A-Crewe-Ing

Words: Tom Reed

Images: Tom Reed

Shot on film and digital where stated.

Crewe Alexandra Football Club seem easy to overlook.

This might be because they have been Football League ever-presents since 1921, plying their trade mainly in the lower reaches of the top four divisions.

Crewe have never won a league title in that time and the town’s position as a railway hub means it’s a simple place to get away from.

“We’re an easy club to put 18th in the league predictions each season, but are happy defying expectations.” says Crewe Alex writer Tom Boon.

The Gresty Road club doesn’t garner many column inches in the press and “The Alex” are about a low-key outfit as it gets.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Gresty Road next to the railway. On film.

And yet, it seems English football would be a different place without Crewe Alexandra, a club that have been lower league pioneers in investing in their academy and one that strive to play decent football in the main.

As well as being easy to escape, the club’s proximity to the railway means that it is one of the more accessible away days in the country.

You’ll see the tall main stand rising in the near distance over the railway bridge as you turn left out of Crewe Station on match-day.

Crewe itself is a ten minute stroll downhill and like many town centres in England has its fair share of closed down shops and empty units.

Yet, the Crewe Market Hall in the centre, is an upbeat kind of venue that houses independent vendors and provides a stellar pre-match place to eat and drink.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Walk to Gresty Road. Digital.

You can get a nice pint of craft ale, or a sauvignon blanc and a plate of continental meats and generally thumb your nose at the munting burgers that are often pushed the way of football supporters.

The market hall was once the “Cheese Hall”, said to once house over 2000 tonnes of Cheshire cheese in the 19th Century, which would make quite the toasty.

Almost as cheesy are the Crewe Alexandra bermuda shorts on sale in the Crewe Alex pop-up run by the Railway Men Supporters’ Society.

The shop is a great example of a club finding a presence in their town centre and is manned by volunteers from the society who gained a seventh share in the club after a fundraising scheme in 2020.

I arrive as the kindly gent on duty is finishing off his breakfast but he is happy to show me around the wares, including the red and white board shorts that need a pair of Crewe Alex sunglasses to look at.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Market Hall. Digital.

He tells me that today’s opponents Swindon Town also have their own railway heritage, so the match is a tussle of the tracks of sorts and it remains to be seen who’ll be derailed.

The walk back to Gresty Road sees you pass an old newsagent with its original Daily Mirror signage alongside terraced homes that likely housed railway-workers in the town’s heyday.

It appears a friendly club with few airs and graces and entry through to the ground through old-school turnstiles opens up into a compact stadium with an imposing main stand, which looms over proceedings.

The enclosure opposite is called the Ice Cream Van Stand and sponsored by manufacturer of said frozen desert vending vehicles Whitby Morrison.

We were soon to find out whether top of League Two Crewe had the opposition licked but it is nice to see local employer Whitby Morrison putting some dosh into their local club.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Gresty Road. On film.

Mornflake hold the stadium naming rights and make a host of breakfast cereals just down the road in Crewe but it was Swindon Town who seemed to have had le petit déjeuner plus copieux.

If we’re talking railways, Swindon came out like a run-away mine train, screeching to a 0-3 lead before half-time via a combination of a deflection, a goalie error and a long-range Robins’ screamer.

A travelling Swindon fan with a big belly took off his shirt and rubbed it in delight, as you do. Maybe he’d had a charcuterie board at the market and was toasting the prosciutto di Parma or perhaps he was just gleeful at the lead over the team to beat in the league?

There were shouts of frustration from the Crewe faithful who could be said to have been spoiled at certain times within the quality of football/club budget ratios but it would be difficult to be angry at manager Lee Bell, whose side remains well in contention for promotion, at this early stage.

The young active fans in the home end make an impressive racket in their ground which retains enough old-school presence to feel like somewhere you’d want to play at.

Before Bell, Crewe’s gaffer was David Artell, currently gaining plaudits for beating Manchester United with his Grimsby Town.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Alexandra vs Swindon Town. Digital.

Indeed, Crewe’s emphasis on promoting within and producing homegrown players through their Category Two academy continues to provide an effective alternative to the merry-go-round of players and personnel that other EFL outfits jump upon.

The well-documented conviction of a former youth coach is and should be continued to be discussed. The Crewe fans I spoke to don’t shy away from the subject and away fans certainly won’t let their Crewe counterparts forget it.

In the meantime, the Alex has done solid work in its community outreach and providing a facility for people to enjoy sport in a town that includes areas of social and economic deprivation.

On the field remains a work in progress, Crewe try to play out from the back but diagonals can go unplaced.

The Alex held Spurs to a 2-2 draw at Gresty Road in the FA Cup in 1960 but lost the replay 13-2.

After Saturday’s 0-3 defeat to Swindon, Crewe beat Chesterfield 7—1 in the Football League Trophy.

“Such an Alex result that after losing to Swindon” says Boon.

The tracks are many at Crewe, they lead your there and pull you away.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe train station. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. The Alex Store. Crewe Market Hall. On film.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Bermuda shorts. This season’s must have accessory. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Gresty Road. Crewe. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Gresty Road. Crewe. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe house. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Gresty Road. Crewe. On film.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe newsagents. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Gresty Road. Crewe. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. A Crewe queue. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Alexandra vs Swindon Town. On film.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe old-school turnstile.. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. A Crewe queue. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Alexandra flag. Digital.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Alexandra main stand. On film.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Alexandra vs Swindon Town. On film.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Crewe Alexandra vs Swindon Town. On film.

©Tom Reed/ Terrace Edition. Digital.

EAT /// Drink

You can get a reasonably priced charcuterie board and wine by the glass at Bailey’s in Crewe Market Hall.

The Crew Dog in Crewe Market Hall has Budvar on tap alongside a whole host of different ales and beers.

The (North) West (No) Coast from Hush Brewing Co is an American West Coast IPA style, made down the road in Northwich.

From the Market Hall its a 10 minute walk up to the ground, maybe not in a straight line if you’ve had a few IPA’s.

Tom Reed is Terrace Edition Editor and can be found on X and Instagram: @tomreedwriting.

Tom is also on Bluesky @tomreedwriting.bluesky.social

Thanks to Tom Boon for help with the article. He can be found on X: @booncafc