Results will bring back fans, says Crawley boss

7:54pm Monday 7th April 2008

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Crawley boss Steve Evans insists results and not new owners will bring back the fans.

Reds have suffered from declining attendances over the last few seasons, mainly because of the club's off-field problems.

Average crowds are down by more than 900 from four years ago and hit an all-time low two weeks ago.

Just 595 turned up for a Thursday night game against Kidderminster, the lowest number since Crawley were promoted to the Blue Square premier division in 2004.

Many fans have become disillusioned with the club following the controversial reign of former owners Chas and Azwar Majeed.

Last week the club announced it had been bought by Property Estates Holdings Limited and former owner John Duly.

The first game under the new regime was on Saturday when Reds thrashed York 6-1 but there was another poor turn-out at Broadfield Stadium.

Only 862 fans watched and 161 of them were in the away end.

Last week new director Phil Jarman said that improving the relationship with supporters is high on the list of priorities.

But they made a bad start with the way the takeover was presented and need a major PR offensive to bring people round.

The club has yet to reveal details of the buy-out to supporters and many remain suspicious and concerned.

Evans, though, believes fans are more worried about what happens on the pitch than off it and predicts gates will improve with Crawley's form.

He said: "A lot of people who were not there (on Saturday) would have looked at the result and wished they had been.

"But we need to do it more consistently. That will bring the supporters back.

"It isn't about owners, it isn't about the manager and it's not even about individual players, the most important thing is results.

"I was talking to Tony Pulis, the Stoke City manager, and their crowds are up 7,500 because they are putting a promotion challenge together and that is at a club their size.

"Everyone knows around the country that if you get your results right, the crowds will increase. We have to be more consistent and if we are producing a challenge next year, the Broadfield will be busier that's for sure."

Evans says he and the players have not been affected by the takeover talk of the last few weeks and reckons Saturday's result proves it.

He said: "We have not been involved in a lot of it and it doesn't affect a lot of us so we just turn up and get on with it.

"We absolutely tore apart a very good York City side and if this is the building blocks for next season then these are very exciting times."

Evans believes his side can reproduce the same performance at Histon tomorrow now they have reached the 50-point mark seen by many as guaranteeing avoiding relegation.

He said: "When we allow these youngsters to relax a bit rather than be involved in having to win a game to get that magical 50 points on the board, they have shown they can play.

"We have a lot of players who are playing with a lot of pride and passion and if we can get that as a minimum then we should continue to do well."

Top scorer Jamie Cook is back in contention for a starting place after coming on and scoring with his first touch against York but Glenn Wilson remains doubtful with a hamstring injury.

Histon: Danny Naisbitt, Erkan Okay, Patrick Ada, Mathew Mitchel-King, Gareth Gwillim, Antonio Murray, John Kennedy, Robbie Nightingale, Nathaniel Knight-Percival, Danny Wright, Jack Midson.Subs from: Matt Langston, Jamie Barker, Lance Key, Adrian Cambridge, Neil Kennedy.

Crawley: Ashley Bayes, Tyrone Thompson, Bradley Thomas, Keiran Murphy, James Krause, Thomas Pinault, Dannie Bulman, Lee Blackburn, Ryan Hall, Pierre Joseph-Dubois, Jon-Paul Pittman.

Subs from: Jamie Stevens, Nick Carter, Mustapha Carayol, Jamie Cook, Paul Raynor.

Is Steve Evans right about the fans?