CRAWLEY Town have announced that it has formed an official B team.

The squad will played their first fixture yesterday evening as they took on Bracknell Town in a friendly match.

This system of having a B team attempts to ensure that players get to learn while playing against teams while trying to give them the closest experience to first-team football, without having to send players out on loan.

Lewis Young will remain in his role as a first-team coach but will oversee all of the B team’s training sessions and fixtures with the team scheduled to play a number of friendlies over the course of the season.

Speaking on his involvement with the B team, Lewis Young told the club website: “I am delighted to be overseeing the B team for the upcoming season.

“Firstly, I would like to thank Kevin and Dan for putting their trust in me as I oversee this project.

“I am really looking forward to working with a talented bunch of individuals across the season.

“The B team will provide an excellent opportunity for some of the first-team squad to top up their minutes to ensure that when they are called upon, they are fit and ready for action.

“As well as this, the B team will provide an exciting opportunity for some of the younger players to showcase their talent to the management team in a game situation, not just on the training pitch.

“This project provides a clear pathway to first-team football for younger players, which is something the club has not seen in a long time.”

As a provisional list, players currently in the squad for the B team fixture against Bracknell Town are: Aramide Oteh, Florian Kastrati, Zaid Al-Hussaini, Szymon Kowalczyk, Mustafa Hussein, Ronan Silva, Moe Shabbar, Rafiq Khaleel, Owen Gallacher, Harry Ransom, Ludwig Francillette, Manny Adebowale, Ben Wells and Jayden Davis.

This list is subject to change, and trialists are likely to be included.