SUMMARY OF EVENTS

This site has been created to form a library of events at Crawley Town FC dating back to the beginning of 2006.

The press cuttings and media files here will enable you to see the timeline of how events have unfolded and turned what was a respected, family club which finished as the top part-time team in England in 2004-05 into a laughing stock, in trouble with football and financial authorities and shunned by sponsors.

Attendances at the club’s smart Broadfield Stadium have fallen by almost half in less than two seasons (Crawley had the ninth-best crowds in the Conference in 2004-05, with an average of 2,013 per match. That figure fell to 1,533 in 2005-06 and the average for 2006-07 was just 1,019 in February 2007).

With terrific transport links (Gatwick Airport is on the doorstep, the M23 linking Brighton and London runs close to the stadium), and a great catchment area for fans (the closes Football League clubs are Brighton to the south and Crystal Palace to the north) in a young, prosperous and growing community, Crawley Town is ideally situated for a successful and progressive football club.

Against this background, the players of Crawley Town have performed admirably, and at time of writing were 12th in the Conference (they would have been joint-fifth but for a ten-point deduction, but more of that later). The fans believe the players deserve better.

However, barely a week goes by under the Majeeds when Crawley Town FC doesn’t hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Please read the articles for the full story, but here is a summary of some of the events that have taken place under the Majeeds’ stewardship:

- Chas Majeed acted as chairman until the FA declared that, as an undischarged bankrupt, he was not a fit and proper person to hold such a position. Despite this he is still referred to as chairman by club personnel and it widely believed he still runs day-to-day affairs at the club, in clear breach of FA regulations.

- Just eight months after taking over the Majeeds put the club into financial administration with debts of £1.1m, claiming that £750,000 of that was owed to their own companies for loans. This was despite going on the record as saying they were prepared to “write off £2m in the first three years”.

- After their original 25 pence in the pound CVA offer to club’s creditors was turned down in July 2006, the club was within minutes of being liquidated until they increased their offer to 50 pence in the pound. Creditors accepted this provided it was paid within 60 days. Azwar Majeed subsequently put his Brighton penthouse apartment up as security.

- However, the money was not forthcoming when it was due in October. In January 2007 CVA supervisors Begbies Traynor expressed their disappointment that the Majeeds had not been true to their word. No representative from the club attended the creditors meeting when this was mentioned.

- Creditors grudgingly agreed a further extension, until 30th April 2007, to allow more time to find a purchaser for the flat, while HMRC insisted on a clause forcing a winding-up order on the club if any VAT payment is a day late.

- They sacked Francis Vines the most successful manager in the club's proud 108-year history, his assistant Dave Swindlehurst, managing director Steve Duly and administration manager Ian Holman. A tribunal declared all four dismissals were illegal and awarded compensation (the club failed to even attend the hearings). But this compensation has still not been paid.

- The club slashed the wage budget in half and incurred a three-point deduction during season 2005-06 for breaching the league’s salary cap

- Having gone into administration, the club have also incurred a ten-point penalty for season 2006-07

- The financial problems have caused great anguish to players and their young families, as well as to fans

- The club's public relations are at rock bottom, with supporters continually being fed mistruths

- Known SA Group heavies have attempted to threaten a teenage fan who was organising a democratic protest against their regime

- While the players and fans suffer, the Majeeds have purchased a new £350,000 Koenigsegg sports car and announced plans for new nightclubs and restaurants in the town

- Chas was arrested twice in one evening having thrown a Crawley fan through a shop window

- They have allegedly threatened fans and made threats against their families

- A winding-up order was issued against their holding company by HMRC due to non-payment of tax.

- They purchased a £60,000 Porsche just days before a creditors meeting to discuss the non-payment of the CVA

- It is widely believed that the club’s shirt sponsors for 2006-07 ‘Platinum Ignition’ does not exist as a genuine business and is in fact just a cover for the fact that they cannot attract sponsors, as companies do not want to be associated with them.

- In January 2007, the Majeeds announced that they had entered administration as a ‘business decision’ to get rid of ‘rubbish players’. Those rubbish players included Daryl Clare, twice winner of the golden boot as the Conference top scorer and the club’s record signing (under the Majeeds) and goalkeeper Phil Smith, currently first choice at League Two side Swindon.

- At least two genuine potential investors with the funds, experience and ability to run an efficient football club at Crawley Town have been forced to undertake other projects due to the Majeeds saga dragging on.

It is a widespread view among fans that the club has no future under the Majeeds.

Under new ownership, the club could flourish again.