four points the following season. Many feel that Dagenham & Redbridge, the club that were pipped to the title by Boston, should have found their way into the football league many years earlier than they eventually did.
In the criminal case that arose as the result of Boston’s deception, Evans received a one year suspended sentence. Incredibly, he had already returned to work as manager of Boston before this case and despite being convicted of fraud, kept his job at the club. He eventually resigned in 2007, just before the Pilgrims – then in the midst of a financial meltdown – were relegated from the football league.
Boston suffered two enforced demotions in successive seasons and spent time in the Northern Premier before gaining promotion back to the Conference North. Evans, meanwhile, pitched up at Crawley where he’s been ever since.
The Boston story is designed to give context to why many believe Evans should not be in the game in the first place, but since becoming Crawley manager he has done little to endear himself to the wider public. Controversial statements, touchline bans and regular rants have been a feature of his time at the club. They were already difficult to love with Evans in charge before Winfield and Chapman took control in the boardroom.
To many as well, “project promotion” and the manner in which it’s been assembled also have the distinct feel of a lack of class and an attitude, especially from a club with recently documented spells in administration and other woes, that is at odds with the spirit and ethos of the non-league game. In terms of budget and players, Crawley are a Conference club in name only.
And, although there’s nothing to suggest anything improper on the part of Crawley’s mystery investors, the eye-watering (for non-league level) sums of money involved mean a lot of people in the game would be more comfortable knowing just who is funding the Red Devil’s spending spree.
Evans for his part has said on the BBC Non-League show that he is unconcerned with knowing exactly who these backers are. It’s worth noting as well that the Conference, who have been getting tougher with the financial state of clubs, appear to be happy with Crawley’s current financial situation.
This isn’t to say clubs shouldn’t be ambitious or spend large sums at non-league level – Luton, for example, have a large budget in comparison to the rest of the division – but there’s something of the mixture of the large sums of money, the expensive squad, and Evans himself that makes for a club that attracts a lot of detractors.
Usually, no matter how big or unpopular the team, non-league will get behind one of their own in the FA Cup. That many non-league fans would rather the corporate might of Manchester United crushed Crawley in the competition speaks volumes about their standing within the game.
Why many neutrals won’t be cheering on Crawley in the FA Cup « twofootedtackle.com)
Wonder what the ticket sales are like so far? Could be close to capacity...hope so.I'd like them to see OT really get behind this fixture
Anyone else think Eikrem might get a run out?
He he
Basically took the Man City team and made wholesale change, Berbatov missed a good proportion of the City game so he'd be fresh for two matches.
John Yems is a very good friend of mine and had done wonders at Crawley keeping them up in the Conference despite having 10 points deducted. Not only was his reward for this getting fired but he was owed a shit load of money that he, to this day, has never received. Oh and he is currently at Torquay who Crawley beat in the FA Cup!!! Just more dirt on the "poor underdogs" we are facing.
Crawley sack caretaker boss Yems. May 2007
Crawley have sacked joint caretaker manager John Yems following a meeting with the club's owners, reports BBC Southern Counties Radio.
Yems, along with players Ben Judge and David Woozley, has been in charge at the Broadfield Stadium since October.
After helping the club to Conference safety despite a 10-point penalty, Yems admitted: "To say I'm bitterly disappointed is an understatement.
"Football's crazy. I look back and think 'what more could I have done?'"
The club's Conference place for next season remains in doubt because they must pay off a Company Voluntary Agreement by 11 May.
Crawley sack caretaker boss Yems. May 2007
Crawley have sacked joint caretaker manager John Yems following a meeting with the club's owners, reports BBC Southern Counties Radio.
Yems, along with players Ben Judge and David Woozley, has been in charge at the Broadfield Stadium since October.
After helping the club to Conference safety despite a 10-point penalty, Yems admitted: "To say I'm bitterly disappointed is an understatement.
"Football's crazy. I look back and think 'what more could I have done?'"
The club's Conference place for next season remains in doubt because they must pay off a Company Voluntary Agreement by 11 May.
I hope we play our kids & still feckin batter these...annoying cnuts!
When is Valencia back for us?
................................Lindegaard.......................................
O'Shea..............Brown..................Smalling..................Fabio
Bebe................Gibson..................Carrick..................Obertan
..............................Javi............King....................................
There's some serious pace in that attack.
O'Shea..............Brown..................Smalling..................Fabio
Bebe................Gibson..................Carrick..................Obertan
..............................Javi............King....................................
There's some serious pace in that attack.
Lindegard
Brown
Smalling
Evans
Fabio
Pogba
Carrick
Gibson
Bebe
Owen
Hernandez
Brown
Smalling
Evans
Fabio
Pogba
Carrick
Gibson
Bebe
Owen
Hernandez
Hopefully we will not involve anyome who is going to play an away at Marseille mid-week after the game, and I would like to see some of the youngsters that haven't made their debuts yet.
Training with the reserves this week then first team next week if he is OK. Probably 3 weeks minimum before back in action.
I wouldn't risk Smalling picking up a daft injury I feel he is an important player for us with Rio's back troubles.
I like the idea of King getting some time though
I like the idea of King getting some time though
Owen's injured. I think generally that the predicted teams being posted in this thread are too weak. This is a Crawley team that is operating almost on a League One level, Huddersfield are League One and and they gave a strong Arsenal team a right scare. Not to mention our two 0-0's against non-leaguers in recent years. We really don't want a replay. Start with a fairly strong team, put the game to bed and then rest players.
Lindergaard
Rafael
Brown
Smalling
Fabio
Obertan
Anderson
Gibson
Bebe
Morrison
Hernandez
Rafael
Brown
Smalling
Fabio
Obertan
Anderson
Gibson
Bebe
Morrison
Hernandez
That is still a long way away. Fergie said a few weeks after the injury that he would be back by mid February.
He left the club in January, I think, to go to Molde.
Lindegaard, Kuszczak
O'Shea, Brown, Smalling, Evans, Fabio, Gill, Rafael
Obertan, Gibson, Anderson, Morrison, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani
Hernandez, Bébé, King, Rooney
My guess at a match day squad (minus two of those players to make it 18). Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs, Scholes, and Berbatov are the ones I expect to be definitely rested.
I'd like to see Rooney play, just for the chance to notch up his goal tally for the season. Either keeper is fine, and the back four pretty much picks itself though Brown may start (not sure on his or Evans' fitness to be honest). If by some chance Brown and Evans are both out, then O'Shea would probably play at Centre Back and we'd have both twins on (and probably Fletcher on the bench). Bébé and Obertan have to play, whether it be as all out wingers or in a front three with Chicha. Gibson will start, and I think Anderson is the other most likely, though it could be Carrick. Morrison and King are the two I most want to see come off the bench. Midfield is probably the hardest as I'd like to see Giggs, Scholes, and Fletcher rested. If Owen wasn't injured he'd have played a big part, and so would Park and Valencia I'd imagine, but we'll just have to deal with that.
O'Shea, Brown, Smalling, Evans, Fabio, Gill, Rafael
Obertan, Gibson, Anderson, Morrison, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani
Hernandez, Bébé, King, Rooney
My guess at a match day squad (minus two of those players to make it 18). Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs, Scholes, and Berbatov are the ones I expect to be definitely rested.
Lindegaard
O'Shea Smalling Evans Fábio
Bébé Gibson Anderson Obertan
Hernández Rooney
--
Kuszczak; Brown, Gill; Morrison, Carrick, Nani; King
O'Shea Smalling Evans Fábio
Bébé Gibson Anderson Obertan
Hernández Rooney
--
Kuszczak; Brown, Gill; Morrison, Carrick, Nani; King
I'd like to see Rooney play, just for the chance to notch up his goal tally for the season. Either keeper is fine, and the back four pretty much picks itself though Brown may start (not sure on his or Evans' fitness to be honest). If by some chance Brown and Evans are both out, then O'Shea would probably play at Centre Back and we'd have both twins on (and probably Fletcher on the bench). Bébé and Obertan have to play, whether it be as all out wingers or in a front three with Chicha. Gibson will start, and I think Anderson is the other most likely, though it could be Carrick. Morrison and King are the two I most want to see come off the bench. Midfield is probably the hardest as I'd like to see Giggs, Scholes, and Fletcher rested. If Owen wasn't injured he'd have played a big part, and so would Park and Valencia I'd imagine, but we'll just have to deal with that.
With Owen's injury and Park being out for a month it will be interesting to see who plays up front with Hernandez and who plays on the left. I also hope to see Pogba get a run out in midfield.
Just hope King and Pogba get a chance tbh
It's too soon for Pogba I think. He hasn't learnt to keep it simple yet. Would like to see Morrison and King.
Brown will start as a full back I think. don't know why but I have the feeling. the man deserves a start on the right or in the middle, doesn't matter I miss him
After hearing the shocking news that Michael Owen is injured, I'm cautiously optimistic that one of those two will start.
Right seeing as Im lazy can someone confirm that Brady and Morrison got 1st team squad numbers? Im 100% sure this was annouced a while back. Id love those 2 and King at least in the squad for this.
brady and morrison do have squad number.
Isnt evans injured?
Isnt evans injured?
I'm expecting something like:
Lindegaard
Rafael Brown Smalling O'Shea
Obertan Gibson Anderson Fabio
Bebe Hernandez
Rafael Brown Smalling O'Shea
Obertan Gibson Anderson Fabio
Bebe Hernandez