James Evans, 28, from London, works as a football journalist and has supported Crawley for 20 years. This week he spoke to U's supporter Chris Vessey to answer a few questions about his club.
CV - After all the off the field problems Crawley Town had to suffer this summer, you must be absolutely delighted with the way your team have performed to date?
Well yes, the players have surpassed all expectations, and while survival is still a little way off (both on and off the pitch), this season can be regarded as something of an achievement. Just a shame that the boycotts, apathy and rank disillusionment amongst the supporter base means that few have been there to see it!
CV - The situation with Crawley seems to be changing on a weekly basis. Where do things stand at the moment regarding administration, the Majeeds and the proposed board takeover?
The procession of creditors' meetings continue, with ongoing payments of used notes delivered in brown envelopes (I jest not) from our erstwhile owners. For the longer this goes on, there is growing belief that the Majeeds really do want to make an honest fist of running a football club.
If they had begun their tenure with something close to the same virtues they might not now be the most unpopular thing in Crawley since Nicholas Soames.
CV - A dickie bird tells me you are currently banned from the Broadfield Stadium. Would you like to tell us why?
Myself and a group known as the ITC have been particularly vociferous against the current regime, and things spilled over last summer with a spate of incidents and demonstrations. Being skint, the club decided they didn't want entrance money from the club's largest independent supporter's group, and banned a number of members.
What they didn't know is that we were all going to boycott home games anyway, so I suppose in that respect we're both happy.
CV - I for one was shocked when the club let John Hollins go, especially with the run he put together with such a threadbare squad. Why was he sacked?
Hollins was sacked as "a cost-cutting measure" (quote from Majeed), and quite a measure if the £3,000/week touted wage was to be believed. Oh, but hang on, how can that be right can it Mr Majeed, as you also told press this season that Hollins was working for free.
The mind boggles. A shame Hollins didn't sue for unfair dismissal, like the five other members of club staff during Majeed's reign, each one removed like excrement scraped from the shoes of a small Northern boy.
CV - The new gaffer is John Yems, not a name known to many in football. How is he performing?
Caretaker-manager, along with Ben Judge and Dave Woozley - we like to share the work around. Used to be with arch rivals Horsham but has stepped up to the plate well and is from the Barry Fry school of transfer dealings - namely, sign as many as you can and the chances are some of them will be good.
CV - You have three former U's in your midst, Lee Blackburn, Tony Scully and Marcus Richardson. How have they settled in at Crawley?
Blackburn has been efficient and consistent in midfield since signing last season. A nippy nuisance of a player he seems to have gelled well with those around him.
Scully is reportedly still on four-figures a week after we nabbed him off of Exeter City. Now completely bald as a coot, but on his day one of the best wingers in non-league football. (Sadly, 'his day' is only one in fourteen or so, as has been the case throughout a career littered with stunningly good and bad performances alike.)
Richardson (right) is a player I have known since his Lincoln and Yeovil days, and like many before seems to be on an effortless slide down the divisions. Showed some glimpses of having something about him in his first few games, though not being around much at Broadfield I haven't seen him for a while, and there is a lot of competition up front.
CV - Realistically, where do you see Crawley Town in five years time, on and off the pitch?
Conference still. I think that if all things remained equal we'd be an average Conference side - no better and no worse. Even in these dark days the club are achieving that, and with the spectre of doom looming not quite so large I think and hope we're at our lowest ebb now. That said, we'd need a £2million investment from some new owners, a £60,000 transfer fee for Daryl Clare, and loads of guys on ridiculous contracts if we were to really push on and try to get in the Football League.
Woops sorry, already tried that...
CV - What has been your opinion of Cambridge United since we joined you in the Conference?
Largely unimpressed. A big dog licking some major financial wounds, and on those resources last season was an adequate achievement. But this year, and with a squad that on paper would do a job, I have been amazed at the downward spiral. I like Jimmy Quinn as a bloke and, before his appointment at the Abbey Stadium, as a manager, but any Crawley fan could have told you that Danny Brown is pretty much spent.
Then there's Dean Holdsworth? Wasn't he in the 1966 World Cup squad? And some geezer who couldn't even get into Lewes' first XI.
I know Quinny is big on motivation, and having interviewed him a couple of times he's as honest as the day is long, but it's obviously not working and I feel for all of the genuine United fans who must look back at the Dublin/Philpott era with moist eyelashes.
CV - Who and why do you think will be the four teams to make the dreaded drop?
It's incredible to think that Cambridge could go down, but I really do fear for you. Goal difference and games played makes pretty grim reading, and recent performances have done everything to only confirm suspicions that maybe Quinn has lost the dressing room. St Albans leak like a colander and are gone, Southport just can't score, and of the others I'd love to see Grays go, but for me it has to be between Tamworth and Stafford - probably the latter.
CV - Who are the main threats in the Crawley team the Cambridge side will have to keep an eye on?
Scully on his day can be a matchwinner, while striker Scott Rendell has emerged as a natural goalscorer and is a constant threat. A highly experienced midfield have the ability to create, though the team's real strength is to work as a forceful unit, rather than have one or two players stand out as key figures.
CV - And finally... what do you think the score will be on Saturday?
A part of me still thinks that we'll get sucked down into the mire, so a win on Saturday is as crucial for us as it is for yourselves.
Assuming your defence line up in the way they did against York and Altrincham there should be a couple of goals in it for us, so I'm hopeful we can sneak a 2-1. Good luck.
Many thanks to James Evans for giving his time to answer these questions.
Chris Vessey
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