New Crawley owner Eren lauds '˜passionate' fans and wants '˜togetherness'

The Turkish steel magnate, who took full charge of the club yesterday, has also reiterated his commitment to take Reds into the Championship within eight to ten years.

Eren, who has been president of Kayseri Erciyesspor for the past ten years, passed the Football League’s owners’ and directors test on Monday to rubber stamp the sale of the club.

The deal has taken almost four weeks longer to complete than expected, but fans of the League Two club can now look forward to a new era.

In an official statement on the club’s website, the new owner said: “For the past year, I have been actively looking for the right English club to whom I can apply my football philosophy.

“When I heard about Crawley Town, which was formed in 1896 and has a long tradition and history, I knew it was the right club, not least because of the potential it has to grow.

“With the knowledge and experience I have accrued, allied to the hard work and professionalism of the existing staff, I’m sure we can succeed. We would love to take Crawley into the Championship within the next eight to ten years.

“It will take a lot of dedication and we will need a foster a real togetherness between the club, the players and, just as importantly, the fans but it is possible and we have to be ambitious, to dream.

“Even in a relatively short time, I have begun to understand that our fans are as passionate about Crawley Town as those of much bigger clubs. To travel five or six hours to a game, as our fans do on a regular basis, shows an incredible loyalty which is unique to English football and, I believe, one of its strengths.

“I want to really promote a feeling of togetherness with our existing fan-base but also to look at ways, big or small, to get more people in Crawley and the surrounding area to support the team that proudly carries the name of Crawley Town. We need to be more proactive as a club in doing that.

“We are thankful to the current owners for all they have done for the club and for their gracious hospitality in recent weeks. We wish them every success for the future.

“Now a new and exciting chapter can begin for Crawley Town, a journey that I want us all to take together.”

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