Stat Attack: Notts County v Crawley Town

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town three times in their history. The first ever fixture between the two was a year and a half ago, on the 10th November 2012.

This milestone first meeting between the two, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1. Meanwhile the return fixture, played away on the 9th March 2013, ended as a goalless draw.
 

This season, at the turn of last year, we lost 1-0 to the Red Devils, a result that saw us drop to the foot of League One.

Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – ten years ago, while Notts were struggling to survive in the old Second Division, Crawley had just been promoted from the Southern Football League!

Crawley have won plenty of silverware in their history, though the majority of it is amateur-based. This changed when they won the Conference National title in 2011 and the League Two title just a year later.

2010-11 was a record-breaking season not just for Crawley, but also for the Conference. The West Sussex club broke the points total in one season (105) and tie with other teams for most wins in one season (31), fewest defeats (3), and highest goal difference (+63).

Because of this season, alongside the funds they had to buy players and an unlikable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”.

Crawley have the smallest stadium in League One; the Broadfield Stadium holds a meagre 5,996 people – nearly 800 fewer than the next smallest, Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium. You could fit just over three and a half Broadfields inside Meadow Lane!

The town of Crawley is known for being close - just three miles in fact - to Gatwick Airport, the world's busiest single-runway international airport.

Famous people who have links to Crawley include Australian footballer Kevin Muscat (born in Crawley), Gareth Southgate (attended the town's Hazelwick School), English rock band The Cure (formed in Crawley, several of its members attended St Wilfrid's RC School) and Gorillaz lead singer 2D (a fictional character, his back story claims he grew up in the town).

Shaun Derry has a fully fit squad to choose from for tomorrow's crucial fixture.

Defenders Mustapha Dumbuya and Gareth Roberts, midfielders Callum McGregor and Andre Boucaud, and forwards Tyrell Waite and Nathan Tyson are options for the manager.

Meanwhile, Crawley Town will be without Paul Connolly and Billy Clarke. The former is serving a five-match ban following his recent altercation with a Brentford fan, while the latter has a broken hand.

John Gregory has no other injury or suspension worries. Jamie Proctor, Gary Dicker and Sergio Torres will be among the players pushing to return to the starting line up.

Put simply - we need to win tomorrow, otherwise we are as good as relegated.