I am not going to start describing the football game that Crewe and Northampton played recently, but a quick few words on their new loan player. The new owner of the number 31 shirt is Denis Lawrence. At a height of 6ft 7" his is one of the tallest players in the football league. He has a rather skinny look to him, a little like Peter Crouch the Portsmouth striker. I just hope that over the next 3
The play-off weekend is great. Except when your side isn't involved. Moreover, you haven't been involved in the promotion race at all. In fact, having spent the bulk of the previous season scrapping around at the foot of the table it's all a load of bobbins really. Worse for me is the on-off chat about transfer targets. Now I used to love it all, part of the pre-summer build-up. Waiting for the fr
A long trip to Rovers' Memorial Stadium, but one enjoyed by a number of Crewe Alex fans as Steve Holland's men grabbed a point to remain unbeaten in league action this season. Ta for the snaps from Andy Scoffin, who wonders if the 2nd picture gives a clue as to who is still in charge on the touchline...
As the footy season is almost upon us, here's a memory lane trip for any collectors of Crewe Alexandra programmes. Can you remember which seasons saw these particular issues on sale? A spread from the last two decades...
Gary Roberts slams home the first Alex goal in the friendly against Stockport. Nicky Maynard earned the spot kick after he was brought down by the County 'keeper following a good spell of Alex pressure...
Thanks to Mark Bonnett for this photo of Crewe Alexandra's Gresty Road ground from the 1996-97 season. The snap has been taken from the Popside, looking towards the Gresty Road End. Until the current main stand was built, Alex fans filled the Popside. First on concrete paving slabs when it was standing accommodation; then, from the mid-90s, it was converted to seats. The atmosphere and freedom of movement would never be the same again. What are you memories from the Popside? Comments please...
The season is over, the moaning and groaning has been put on pause for a while. Few still understand exactly who will be in charge of the first team in August, while many remain disgruntled about season ticket and matchday pricing. The squad is being trimmed, the facilities are the same, the quality of football on offer has dipped since our last spell in the Championship (now over 12 months ago) and yet football fans at Crewe (and all over the country) are expected to pay £s to continue their support. From a personal perspective I'm just hoping to enjoy the whole football experience more. For me, that means breaking free of the season ticket shackle as I no longer want to feel obliged to attend. It will be on my family's terms. I'm certainly hoping to step up the away days now that my lads are a year older and really starting to enjoy football and travel. I recall days away at York City (the snap shows Boothham Crescent in the mid-90s, seen from the away end filled with Crewies) a
This has been an eye-opening weekend in terms of why Alex crowds have dipped. I chatted to people at Chesterfield who only go to away games these days, then on Sunday at the Jazz Festival I talked to several who won't return to Gresty Road until there is a change in the management (this reason is also given by plenty at work). A couple more highlighted the cost of watching live football as the main reason for their non-attendance these days. All this before you factor in the poor results, players sold and a seeming lack of interest by certain players who want a move away from the club. Despite Monday's 3-1 win over now relegated Brentford I can't see the final two home games attracting many more than 4000 home supporters. That's a shame, as how you finish a season can play a significant part in how you begin the next. Whether that happens at the Alex remains to be seen, as wholesale changes (on and off the field) will effectively see us starting from scratch. I doubt that there wil
There are many things that annoy football supporters. Bad results, for sure, but a lack of effort by players, a failure to listen to fans and increased prices are all high on the list. Long-time Alex supporter Andy Scoffin thinks that things might get much, much worse before they get better at Gresty Road..."Falling attendances are a very worrying factor at CAFC in recent months. Reduced admission for certain games has hardly made any difference, and the Gresty Road End vs Bristol City can be seen to be very sparse at 3pm [Andy's snap was taken at kick-off on Saturday]. Rumours of price increases for season 07/08 are hardly helping as whispers between long time Season Ticket holders are all about not renewing. Hard times ahead for CAFC? It looks very likely," said Andy. And when you hear that from a fan of over 40 years you know things are bad. I suspect that secrecy by the board hasn't helped matters, with a refusal to comment on certain AGM items because of "sensitive commercial re
Come on, you know you all loved him deep down. Several fathoms for some, but the cheeky Scouser has started to hit the back of the net. Can he continue it vs Scunthorpe on Tuesday night...
A weird view of the Alex ground, taken from the back alleys between Catherine Street and Bedford Street. The massive main stand appearing to gobble up the terraced housing that seems to be weaving its way to the ground for sacrifice. Today, probably like all Alex fans, I've got that in between feeling. No game yesterday but a huge opportunity to progress to the final of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy tomorrow. If you can't get to Doncaster's ground on Monday night you can still follow Crewe's fortunes on Sky TV. Come on you reds (well, we'll probably be in blue tomorrow)...
The cold snap looks set to affect this weekend's Alex game at home to league leaders Scunthorpe (not necessarily a bad thing!), but it's a cry for help from Alex chairman John Bowler that is catching my attention this morning. Basically, the Alex are finding it harder and harder to sustain the extensive youth academy that has become famous throughout English football. The maths are simple: the club loses around £750,000 each season and the academy costs at least that to run. The simple answer: scrap the academy. That would be drastic but it would allow the Alex to break even. However, there would be much wider issues to consider. As well as selling players on, part of the club's philosophy is to produce enough players to fill the first team. That's how it has worked for years. And it has worked, helping to propel the club up the leagues as well as reaping rich rewards from transfer sales to allow dramatic changes off the field - the new main stand, general improvements around the
At last, a return to form - of sorts. The midweek draw with Donny in the cup was lucky. Today, back to league action, it was essential that the Alex grabbed some points. They did - all three!New boy Danny Woodards didn't make the bench as he needs time to bed in. I always find this strange, as most players are fully fit and ready for action. Take a look around some of the other transfers IN/OUT around the country and most of the players involved have been played today. Not so with Dario Gradi. He does things his way. That's fair enough, and today's win shows him to be right. The team he had available did the business. Well done Dario.Luke Varney really is THE man. He notched his 21st and 22nd goals today. There will be scouts kicking themselves for not making a move. He'll be gone in the summer, sadly, but with each goal he adds a few quid to his value. Now some/all of that cash might go AWOL if rumours about our board's intended plans turn out to be true. But we don't know. They
