Crawley Town at Wembley: Reds co-owner pinpoints moment he realised fans 'found their joy' again

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for owners WAGMI United since they took over the club in April 2022. They were welcomed with a manager scandal, followed by a season of five managers, negative media coverage of the club and a relegation battle.

Then in the summer of 2023, everyone tipped the Reds to go down and there was a clearout of the squad plus 17 new signings, the majority who had only made their name in in non-league.

There was an air of ‘here we go again’ – but fast forward to Saturday, May 11, 2024 and the club were celebrating reaching Wembley for the first time in the club’s history.

Johnson could not be more proud of what Scott Lindsey, the players and everyone involved at the club has achieved this season. Johnson and fellow co-owner and co-chairman Eben Smith learnt a lot from the tumultuous first season and have deliberately taken more of a back seat in terms of being vocal and visible this season so as not distract from the job on the pitch. For that you have to give them credit.

And although Reds have been making history all season and exceeding all expectations, Johnson pinpointed one moment when he realised the fans had found joy in their club again.

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"It was after the Grimsby game and fans invaded the pitch and everyone was chanting, singing into the West Stand and Scott and some of the players were with us up in the stand,” he said.

"I was taking a video but it hit me in that moment, ‘these fans are finding joy in their club again’.

“Last year, I felt it was my fault that joy and happiness was being taken away from the fans.

"This is their livelihood. It was never my intention to take joy away from fans so to have that switch and for me to have that moment where I realised fans are enjoying football again in Crawley, it was kind of an internal resolution that was helpful for me.

"Obviously I am pleased for the success and the chance to get promoted, but I am also just at peace at the turnaround from last year to this year.

"And in that moment I thought whether we do well in the play-offs, go to Wembley or not, get promoted or not, it’s all kind of a bonus.”

Johnson will be in the stands at Wembley on Sunday after returning from the US after the play-off semi-final first leg, but he wasn’t planning to be here. “I was here for Grimsby and had to get back home. We won Tuesday and my wife said ‘you’ve gotta go out for the second leg’. I gave her 24 hours to take it back but she said ‘just go’. So I am out here until Sunday."

And with in excess of 14,000 tickets already sold, Johnson cannot wait to see everyone at the home of English Football.

"It will be an experience of a lifetime,” he said.

You can see all the match ticket information here.