Crawley Town Provide Update Following Managerial Departure

Crawley Town have confirmed their interim manager as Ben Gladwin following last night’s news that Scott Lindsey had departed the club.

The 52-year-old boss arrived in Sussex in January of 2023 and was the driving force behind the club’s promotion from League Two via the play-offs last season. He now joins MK Dons, a club he inflicted a record defeat on in the semi-finals to replace the outgoing Mike Williamson.

He drops down a division to take the helm in Buckinghamshire following a tough start which could have seen the former Gateshead man sacked if not for Carlisle United swooping in and paying a reported £200,000 compensation fee. Milton Keynes are currently 19th in the fourth tier, having only won twice and drawn once in their last game against Doncaster Rovers.

Lindsey’s departure leaves a hole in the dugout at Broadfield, with the club confirming that Ben Gladwin will be in temporary charge of the League One side. They said in statement: “Crawley Town Football Club can confirm that First-Team Coach Ben Gladwin will assume the role of Interim Head Coach.

“Gladwin, who joined the coaching staff in the summer after retiring from professional football, will lead the Reds into this weekend’s match against Bolton Wanderers at the Broadfield Stadium.

“Ben will be assisted by Steve Hafner, who has supported the coaching staff over the last year. 

“The club has already begun its search for the next Head Coach, who will lead the next chapter of Crawley Town’s proud history.”

The rumour mill has already started spinning in regards to who the next permanent Red Devils boss will be, with Salford City‘s Karl Robinson a possible contender according to Football Insider. A former MK Dons boss himself, he has led The Ammies since the start of this year and guided the club to safety in the fourth tier.

He has previous experience in League One, winning promotion with Milton Keynes and was in charge of back-to-back play-off berths whilst at Oxford United. The 44-year-old last managed in the third division with The U’s in February of 2023, when he was dismissed following an eight-game winless run.

Following news of Lindsey and many of the backroom staff’s departure, Crawley chairman Preston Johnson stated: “Scott was such a big part of the success we had in the last year or so. We wanted Scott to stay with us, but ultimately he made the decision to leave, which we respect.

“We now look forward to the next phase of our journey. Scott has given both me and the fans of this club some unbelievable memories which we thank him for. I wish him and his family all the best.

“Football is relentless, and so are we. We are committed to investing in the infrastructure and personnel to reach even greater heights.”

Writer’s View

Crawley Town will have to move quickly in order to not derail what has been a strong start to the season. Whilst the move for Scott Lindsey will have shockwaves in the following weeks for the club, finding a successor quickly is needed and Karl Robinson on paper is a good choice for that role. It hasn’t been easy for him at Salford City, he stabilised a club which were in the doldrums for a large stretch of last season. His League One track record speaks for itself but it is up to the hierarchy at Crawley to entice him away from the resources given to him by The Ammies.

Town’s best chance of survival felt it would have been with Lindsey, so his departure does not help with what has been a recent slump in form for the club. They play fellow strugglers Bolton this weekend and it is up to Ben Gladwin to try and find away to beat The Trotters. Ironically a win for Crawley that day could spell the end of Ian Evatt in Lancashire, who might be another candidate for the new vacancy at Broadfield should he become available.

About Lewis Gray 367 Articles
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.

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