Reds boss issues cash warning

9:00am Thursday 5th July 2012 in Crawley Town By Steve Hollis

Let's be careful: Sean O'Driscoll admits he needs to watch the cash Let's be careful: Sean O'Driscoll admits he needs to watch the cash

Crawley boss Sean O’Driscoll admits a lack of financial muscle is making it hard for him to strengthen his squad.

O’Driscoll has brought in three players – Paul Jones, Mat Sadler and Nicky Adams – since taking over as manager in May but failed to land top targets Lewis Grabban and Eunan O’Kane.

Grabban opted to move to Bournemouth instead while O’Kane’s proposed move from Torquay United fell through for financial reasons.

Reds released six players at the end of last season with goalkeeper Scott Shearer also rejecting a new deal and O’Driscoll says finding replacements is proving problematic.

He said: “People have got to realise that we might have been a big club in the Conference and League One but now we are punching above our weight.

“There seems to be a perception that Crawley have got bundles of money but that is not the case. We have got to work within the constraints that have been outlined.

“It is no longer a case that we can pay a little bit more to attract players. We have got to go for players that fit our budget.

“We are the smallest club in League One so we can only pay competitive wages up to a point. There is no point wasting the time of players we can’t afford.

“Players everybody wants will go to the clubs with the most money so we have got to look for the ones we can develop.”

Freddie Sears, who was a target for Crawley last season, has joined Colchester United on a three-year deal after being released by West Ham.

Comments(16)

Rooky says...
10:10am Thu 5 Jul 12

Wasn't that always going to be the case?

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ballantrrae says...
11:44am Thu 5 Jul 12

Perhaps selling McFadzean might improve the cash situation and provide sufficient funds to acquire more players with higher wage packets.
Now we know why Evans left and O'Kane and Grabban didn't sign.

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County says...
1:24pm Thu 5 Jul 12

I remember Crawley in the Conference, their 800 fans were the envy of non-league.

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BobbyZamoraIsALegend says...
1:36pm Thu 5 Jul 12

Odds on for relegation, something fishy going on at that club.

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mjfjo1 says...
2:38pm Thu 5 Jul 12

well we did offer £175k for OKane, but unlike Brighton we are trying to keep wages within a cap so presumably his excessive demands were not met? Is that fishy?
Nice to see all the usual perceptive and sympathetic comments (and in the case of the 800 fans in the Conference totally irrelevant) to a piece of sensationalism by the Argus.
If only we had Bloom's millions to chuck at a problem!

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County says...
4:03pm Thu 5 Jul 12

"we might have been a big club in the Conference"

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Mr.Robson says...
4:45pm Thu 5 Jul 12

I think Creepy will be back in the BSS within 4-5 years

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LACHANCE says...
5:16pm Thu 5 Jul 12

mjfjo1 wrote:
well we did offer £175k for OKane, but unlike Brighton we are trying to keep wages within a cap so presumably his excessive demands were not met? Is that fishy?
Nice to see all the usual perceptive and sympathetic comments (and in the case of the 800 fans in the Conference totally irrelevant) to a piece of sensationalism by the Argus.
If only we had Bloom's millions to chuck at a problem!
For your information Brighton are keeping wages within the the amount of money taken through the gate receites.Tony will not put his hand in his pocket to pay players wages.Crawley need to get a few more people through the gates,at home games.

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The Phantom says...
7:12pm Thu 5 Jul 12

Bit worrying that O'Driscoll is already making these noises. Certainly at odds with what the Chief Exec was saying after the promotion game at Accrington. Could be a long hard season as last years squad was certainly looking threadbare towards the end.

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turtling. says...
9:35pm Thu 5 Jul 12

what happened to all the money they got for tubbs etc....... in someones bin, guaranteed

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Billyboyarnold says...
10:35pm Thu 5 Jul 12

No money good, I hope you get relegated. Brighton Bill Yorkshire Seagull.

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Rooky says...
11:04pm Thu 5 Jul 12

Does anyone know where the money came from in the first place?

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BobbyZamoraIsALegend says...
10:50am Fri 6 Jul 12

That's what i mean by fishy, sold Mckfazden & Tubbs and signed no one, Evans leaves for a team in 10th in league two with no scope for promotion that year and Crawley were in third. Writing on the wall, Crawley are 14/1 with bet vict*r to get relegated, i'd be all over that!!

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Steve Portway says...
11:15am Fri 6 Jul 12

Yes - you might have been a big club in the conference...but you weren't.

Rest assured, the forces of gravity will kick in sooner rather than later - just ask any Rushden & Diamonds fan.

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Billyboyarnold says...
12:17pm Fri 6 Jul 12

It's a well known fact, all Creepy fans are closet Palarse supporters. Brighton Bill Yorkshire Seagull.

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parker05 says...
11:29am Mon 9 Jul 12

Do abit of research and you will find out that Crawley FC (who nearly went out of business not so long ago) are investing in youth this time round. Something perhaps the rest of English clubs should do rather going for the quick fix of paying "over the top" wages on players who are at the end of the road anyway. Get established in league 1 and push on when ready. Rome was not built in a day. They are in good hands. Brighton dont end up like Rangers :)

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