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AFC Crewe is a fan-owned football club based in Crewe, England. They play in the Premier Division of the Staffordshire County Senior League. The club was established to create a community-focused football team, allowing supporters to have a significant influence on the club's operations and decisions. The club is powered by NUFAN, a platform that facilitates fan ownership and engagement in sports clubs.[1]
| Full name | AFC Crewe |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 |
| Ground | Wood Park Stadium, Alsager |
| Capacity | 3,500 (250 seated) |
| Chairman | Liam/George (Co Chairman) NUFAN |
| Manager | Gary Taylor-Fletcher |
| League | Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division |
| Website | Club website |
History
editDisillusioned by the state of modern football, four friends came together in 2020 with an idea to reclaim the game for everyday football fans. A movement began to form a football revolution bringing the game back into the hands of the fans. Following months of searching across England, the Nufan board selected AFC Crewe as the team to adopt the new fan-ownership model. Nufan took control of the club, making it 100% community-owned. AFC Crewe played its first league match under Nufan ownership in August 2022, winning 6-0 against Mary Dendy in the Crewe & District League. Matty Quirke started as manager, with Billy Murphy as assistant, who later took over as manager in October. Development and recruitment began for the launch of a women's team in late 2022, aiming to debut in the 2023-24 season. The board commited to equal investment in the women's team. In November 2022, Gareth Jones was announced as co-chairman of AFC Crewe, alongside Nufan co-founder Liam Bond.
In December 2022 AFC Crewe began discussions for a ground share at AFC Alsager’s Wood Park Stadium. The team beat Crewe Town 10-0 in a match covered by German television company Posieben. A deal was finalised in February 2023 for Wood Park to be the men's home ground for three years. Liam James was appointed club secretary, playing a key role in obtaining FA accreditation and submitting applications for the club to become a co-operative consortium and join the football pyramid. In March 2023 former Premier League footballer Gary Taylor-Fletcher was appointed as the new manager of AFC Crewe after Billy Murphy's departure.[2] At the end of the season AFC Crewe won the Crewe & District League after consecutive 8-2 victories against Winsford Saxons and Sandbach Curshaws. The club's application to join the Staffordshire County Senior League was accepted, placing the team directly into Division One.[3] In June 2023, Chris Stokes, former Bolton Women manager was hired to lead the women's team, which was accepted to compete in the Cheshire Women's & Youth League Premier Division from the 2023-24 season.[4]
In August 2023 AFC Crewe men’s team played its first match in the football pyramid, losing 3-2 to Florence. The following month the women’s team played its first league match in the football pyramid. The game against Stockport County Ladies Development was abandoned due to a player injury. In the same month the men's team hosted the first Community Match Day, with a record attendance of 197 watching a 4-0 victory over Warstones Wanderers. The event aimed to drive local engagement and allow board members to meet.
In July 2024 the men's team gained promotion to the Premier Division of the Staffordshire County Senior League [5] which sits at step 11 of the English football pyramid.[6]
References
edit- ^ "How AFC Crewe won the Premier League ... Kind of - BBC Sounds". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ "AFC Crewe makes ex Nantwich coach Taylor-Fletcher its manager". Nantwich News. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ "AFC Crewe | Staffordshire County Senior League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ "AFC Crewe Women | Cheshire Women's & Youth Football League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
- ^ "Table | Premier Division | Staffordshire County Senior League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
- ^ "Table | Premier Division | Staffordshire County Senior League". fulltime.thefa.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.