As Newport County prepare to take on Crawley Town on the road at Broadfield Stadium in their next Sky Bet League Two fixture, we take a closer look at the Red Devils.
Crawley’s Story
Crawley Town Football Club was founded in 1896 as Crawley Football Club and quickly became one of the founding members of the West Sussex League later that same year. During the early years of their history, the club moved between various regional leagues in Sussex. In 1962, the club transitioned from amateur to semi-professional status and changed its name to Crawley Town. A year later, they were accepted into the Southern League.
Crawley achieved promotion from Division One in the 1968–69 season but were relegated just a year later. In 1983–84, they earned promotion from the Southern League Southern Section and went on to spend the next 21 seasons in the Premier Division. Their persistence paid off in 2003–04 when they were crowned champions of the Southern League, securing promotion to the Conference.
The club turned fully professional in 2005 but soon faced significant financial difficulties, entering administration in 2006. Despite these challenges, Crawley survived and appointed Steve Evans as manager in May 2007. Under Evans, the club flourished, winning the Conference title in 2010–11 to gain promotion to the Football League for the first time. They then achieved back-to-back promotions, finishing runners-up in League Two in 2011–12 to reach League One.
Crawley spent three seasons in League One before being relegated in 2015. After nine years competing in League Two, the club triumphed in the 2024 League Two play-offs to return to League One but were relegated last season following a 21st placed finish
The Manager
Now in his second spell with the Red Devils, Scott Lindsey is the current Head Coach of Crawley Town.
Lindsey brings a wealth of managerial experience to the Broadfield Stadium, having previously led Swindon Town and MK Dons. Following the appointment of Chris Sutton as manager of Lincon City in the early stages of the 2009/10 season, Lindsey joined the Imps’ coaching set up and would later be appointed as caretaker manager of the club following Sutton’s departure.
Sutton’s next experience as a Head Coach came at semi-professional side Chatham Town and after two years with the Chats, Lindsey earned himself a move to Swindon Town as Ben Garner’s Assistant Manager. Garner left for Charlton Athletic a year later and Lindsey was appointed as the new Head Coach of Swindon.
Having guided the Robins to eighth in League Two, the Englishman was appointed as the head coach of fellow League Two side Crawley Town. During his first stint with the Red Devil’s, Lindsey prevented the club from relegation and then led them to promotion to League One via the play-offs, delivering the largest play-off victory in Football League history with an 8-1 aggregate victory over MK Dons. Lindsey left for a brief stint at MK Dons where he was sacked as a poor run of form left the League Two side in 17th. Lindsey was re-appointed as the head coach of Crawley Town in March 2025 and will hope to emulate his previous stint with the club.
The Club Captain
Dion Conroy, the 30-year-old centre-back and current captain of Crawley Town, brings experience and leadership to the heart of the Red Devils’ defence. A product of Chelsea’s renowned Cobham academy, Conroy was part of the Blues’ highly successful youth setup, playing a key role in their FA Youth Cup and Under-21 Premier League triumphs in 2014. His performances earned him a two-year contract extension, keeping him at Stamford Bridge until 2018.
In search of regular first-team football, Conroy joined Aldershot Town in the National League for the first half of the 2016-17 season, where he impressed across 17 appearances. His assured performances quickly caught the eye of EFL clubs, and in January 2017, he earned a permanent move to League One side Swindon Town. He made his debut the following day, featuring in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Bristol Rovers.
During his time at the County Ground, Conroy became a reliable figure in defence and was part of the Swindon Town squad that won the League Two title in the 2019-20 season. After making over 100 appearances for the club, he departed at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
Conroy signed for Crawley Town that summer and immediately made an impact in his debut season, making 26 appearances and scoring twice from centre-back. His leadership both on and off the pitch was instrumental during Crawley’s 2024-25 campaign, where he started all three play-off matches as the club secured promotion. However, Crawley were unfortunately relegated back to League Two after just one season in League One.
Key Player
Kabongo Tshimanga playing for Peterborough United in 2023
After a disappointing 3-0 defeat on the opening day, Crawley Town will be determined to respond with a stronger attacking display — and few players are better poised to spark that revival than Kabongo Tshimanga. With 142 career goals to his name, the clinical frontman has firmly established himself as one of the most prolific strikers outside the EFL in recent years.
Tshimanga enjoyed a remarkable run of form between the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons, netting an astonishing 95 goals across four campaigns for Oxford City (29), Boreham Wood (41), and Chesterfield (25). His explosive pace, sharp movement in the box, and composed finishing made him one of the National League’s most feared forwards.
While the step up to the EFL initially proved challenging, Tshimanga showed signs of rediscovering his touch during a loan spell at Swindon Town last season, scoring 13 goals and providing three assists in all competitions. That spell helped reassert his credentials as a genuine threat at League Two level.
Still just 27, Tshimanga is entering the prime years of his career. If Crawley can provide him with consistent service and get him firing early, he has the potential to be one of the division’s standout strikers this season.