Leave It Late

Home game three of the season, it’s deceptively warm out there today. Not exactly being Mr and Mrs Current Affairs, we are struggling to recall who exactly Crawley are playing today. When we arrive at the ground (with quite some time to spare thank you very much), there is only one big coach behind the away stand, but that doesn’t help as unlike for previous games it just gives a phone number of the coach company and not where it comes from.
I get a programme and find we are playing Carlisle. Jeez, that’s a journey and a half for away fans, I’m not surprised there’s only one coach, so it is a surprise when they announce the away fans being at the ground as 219 (it might have been 290, but it didn’t look that way; but there was no way of differentiating over the poor PA system.

I have a quick look and see where Carlisle are in the table, eighth, and they’ve only lost one of their six games. We’re third from bottom and just outside the relegation zone after a late goal condemned us to another away loss against a previously poor Bristol Rovers the week before, and a 6-1 battering by Charlton Athletic in the Papa John’s Trophy. It has to be said none of the above inspires confidence.

The Redz bar seems busier than it has been for the previous games, we are earlier, and it is now sunny, which might explain things. And there is a queue at the turnstiles for the first time, which translates into a queue to get a drink inside, and the players are taking the knee before I get to my seat.

The line of annoying kids in the row behind us has expanded since the previous game, and despite a bright start by Crawley in the bright sunshine, we are getting tired of the high-pitched screeching and shouting of the brats behind us. Brats which, as Helen tells me later, say that aren’t even in the right seats.

The not so funky drummer was even later to his seat than I was, and it takes a while before he gets going, and the screeching mob behind me keep trying (with no success) to get chants going, often ones that have no relevance to what is going on; including one I missed, but Helen again told me about later where they were referring to one of the Carlisle players as a monkey. Something that if they pull that shit again when sat in the wrong seats behind me, they won’t be sitting anywhere.

The game falls into a kind of morass; there is an injury, and the stoppage sees all the players (apart from the goalies) hiding in the shade of the south stand. And then Crawley score just after the half hour mark. A corner comes in from our side of the pitch, and bounces in the middle of the penalty area and Tom Nicholls, last season’s player of the year and second top scorer, strokes it into the net through the mass of players in the box; his first of the season.

A couple of minutes later there is the first booking for Crawley of the day as new signing Joel Lynch gets a yellow for a foul. The only other excitement is the first ball launched over our north stand seats onto the A23 in injury time at the end of the half.

There is a note to self for future half times: don’t dilly dally before going to get drinks. The queue was horrendous, and I was at the back. Someone said that the bar sold cans, so I headed there only to arrive and find they’d shut the bar because there was less than five minutes before the restart. The original queue hadn’t grown in my absence, but it hadn’t gone down much. There seemed a lot more people there than for previous games, so I was surprised when the announce the crowd was only 2,151, the lowest of the season so far.

The second half started with me still in the queue, and an incomplete view as to what was going on, there were chances at either end, and a Carlisle booking, quickly followed by a triple substitution, all of which I missed before getting back to my seat, with no drink for myself as they’d sold out of fizzy drinks.

Will Ferry got booked not long after. Apparently for timewasting / holding on to the ball after a free kick had been given. However, there was no action taken against Carlisle players for pushing him over, stamping on him, or launching into him with a knee. He was still chuntering to the ref and linesman about it a couple of minutes later when, wisely, he was subbed off, to prevent him doing anything stupid enough to warrant a second booking.

If did look as if Crawley were playing to hold on to the win, and made their three substitutions in quick succession, which was equally quickly followed by a third yellow card for the team as captain George Francomb got one for a pull back. Ball number two found the A23 almost immediately before yellow number four of the day as Jake Hessenthaler got one for an unnecessary foul. Which led to a Carlisle equaliser, which, being honest, wasn’t unexpected.

What was unexpected was the last-minute winner as full back Nick Tsaroulla smashed in a shot from twenty-five yards after an effort from substitute Ashley Nadesan had been blocked. Cue mad celebrations, and what seemed like a large running conga line across the terraced stand from the fans going to join with the ecstatic scorer, who picked up Crawley’s fifth booking of the day for over exuberant celebration as he whipped off his shirt to show off his very impressive sports bra beneath.

The board had gone up for two minutes additional time, but we played seven before the ref finally gave up any hope of Carlisle getting and equaliser and blew the final whistle.

A second 2-1 home victory of the season, sandwiching a 0-0 performance. It is worth noting that Alan was stewarding again for this game as he had been for the victory over Salford, but he had been on Brighton duty for the 0-0. Let’s hope that if he is the lucky mascot, Crawley don’t have too many home games on the same day as Brighton home games.

What A Load Of Cobblers

Home league game number two of the season for Crawley Town, and the first Saturday afternoon fixture for us. The opponents are Northampton Town, who have the great nickname of The Cobblers due to the boot and shoe industry in the town. They brought a lot more support than Salford City did for the last game here. Three big coaches and a few minivans and cars, plus from some of the conversations I heard whilst on the way to our turnstiles, there were some local fan groups, including one from Horsham.

Despite record amounts of fannying about at home before the game we managed to get to the ground in enough time for me to get a programme pregame (and therefore have semblance of a clue about who our players were on the pitch this time). Also managed to get a drink and sit down before the players came onto the pitch.

It’s a warm afternoon, but a bit overcast (overcast would be a perfect summary to the game that was to follow), and there were some spots of rain trying to make an impact (as would trying to make an impact) as we made our way to the stands. Not that there was any worry about that affecting the game, more about it affecting the cushions left out on the garden furniture.

It was definitely a better start to the game for Crawley than last week (when they conceded in the first minute away in a hammering by Forest Green Rovers), and the previous home game. There was a shot on target early on which raised the spirits of the crowds, and the chants were soon up and running with the accompaniment of the local drummer. It was a bit much for one young fan who was crying and covering his ears as he was led by his father to try and find a quieter seat.

The ref looked a good (or bad) six inches shorter than any of the players, and although he had more hair than most refs the start of male pattern balding was showing through. I wonder if it is a job requirement at this level that you have to have MPB before you are given a whistle and a can of shaving foam.

There were some chances for either side as the half progressed, and it took until the half hour mark before the first match ball disappeared over the stands. It was an impressive effort, as this one made its way over the top of the main stand, and not the short arse terraces at either end.

By half time Crawley had had more shots on target than when they won against Salford, but they were a bit soft, so much so that even I, some seventeen years after retirement from Hit The Bar could have saved them. Glenn Morris was called into action to make a couple of saves, but most of the game was being played in the centre of the pitch.

Half time allowed for a stretch of legs, a new drink, a read of the programme and the sun to start sneaking out before it was back into the action. (Action may be a strong word here.)

I think someone must have gone around sticking all the Crawley fans with pins at half time as they seemed quite deflated in the second half, there wasn’t much chant action going on, and the drummer must have gone home (turns out he hadn’t as I saw him leaving at the end of the game, but he may well have had his drumsticks confiscated after deafening that kid early on).

As the game went on Northampton were slightly on top, meaning they spent slightly less time out of the centre of the park, and a double substitution by Crawley on the hour mark did little to improve their play or attacking intent.

By now the more entertaining part of the match was needle between two fans in the next block to us. A young guy had annoyed an old bloke as he kept “kneeing” him in the back as he got up and down on his many trips from the stand. To be fair the old bloke was twice the size of me, so avoiding touching him would have been difficult. There were lots of verbals and angry pointed fingers. Then they shook hands, and it was done with. Or not as they continued verbals afterwards and as the young guy got up a few more times as the half progressed.

A last-ditch tackle from a Northampton player saw him get injured and a long interruption to play as he was treated and then stretchered off (suspected broken ankle was the initial report). Whilst that was going on the sun fully broke out from the clouds and beamed down on the pitch. We found that we were at the right level in the stands where the sun was on our knees, but not in our eyes. Which means as the nights draw in, it will fully be in our eyes by the end of September.

When Northampton made their substitution for their injured player the stadium announcer bottled it and just read out his surname of Koiki, as opposed to his full name as printed in the match day programme – Abd-Al-Ali Morakinyo Olaposi Koiki. I’m not sure why.

The second ball made its way out of the ground just a minute or so later, another impressive effort launching it over our stand and onto the A23. Jake Powell was booked for the most obvious pull back we’re likely to see all season, which led to a period where the ref though it was only possible to give decisions in Northampton Town’s favour, with some real head scratchers in there. Which only stopped when he had little choice to book one of their players for a dive so obvious Tom Daley’s been in touch about partnering for the next Olympics.

The crowd was announced as 2,284 with 451 of that being away fans. Although it is 105 more than the last fixture, I hope it is only due to it being the bank holiday weekend that it was so low, as there were nearly 400 more away fans than Salford brought, so the Crawley support was nearly 300 down.

Eight minutes of injury time seemed an unfair punishment on those who had sat through what had turned out to be a bit of a nothing game. It was no surprise when the ref blew the whistle for full time and it was 0-0, as to be honest they were lucky to get nil.

The Harrogate Town game which had been postponed due to Covid in their camp has now been rearranged for a Tuesday night in September. They are unbeaten, and unless Crawley up their game they are likely to stay that way. It’s a shame we couldn’t have played them when they were Covid bound.

Anyway, after a match like that there is really only one appropriate description for the game considering the opposition.

What a load of cobblers.