Eric's with us next season - make sure you are too!
It is just THREE days before the Early Bird deadline and lifelong Reds supporter Eric Strange is the latest fan to have purchased his season ticket at a reduced price.
“I've been watching Crawley since 1953 and have plenty of memories supporting the club, which are mostly good ones!” Eric said.
“Some of the old matches were good. As long as you have some skill and enthusiasm it makes for a good match and we had plenty of this back in the old days. They couldn't pass as accurately as they do now but they still did well.
“I'm still in the West Stand. We've always sat there ever since this stadium was built. It's a good place to be and the sun doesn't get in your eyes like it does in the East Stand, which is always a positive!"
The 2014-15 season will be Eric's 61st campaign watching the Reds and he admits that he doesn't care what division we play in as he will continue to support the side.
“It's my local team and I'm still able to walk so I'll continue supporting Crawley until I have to give up. I've always supported the local team – it doesn't matter to me whether we are playing in the Ryman Leagues or the Premier League, it's the local bit that matters."
Eric is pleased with the changes that have occurred since John Gregory's arrival at Crawley in December 2013 and is hopeful JG can work his magic in the transfer window.
He added: “I think there has been an improvement, he seems to know his players and it'll be good if he can scout good players at a cheap price, of course!
“I like our defence. The two centre backs (Joe Walsh and Kyle McFadzean) are decent and we have brought in the goalkeeper (Brian Jensen) to add to the squad.
"He was at Bury last season and he's very experienced. He was player of the Year at Bury too so that is a good omen for us and hopefully he can replicate that form for us.”
Asked about his hopes for next season, Eric wants to see a boost in attendance figures and put the pressure on JG to earn another Reds promotion!
“We need to start looking to get to the 5,000 at the gate. Without getting this sort of attendance on a regular basis we'll miss out on income and that also means players as well.
“I'd be happy with third or fourth place! In all seriousness it's probably too early for the Championship in my opinion. Until you get well over 5,000 in crowds then the Championship is no good. I'd take a finish in the top dozen.
"I'm looking forward to playing the top teams again like Orient – who we seem to beat all the time. The trouble is that we beat the good teams but seem to lie down too easily against the poorer sides. Hopefully John can sort that out this season!”
Why not get in the mood by watching our video. The Box Office is open throughout this week and you can also see how much you can save by purchasing your season ticket before May 31.
