Barnet or Hereford: who will survive?

By Tony Alvarez

Yesterday Macclesfield were relegated from the Football League and will ply their trade in the Blue Square Premier next season.

That’s one of the two relegation spaces filled, with one remaining with just one game to play its going to be a nervy time for Hereford and Barnet.

Barnet are in pole position. They are currently outside the relegation zone with 2 points more than Hereford, although Hereford’s goal difference which could come in to play is superior.

Both teams are not going down without a major fight, yesterday both sides had big wins against teams much higher placed inb the table. Hereford impressively beat automatic promotion chasing Crawley at Crawley 3-0.

Barnet also had an impressive win albeit at their Underhill home, they beat 17th placed AFC Wimbledon 4-0. These results ensure both teams will go into their final fixtures full of confidence.    

Can Marvin Morgans strike against his former club boost Shrewsburys automatic promotion push?

By Tony Alvarez
After 71 minutes of Saturdays 3 o’clock kick offs former Aldershot man and infamous tweeter Marvin Morgan was subbed onto the pitch for Shrewsbury against former club Aldershot Town.
You may remember hearing of Morgan who left Aldershot under huge controversy, after being substituted Morgan was booed off the pitch by his own fans, hours later he tweeted that he hoped the booing Aldershot fans died. He never played for the club again.
When he was introduced on Saturday his current employers were 1-0 down and a man down after David McAllister was sent off for an elbow on Shots winger Adam Mekki.

Have Cheltenham quietly snuck themselves into promotion contention?

By Tony Alvarez

Last night Cheltenham Town beat Accrington Stanley 1-0 thanks to a first half strike from striker Jeff Goulding shortly after he had came on to the pitch as a substitute.

 The victory movedCheltenhaminto third place in League Two level on points with second placed side Southend.

Cheltenham have played a fixture more than most of the sides around them but pre season no one believed the club would be any where near the hunt for promotion and were more expected to disappear into mid table obscurity. It is also important to point out that even though most of the clubs around them have a game in hand they will only be overtaken on goal difference no side below them can greater their points tally by the end of this weekend.

Of late Cheltenham have been in impeccable form winning their last 4 league games and not tasting defeat since September 17^th when they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat at the hands of AFC Wimbledon.

This impressive run the Robins have also taken the scalp of League One side Wycombe Wanderers in a Johnston Paint Trophy fixture.

As mentioned above no one expected such a high level of performance or these type of results from the Robins, last season the club finished 17^th in League Two and did not make significant changes in the Summer to suggest there would be a huge change to their fortunes.

The squad assembled by Mark Yates are a tight knit unit and all have fighting qualities but there are no big name players whose name leaps off the page at you, the key to success so far in my opinion has been the form of their strikers, although none of them are challenging for the golden boot the goals have been spread around.

James Spencer, Darryl Duffy and Jeff Goulding have all notched 5 goals in all competitions whilst Kaid Mohamed has bagged himself 3 as well as midfielder Josh Low chipping in with 3 himself.

Cheltenham will look to continue their vein of fine form in the next few weeks, the fixtures look inviting for the Gloucestershire club next week they host 15^th placed Crewe Alexandra before hosting Plymouth who are struggling financially and sit 24^th in the League table.

Following the home fixtures, Cheltenham travel to BradfordCitywho are hovering just above the relegation zone in 22^nd place in another fixture the Robins would expect to be winning.

The question remains to be seen whether or notCheltenhamcan keep up their form for the whole campaign and actually challenge for promotion, in my view the club cannot keep it up for the entire season however they have put themselves in an unbelievable position to challenge.

With the next three fixtures the club had I fully expect them to be top of the table by mid November.

What are your thoughts? What Is so different about this Cheltenham squad which has allowed them to currently sit in the promotion positions? Can the club maintain their form? Are they strong enough to be in promotion contention come May.

Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts

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Carling Cup Preview: Crystal Palace vs Crawley Town

By Laurie Fitzgerald

With the new Football League campaign finally underway following a summer devoid of a major international tournament affecting us, we’re right back in the thick of it with the beginning of this season’s Carling Cup.

Last year saw Birmingham City produce a real upset in the final as they stunned Arsenal 2-1 at Wembley Stadium thanks to a late goal from Obafemi Martins.

Because of the Blues’ triumph followed by their subsequent relegation, it meant they were given a bye due to their Europa League commitments and a preliminary round had to take place with one less place available in the First Round.

That took place between Crawley Town and AFC Wimbledon, the two promoted sides to League Two that had never played in the competition before.

Crawley ran out winners by beating the Dons 3-2, and Steve Evans’ side have been rewarded with an away trip to Championship outfit Crystal Palace.

It’s been an amazing 12 months for the West Sussex side. Last summer, there was a real danger they could go out of business after being issued with a winding-up order by HMRC.

Thankfully, investment was found and the debts, estimated to be around £1 million, were cleared. This allowed the club to go on a spending spree that would make them a force in the Blue Square Premier.

They lived up to the expectations that followed, going on to win the title, and finishing 15 points clear of the chasing pack.

The Red Devils have started league life brilliantly with two wins and a draw from their opening three games, and many are tipping them for another promotion push.

Evans has assembled a squad with much experience within the Football League, epitomised in the likes of Sergio Torres, and captain Pablo Mills.

But much is made of their prolific striker Matt Tubbs. The 27 year-old scored a staggering 40 goals in Crawley’s march to promotion last campaign, and is capable of repeating his goalscoring exploits this time around.

With a trip to Selhurst Park in store, the League Two side will very much be the underdogs against their higher-league opponents. However, they have plenty of experience from 2011 alone when it comes to giant-killing.

Crawley made it to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, having knocked out the likes of Derby County and Torquay United to set up a David vs. Goliath clash with Manchester United.

They were eventually knocked out despite an impressive display at Old Trafford, narrowly losing 1-0. Now they’ll be hoping to stun the Eagles tonight and resume their cup upsets once again.

So what do you think? Will Crawley cause an upset at Selhurst Park? Or will Palace prove too strong for their League Two opponents?  Also, what other upsets do you think could take place over the next few days? Let us know your thoughts.

Have Barnet got enough to avoid another relegation battle?

Celebrations at Barnets last day survival 2011

By Tony Alvarez

Following avoiding relegation from the Football League’s on the last day of last season thanks to a 1-0 victory over Port Vale at Underhill, many are wondering if Barnet will find themselves in a similar predicament this time round.

 The Bees are a much changed side from the squad who flirted with relegation last term this includes the summer appointment of manager Lawrie Sanchez.

 In my opinion the club done well this summer in the transfer market, but for me the most impressive feat was keeping hold of Izale McLeod and Mark Marshall, McLeod despite his lack of work rate and a lot of the time effort if guaranteed goals in this division which is something Barnet need.

 Every time I have seenMarshallplay he has been highly impressive and possibly the best player on the pitch, I spoke to a player of a rival club and they said “He is unbelievable for tricky and is always a danger, with players like him I don’t know how Barnet struggled at the bottom end of the table”

I was at the game against Port Vale where Barnet won to stay up thanks to a McLeod penalty and for the life of me I could not tell you why they struggled so bad throughout the season, the quality of the Football was capable of fighting for a play off position in League 2 not fighting to stay in it.

The club was hoping for a new era under yet another new manager after relegation fears and so far this term the club have performed well, having played three league games they have won one lost one and on Tuesday a 90th  Izale McLeod earned them a 2-2 draw with Gillingham. The club also had an impressive victory in the Carling Cup over Championship side and recent FA Cup winners Portsmouth.

  Next up for Barnet is a tough looking trip to Rotherham who are firing on all cylinders and up until now have managed to hold on to the free scoring Adam Le Fondre.

The club will expect defeat away to a strong Rotherham side but judging by the clubs form so far this season and the calibre of players they have in their squad and of course the experience of Sanchez in the dugout they need not worry about a relegation battle this term.

 For me Barnet are set for mid table finish and with a bit of luck they could push for the play off places, mid table obscurity may seem boring to me and you, but after the fears and panic the club have been through in the past years this will do the Barnet fans just fine.

What are your thoughts? Will Barnet stay clear of a relegation battle this term? Can Sanchez really turn the sides fortunes around that much? Where do you see them finishing in the table? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts

2011/12 League Two Preview

By Tony Alvarez & Laurie Fitzgerald

 

This week we have been looking forward to the return of the football season. On Wednesday we previewed the Npower Champonship, and yesterday saw us focus on the potential drama that’s set to unfold in League One.

 

Today, we analyse League Two, and what awaits supporters in what is sure to be one of the closest-fought seasons in recent memory:

 

Which signings have impressed you this summer?

Tony: Not as individuals but the signings of Chris Zebroski, Matt Harold and Scott Mcgleish by Bristol Rovers could go a long way to firing them to the promotion as they are all capable of goals. Scott Davies has been around for a while on loan at various clubs fromReading, he was very impressive at Aldershot but has struggled a bit since, and his permanent move toCrawleycould be the platform for him to kick off his career again. 

 

Laurie: As always, many deals in League Two have consisted of free transfers and loan deals, but for me the signing that stands out is that of striker Chris Zebroski, who could ensure an immediate return to League One for new club Bristol Rovers. Neil Harris could prove to be a very astute addition at Southend, and he is more than capable of being prolific at this level.

 

 

Who will be the favourites for automatic promotion?

Tony: Crawley are the bookies favourites but I can’t really see them gaining back to back automatic promotions. For me Bristol Rovers are favourites as I mentioned above, they have goals in the side and have a lot of players who are experienced at a level above.SwindonTown are the next favourites with the bookies and for me they are a bit of an unknown quantity with Paolo Di Canio at the helm. They certainly have the squad to go up but does Di Canio have the skill as a manager?

 
Laurie: It’s such an open league, but almost incredibly, it’s difficult to talk about promotion contenders and not mention Crawley Town. They’ve gone from being the richest club in the Blue Square Premier to one of the richest in League Two. While a lot of their signings have been free transfers, teams such as Stevenage have shown they can come up from non-league and launch a serious promotion push. If Paolo Di Canio can hit the ground running in management, then he has a squad at Swindon to be in contention come May, as do the likes of Shrewsbury and Gillingham. But I agree with Tony – for me, the team that stands out is Bristol Rovers, who have strengthened well and have a shrewd young manager in Paul Buckle.

 

 

Who could be this season’s dark horses?

Tony: They are not going to win the league but I expect a huge improvement in terms of final league replacement from Barnet this term, the appointment of Lawrie Sanchez is huge and I went to a few of their games at the back end of last season and at times they were a very good side. I also mentioned them in a previous article but Aldershot Town could fare better this year now Dean Holdsworth has been given time to get settled as manager.

Laurie: Every year people write off Accrington and every year John Coleman and his team prove them all wrong. I think that AFC Wimbledon are going to thrive in their first season in league football, their rise demonstrates that fan power is still alive and well, and will be the team for many neutrals. It’s not so much of a shock, but Bradford are the perennial underachievers in League Two, however I feel they will sneak a play-off spot under Peter Jackson, who understands what the club means to the fans and could be a real inspiration to the current squad.

 

 

Who could struggle?

Tony: This league is so tight at the bottom that no one would be a surprise struggler, the likes of Hereford and Macclesfield could be fighting relegation come the end of the season. But they could be battling with up to four other sides.

Laurie: I know Sanchez has experience at this level with Wycome, and Barnet always seem to defy the odds when it comes to avoiding relegation, having had some last-day escapes in recent seasons, including last campaign. But I still think they will find it tough to avoid the trap door this time around. Torquay need to bounce back quickly from the departures of their manager and some key players, while the likes of Cheltenham and Hereford could also be in trouble.

 

 

Who could be the player of the season?

Tony: For me there isn’t a stand out player in the division who I would put money on to win the award, I didn’t mention his name in the signing bit so I could name him here, Marvin Morgan was performing well at Aldershot before “Twittergate” his all round play was good but maybe he didn’t score enough. At Shrewsbury they will create more chances for him to get on the end of which could see him scoring around 20 goals and fire the Shrews to promotion. If Le Fondre finds himself in League Two again he will be the stand out player but I fully expect him to get a move away fromRotherham.

 
Laurie: I’m amazed that Le Fondre has not yet been snapped up by a club from a higher division. Critics may say that he doesn’t bring much else to a side apart from goals, but he’s scored 55 goals for Rotherham in just two seasons - when he’s that prolific he doesn’t need to bring much else. He’s also just 24, so he’s only going to get better. If he does remain with the Millers he will be the player to watch. If Le Fondre does leave, then Zebroski could take the plaudits.

 

 

Which young player should we look out for?

Tony: The young players that usually break through in this league are usually loanee’s from Premier League or Championship sides, that makes it very hard to predict who is going to be the young player of the year. This could be a huge chance for Medy Elito to prove himself, he was hugely praised as a youngster and hasn’t quite fulfilled his potential but this could be his chance to reach that next level.

 

Laurie: This could be a big season for striker John Akinde. The 22 year-old has shown in numerous loan spells his strengths – he’s quick, strong and powerful. Now that he has a permanent home at Crawley, Akinde could really flourish.

 

Tony’s Predicted final table

 

1. Bristol Rovers
2. Shrewsbury

3. Swindon Town

4. Oxford United
5. Port Vale
6. Plymouth

7. Crawley
8. Rotherham

9. Torquay

10. Gillingham

11. AFC Wimbledon

12. Dagenham & Redbridge

13. Southend United

14. Aldershot
15. Barnet
16. Northampton Town
17. Bradford

18. Accrington Stanley
19. Burton Albion
20. Crewe
21. Morecambe
22. Hereford
23. Cheltenham
24. Macclesfield

 

 

Laurie’s Predicted final table

 

1. Bristol Rovers
2. Swindon Town
3. Crawley Town
4. Shrewsbury Town
5. Gillingham
6. Rotherham United

7. Bradford
8. Port Vale

9. Accrington Stanley
10. Oxford United
11. Southend United
12. Northampton Town
13. AFC Wimbledon
14. Dagenham & Redbridge
15. Plymouth Argyle

16. Burton Albion
17. Aldershot

18. Macclesfield
19. Crewe Alexandra
20. Torquay
21. Morecambe
22. Hereford
23. Barnet
24. Cheltenham

 

So what do you think? How will your team fare this season? Have the SFTS lads got it spot on or horribly wrong! As always, let us know your thoughts.

League 2 sides readying for the big kick off

By Tony Alvarez

Following on from my article looking at League One and the sides who I believe will be involved in a promotion push and those who will be unfortunate enough to be involved in a relegation scrap, I will now do the same for League Two.

League Two is more complicated than League One in that you can not expect the promoted teams to struggle and the teams relegated from last years League One to have a successful campaign.

Swindon finished bottom of League One after winning only nine of their 46 games, but it has been all change at their County Ground since then.

Inspirational Italian and former Premier League favourite has taken over at the helm, he is untested at this level so it’s very hard to know what to expect from his side. If his will to win rubs off onto his players the club have a chance of bouncing this is reflected by the bookmakers making them second favourites for the title.

Plymouth Argyle finished just a point above Swindon after being deducted 10 points for financial problems had it not been for these deductions they would still be a League One side. The club are still in financial turmoil but have made some decent signings and should they keep their financials in check and not face further deductions will be there or there abouts in May.

Bristol Rovers were 3 points from safety when the League One season finished condemning them to League Two but since then they have added some fire power in the form of Scott Mcgleish, Matt Harrold and Chris Zebroski.

With these goal scorers added to their ranks they easily have the goals in them to win the title and I would be very shocked if they are not a League One club again this time next year.

Dagenham and Redbridge suffered the heartbreaking agony of being relegated on the last day of the season despite a brave fight, despite this I do not fancy them to bounce back up they have lost a few of their star men including midfielder Danny Green who notched 13 times for the Daggers last year.

They have a great team spirit which was the main factor that nearly kept them up last term but it would shock me if that team spirit could propel them to even a play off place.

Somewhat surprisingly for people not in the know about the Football League’s newly promoted Crawley Town are the bookmakers favourites to win the title, the club have got a decent amount of money behind them and have moved in the transfer window to sign former championship players John Akinde and Scott Davies.

They have also signed striker Wesley Thomas who has League Two experience with Cheltenham Town and in Matt Tubbs they have a clinical finisher, Tubbs scored 37 goals in 41 games last season and will hope to find his feet in league two.

The other promoted club were AFC Wimbledon despite the club only being formed in 2002 they have quickly worked their way up the Football ladder.

I don’t expect much from them this year, I can’t see them being in a relegation dog fight but I also cant see them challenging for top honours, I think many of the Dons fans and indeed manager Terry Brown would be happy with that.

Of the teams that were already in League Two last year I have two to watch out for, Shrewsbury were not far off last time out finishing just a point behind Wycombe in the race for automatic promotion.

A play off failure would of disappointed the club but they will hope to come back stronger, they have added former Aldershot target man Marvin Morgan to their ranks in the hope he can fire them to automatic promotion this time.

Morgan was loved at Aldershot before his infamous Twitter rant led to him never being selected by the club again, if he can re-find his form before the bust up Shrewsbury have got a player on their hands.

My other ones to watch is Morgan’s former team Aldershot Town, they laboured to a 14^th placed finish last term however most of the damage was done in the first half of the campaign when Kevin Dillon was in charge. After Dillon’s sacking and Dean Holdsworth was brought in the club performed admirably and now Holdsworth has had a pre season with his squad they could do well.

I’m not expecting Aldershot to win the League but in my eyes a push for automatic promotion or the play offs is on the cards. I also expect big things from young striker Danny Hylton who never really got a chance under Dillon but since Holdsworth’s arrival looks like a changed man capable of notching 15+ League goals.

What do you think? Who will gain promotion into League One? Who will slip out of the Football League? Are Crawley justified as favourites for the title? Who are your players to watch this season? How do you think your club will fare? Leave a comment and elt us know your thoughts.

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Are AFC Wimbledon strong enough for the Football League?

By Tony Alvarez

 Following Saturday’s nerve wrecking victory with a penalty shoot out win over Luton after the clubs played out a 0-0 draw atManchesterCity’s Eastland ground AFC Wimbledon will be in the Football League next season.

The club who were famously formed in 2002 after Wimbledon FC moved to Milton Keynes and were renamed the MK Dons had finished 2^nd in the league table and have now confirmed their promotion along with Blue sq championsCrawleyTown.

As you can imagine for a club that is only 9 years old this is the defining moment in their history to date, however the club do boast Footballing records, they went 78 consecutive matches unbeaten which is a record for a senior Football side in England.

Of course Shouts from the stands offer our congratulations to the club and it is brilliant to see what real fans can achieve when they put their minds together and work in unity. But that’s not really what this article is about its about where AFC can go from here.

Things bode well for the future the gap between the Blue sq Premier and Football League 2 is not the greatest, as can be shown by Stevenage’s success this season finishing 6^th and Oxford who finished 12th, in fact a former conference player said to me the year his side were promoted to the Football League “ The gap isn’t major we wont be battling for our lives I wouldn’t be surprised if we make the play offs, there is more Football played in the League which makes it better to watch and look like the quality of the teams are better but it does not make it much harder to play against”.

The club who have kept the name “the crazy gang” going from the former club Wimbledon FC also have some Football League pedigree amongst their playing squad.  Defender Ismail Yakubu spent 9 years at Barnet of which most was in the Football League as well as Yakubu the club also have players such as Kirk Hudson who is on loan from Brentford after spending 2 years in League two at Aldershot Town, his loan spell is widely expected to be made permanent as he is no longer in the managers plans at Brentford.

They also have defender Brett Johnson who has had spells in the Football League with bothNorthamptonand Brentford.

On top of the above players who have a good amount of Football League experience and others the club also boast a huge fan base which in turn has left the club in a good financial position should they feel the need to bolster their squad ahead of their maiden Football League campaign.

Of course there are negatives or new experience for the side too manager Terry Brown has never risen above the conference or Blue Sq Premier so League Football is a new experience for him, does he have the tactical ability in the higher divisions only time will tell.

I expect a comfortable season for AFC they wont be in danger of relegation but I don’t think they will be involved in a title race, however with a bit of luck they could push for a play off spot and from their anything could happen, of course this is all dependant on how much money the club spend as a few signings could significantly change the look of the side and the way the side performs.

What do you think? Have you even started thinking about the Football League yet or are you still revelling in yesterday’s success? Will you be able to keep your head above water in League 2? Is Terry Brown the man to take you forward? What areas do you need to strengthen to be successful? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Blue Square Premier Play-Off Preview

The City of Manchester Stadium will host the Blue Square Premier Play-off final on the 21st May

By Laurie Fitzgerald

AFC Wimbledon and Luton Town took a big step towards reaching the Blue Square Premier Play-off final after a weekend of semi-final action.

The Dons won at Fleetwood Town 2-0, while the Hatters recorded an impressive 3-0 triumph over Wrexham.

It means that both sides are overwhelming favourites to reach the non-league showpiece at the City of Manchester stadium on Saturday 21st May.

For AFC Wimbledon, promotion to the Football League would mark an incredible rise since the creation of the club back in 2002.

When it was announced that Wimbledon were to move to Milton Keynes, the fans decided to create a new football club that would carry the soul and passion that was to be ripped from its controversial relocation.

It would be a remarkable achievement if they were to achieve league status in less than a decade of its existence.

Manager Terry Brown has played a big part in that; if the 58 year-old was to guide the Dons to League Two football, it would be his third promotion in just four years in charge at Kingsmeadow.

They have been the form team of recent weeks, with seven wins and a draw from their last eight games.

Much depends on the goalscoring form of captain Danny Kedwell, as well as midfielders Sam Hatton and Steven Gregory pulling the strings.

But they still have a second leg to oversee against a manager that has achieved great things himself over the last few years.

When Micky Mellon took over Fleetwood in 2008. they were bottom of the Conference North.

Now, less than three years later and the Trawlermen have become contenders for Football League promotion.

The Dons will do well not to underestimate a side that has been in excellent form themselves, with seven wins in their last eights matches before the first leg loss at Highbury.

Key to their revival will be striker Magno Vieira, who has scored 22 goals this campaign, as well as midfield enforcer Anthony Barry.

In the other semi-final, everyone is hoping that there aren’t any repeats of the ugly scenes that marred the end of the first leg in Wales.

A small minority of Wrexham fans decided to show their frustration at the result by damaging seats inside the Racecourse Ground, as well as cars around the surrounding area.

It’s not the kind of support that manager Dean Saunders is looking for as he tries to lift his players for the return trip to Kenilworth Road.

The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker has had a turbulent time in charge of his home club.

He has had to overcome calls for his head to try and get Wrexham back with Welsh counterparts Cardiff and Swansea in the Football League.

They had some momentum going into the Play-offs, with three wins and a draw in the final four games, including a 1-1 draw at their semi-final opponents.

Much will depend on their strikeforce of the two Andy’s - Morrell and Mangan – in the hope of achieving an unlikely comeback.

But it looks set to be Gary Brabin‘s side that will make the trip up to Manchester in less than a fortnight’s time.

Brabin has only been in the job for a couple of months after former boss Richard Money left the club by mutual consent.

Money paid the price after adopting a style of play that did not appease the fans, as well as failure to keep up with runaway champions Crawley Town.

The supporters must feel that they are due a good bit of fortune after seeing the club fall from the Championship to the conference in three consecutive relegations.

This was largely due to financial problems that led to points deductions, including a staggering 30-point loss that led to their drop from League Two in 2009.

Top scorer Matthew Barnes-Homer and defender Claude Gnapka have stood out for the Bedfordshire side, and with 3 wins and a draw in their last five outings, confidence will be high.

There is sure to be plenty of drama as the prize of League football awaits the winner. But who will be triumphant in 11 days time?

 So what do you think? Will it be a AFC Wimbledon-Luton final? Will Wrexham and Fleetwood Town have a say? Who will gain promotion on the 21st May? Let us know your thoughts

How far can Crawley Town go?

Evans has helped transform Crawley into Blue Square Premier champions

By Laurie Fitzgerald

It may only be the beginning of April, but this weekend saw the first promotion in English football clinched this season.

Crawley Town have been the best team in the Blue Square Premier, and they confirmed their superiority by clinching the title when they triumphed 3-0 at Tamworth on Saturday.

The victory was their 28^th win of the campaign, and with just three defeats to their name they sit 14 points clear of nearest rivals AFC Wimbledon, despite still having five games left to play.

Many non-league fans feel that it has been an unfair battle with Crawley this season due to the financial strength that they’ve had available to them.

Having cleared their debts during the summer, the club gave manager Steve Evans the necessary resources to take the club into the Football League.

But as we’ve seen before in football on many occasions, money doesn’t guarantee success. Evans deserves a lot of credit with spending wisely on shaping a squad capable of challenging for promotion.

The likes of Sergio Torres, Michel Kuipers, Craig McAllister, Pablo Mills and Scott Neilson were amongst those who joined and help play a big part in what has been a historic season for the Red Devils.

However, it was fitting that the three points that wrapped up promotion were largely helped from the finishing of one of those summer recruits; star striker Matt Tubbs.

A brace against Tamworth gave him goals 34 & 35 of an outstanding season, and his regular supply of goals have given them the platform to launch a sustained push for the title.

Despite what has been a relentless march to League Two football next campaign, Evans and the squad deserve praise for ensuring that they focused on what was always their main priority.

A heroic run in the FA Cup saw them finally beaten away at Manchester United, but only after a spirited display in a 1-0 loss played in front of 9,000 of their own supporters at the Theatre of Dreams.

While their dreams in the world’s most famous cup competition ended that day, Evans did not let that famous run distract them from getting back to the league and taking advantage of the games in hand they had on their rivals.

Since their cup exit, they’ve gone unbeaten in 13 league matches, winning ten of them and making it impossible for the likes of Wimbledon and Luton Town to keep up with them.

Now they’ve achieved league football for the first time in their history, the question remains of how far Crawley Town can go in the next few years. There’s no doubt that stabilising themselves as a League Two side will be the aim next year.

But while their budget is bigger than any other non-league side, they also have more money available to them than most sides in the fourth tier of English football.

Having come so far in the past 12 months, Crawley fans will believe that anything is possible.

So what do you think? Are Crawley Town capable of pushing on next season in League Two? Will there be similar resources available to them this summer compared to 12 months ago? Let us know your thoughts.