You still support the team where you grew up: Crawley Town. Is that so you’re not accused of bias towards a big team?
How dare you! Though there’s not much danger of bias because Crawley aren’t on TV very much. But you get accused of bias whichever way you turn, whether it’s in football or in news.
Unsurprising with the PL bid for global domination meaning the press cannot see past that and cannot believe people support something as quaint as "proper" football? Great to see in Cup Final (dont watch PL games but that wasnt a bad game) somebody finally getting punished for cheating, hope it continues next season.
Usually I find any national media coverage, whether that's on TV or in the papers to be patronising and condescending towards lower league and non league football. Using words like 'plucky' to describe smaller teams that do well in the FA cup for example. I don't like the way they seem to talk about supporting your local lower league or non league team as some kind of rebellious act in defiance against the Premier League, as if people are doing it be different when in reality many people just prefer supporting their local team they feel they have some connection with than some big shot Premier league team.
Usually I find any national media coverage, whether that's on TV or in the papers to be patronising and condescending towards lower league and non league football. Using words like 'plucky' to describe smaller teams that do well in the FA cup for example. I don't like the way they seem to talk about supporting your local lower league or non league team as some kind of rebellious act in defiance against the Premier League, as if people are doing it be different when in reality many people just prefer supporting their local team they feel they have some connection with than some big shot Premier league team.
exactly rumour has it a new supporter joined the minor red devils at old trafford actually lives in Manchester
Fact is we have many thousands of PL glory hunting "sheep" in Crawley, maybe moreso than lots of other EFL towns, so dont start picking on those who do actually show an allegiance to their local club!!!!!!
Fact is we have many thousands of PL glory hunting "sheep" in Crawley, maybe moreso than lots of other EFL towns, so dont start picking on those who do actually show an allegiance to their local club!!!!!!
I've attended a match with the fella, and in addition to being a very pleasant bloke, Dan Walker is the real deal
Dan Walker, presenter BBC Football Focus says: “My team are Crawley Town of League Two. That’s where I’m from.
"My dad first took me to go and see them in the late 1980’s. We stood on the terraces and watched Crawley leading Merthyr Tydfil in an FA Cup qualifying game by 2 goals to 0 and somehow managing to lose 3-2. But I was hooked from that stage. We were playing non-league football in the Beazer Homes Premier Division and the Southern Premier, and we worked our way all the way up to League One a few years ago. But now I think we’ve round about found our level at League Two.
"I love the club, I go there as often as I can and I try and see them when they’re playing in the northern half of England. They are my team. The mighty Crawley Town, the proper Red Devils.”
Unsurprising with the PL bid for global domination meaning the press cannot see past that and cannot believe people support something as quaint as "proper" football? Great to see in Cup Final (dont watch PL games but that wasnt a bad game) somebody finally getting punished for cheating, hope it continues next season.
Was nice to see a spot of cheating dealt with properly,shame from Chelsea's point of view he missed the one that was a penalty. No chance of us seeing refs of that standard in league 2 though.
Fact is we have many thousands of PL glory hunting "sheep" in Crawley, maybe moreso than lots of other EFL towns, so dont start picking on those who do actually show an allegiance to their local club!!!!!!
I've attended a match with the fella, and in addition to being a very pleasant bloke, Dan Walker is the real deal
Dan Walker, presenter BBC Football Focus says: “My team are Crawley Town of League Two. That’s where I’m from.
"My dad first took me to go and see them in the late 1980’s. We stood on the terraces and watched Crawley leading Merthyr Tydfil in an FA Cup qualifying game by 2 goals to 0 and somehow managing to lose 3-2. But I was hooked from that stage. We were playing non-league football in the Beazer Homes Premier Division and the Southern Premier, and we worked our way all the way up to League One a few years ago. But now I think we’ve round about found our level at League Two.
"I love the club, I go there as often as I can and I try and see them when they’re playing in the northern half of England. They are my team. The mighty Crawley Town, the proper Red Devils.”
Was that the game against Merthyr where we were 3-1 up and ended up drawing 3-3,then losing the replay at Penydaren(sp) park?? Of course it was!!
I've attended a match with the fella, and in addition to being a very pleasant bloke, Dan Walker is the real deal
Was that the game against Merthyr where we were 3-1 up and ended up drawing 3-3,then losing the replay at Penydaren(sp) park?? Of course it was!!
Funny how the memory starts to play tricks after a few years. I have been writing programme articles and had a vivid memory of a match or incident from 30 or so years ago, then look it up and find it wasnt like that at all!
Didn't Merthyr have the great Tommy Hutchinson on the wing - probably the most bandy-legged player ever... he looked very old and wily like he'd ridden into some western town to find the man who shot his dog.
That was a later FA cup 4th qualifying round tie in October 1993. They had Robbie James in midfield, and Hutchinson came off the bench late on, aged 46. Crawley won this one 2-1.
That was a later FA cup 4th qualifying round tie in October 1993. They had Robbie James in midfield, and Hutchinson came off the bench late on, aged 46. Crawley won this one 2-1.
Joff scored a towering header at the shed end to win that one.
I remember Grant Gallagher scored a scorcher in the first game, also towards the shed.
I find the whole "yes but who is your 'big' team" very patronising - it is almost as if you are incapable of supporting only a lower league team. I have brought Sons FC Jr up to support our local team and he loves Crawley - he "likes" other, bigger, teams of course but he doesn't support them.
It is far worse in Scotland though. I was brought up to support my local team, Dumbarton, who are still my first team but everybody down in England constantly asks whether I really support Celtic or Rangers and cannot understand when I say I support neither - I support Dumbarton (and I really like Crawley!).
It is far worse in Scotland though. I was brought up to support my local team, Dumbarton, who are still my first team but everybody down in England constantly asks whether I really support Celtic or Rangers and cannot understand when I say I support neither - I support Dumbarton (and I really like Crawley!).
Didn't Dumb Barton play for Rangers...? Scottish football is impenetrable to outsiders, Rangers fans follow England, Celtic & Hibs fans follow Ireland and Hearts fans wind them both up by singing flower of Scotland... I used to do a lot of work there and never got the hang of it...
...to the dismay of my hosts, I went to matches at some of the little clubs in the cities (even Meadowbank Thistle) but as far as they were concerned it was just a two horse show and everyone else was making up the numbers.