Crawley Town Football Club is delighted to announce that Kevin Betsy has been appointed as the new first-team manager of the club. Betsy has joined the Reds on an initial two-year contract, having spent the previous season with Arsenal, where he managed the Under-23 side to a top-three finish in Premier League 2.
The highly-rated coach spent five successful years in the England youth setup before joining the Gunners in the summer of 2021. Betsy took charge of the Three Lions’ Under-15’s, 16’s, 17’s and 18’s before making the switch to the Emirates Stadium.
The 44-year-old began his coaching career at Fulham, a club that Betsy spent three years at as a player. Kevin worked with the Cottagers for six years as a lead coach in the youth setup.
During his coaching career, Betsy has worked with and helped nurture some of the most promising talents in English football with names that include Fabio Carvalho, Jude Bellingham, Ryan Sessegnon, Harvey Elliott and Eberechi Eze.
Betsy made just shy of 600 appearances in an illustrious playing career which started at Woking in 1997. Kevin made over 50 appearances for the Cardinals and was named as the 1998 Conference Player of the Year. The former midfielder made the switch to Craven Cottage in the 1998-99 season and made his debut at Anfield against Liverpool in the League Cup.
Betsy went on to play for an array of different clubs and enjoyed successful promotion campaigns with Fulham, Bristol City, Wycombe Wanderers and Woking.
Upon joining the Reds, Kevin Betsy said: “I am joining a club that has a great history that we should no doubt embrace, and we are also looking at an exciting new beginning on many levels both on and off the pitch.
“I was very impressed with Eben and Preston’s vision for the club. Following discussions, l knew I would be working for bright and genuine people that share the positivity and energy to take this club forward. I will work extremely hard and put my heart and soul into every single day to help make us successful.
“I am grateful for the opportunity and faith shown in me by Eben, Preston and the others I have spoken with. I am very much looking forward to meeting everyone at the club. Together, we can look to Crawley Town to be a club that people enjoy coming to watch and that players and staff love coming to work every day. Crawley will be a positive place to bring our local community together and attract the next generation of supporters globally to the club.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Arsenal, all of the staff and players for a wonderful time at the club. The club has been first class in how things have been conducted and allowing me to take this chance to progress myself with the opportunity at Crawley Town.”
The club are delighted to confirm that Dan Micciche will also be joining the club as Kevin’s assistant manager. Dan leaves his role at Arsenal as U18 head coach and professional development phase lead to join the Reds alongside Betsy. Similarly to Kevin, Dan spent time coaching in the England youth setup prior to his time at the Gunners. Before his move to the capital, Micciche spent three months managing Milton Keynes Dons In League One.
Speaking on Micciche’s appointment as assistant manager, Betsy said: “Dan has an outstanding coaching background, he is one of the best in the country and will complement our staff very well.”
Speaking on the appointment of Betsy, co-chairman Preston Johnson said: “We couldn’t be more excited to have Kevin Betsy coming on board to lead our squad into this new era for Crawley Town. Kevin has been a consistent winner as both a player and a coach. His innovative and analytical mindset aligns with our ambitions for the club, and we’re confident that he can deliver the kind of positive results our supporters expect and deserve. We’re eager to equip him with the resources needed to do that. We want to thank Arsenal for their partnership in facilitating this appointment, and we’re looking forward to a bright future for the Red Devils with Kevin at the helm.”
The club can also confirm that Lewis Young will remain with the club as a member of Betsy’s coaching staff. A further announcement on Betsy’s coaching team will be made in due course.
A full interview with Kevin will be recorded this week.
