If you’re a fan of football and a social media user or a travelling league two fan you’ve probably seen THAT flag. Born in Crewe, Live in Crewe, Die in Crewe.
For those who’ve never been to the small town in leafy south Cheshire, it’s not quite everything you think when you think Cheshire. There aren’t any historic Tudor buildings lining the streets, there’s no salt, silk or cheese in Crewe either. Crewe does draw comparisons with smaller town and villages in Cheshire, in that you’ll probably spot a Bentley driving round the streets, (that isn’t because John Stones, Harry Maguire or other footballers playing for United or City are nipping to the corner shop in their super cars like they may be in nearby Alderly Edge). It’s because Crewe is home to Bentley and the luxurious motors are made here, so they’re probably being test driven around the testing potholed streets of Crewe.
Crewe is famous for it’s railway junction on the West Coast Main Line as a halfway stop between London and Glasgow similarly half way between Birmingham and Manchester. The Grand Junction as it’s known as sees around 3.4 million people with about 1.2 million changing at Crewe Station. But it’s not just famous for fast cars and trains, Crewe is home to Whitby Morrison, one of the worlds largest manufacturers of Ice Cream Vans, Mornflake Oats, a cereal producer who’s products can be found in shops up and down the UK, once home to Rolls Royce motors prior to Bentley and a previous home to Owl Telescopes which can be found across the coast of the UK. The people of Crewe are proud of this, every time we walk past an ice cream van abroad we check for the Whitby Morrison nameplate, every time we see a Bentley there’s a sense of pride that is was made where we call home, when we see a blue telescope we know where it was made and when you get off the A500 the sweet smell of oats filters through the car and you know you’re home.
Crewe mirrors towns up and down the country, still hanging on by it’s fingertips to its industrial heritage, a multicultural town trying to diversify and one that is proud gritty northern town. Our football team Crewe Alexandra is renowned across the UK for it’s investment in it’s academy well before the “big teams” realised that it can provide a solid financial base for a football club as well as talent that can help a small northern club survive in the football league, a privilege other nearby clubs have not been able relish.(Tranmere, Stockport, Chester, Wrexham and Macclesfield have all YoYo’d in and out)
As a 31 year old Crewe Fan I have held season tickets on and off over the years due to work commitments at the weekends and have invested once again this season in the hope that we are able to attend games when the season restarts. Success is generally measured by trophies and as a Crewe fan we can boast of 2 in the last decade, we had two terrific back to back seasons visiting Wembley and winning on both occasions. Firstly the 2011/12 League Two Playoff Final and then the 2012/13 Football League Trophy (The Johnstone’s Paint Trophy as it was known then). Our highest ever finish was 11th in the old first division in 1997/98 Season, what is now the Championship, the same season Man City, Stoke City and Reading were all relegated out of said league into Division Two (League One).
Maybe success is measured by who has played for you and what they’ve gone on to achieve and the list is a long one from Dean Ashton, Neil Lennon, David Platt, Danny Murphy, Robbie Savage all the way to Denis McGarrigle. The latter being the biggest star I view to have played for Crewe, my late Grandfather.
The moniker of Crewe Alexandra is “The Railwaymen” due to the towns historic association to the rail industry and the grounds proximity to the railway and railway station itself. A lofted ball or wayward shot over the “family stand” is likely to be popped on the tracks by a passing train, no point in sending a steward to fetch them.
Remembering the industrial heritage of Crewe is a sense of great pride and while there are so many other things about the town to be proud of, it’s a reminder to every England fan the majority of football fans have a sense of pride in their town for whatever reason, it’s their home and home to many others. Many of whom were probably born there, will continue to live there and when their time comes will die there.
Of course it’s great to drink a frappe latte cappuccino while pacing across a pavilion on your way to the high rise office suite. But next time you dream it’s coming home and sing it from the top of your lungs, just remember where home is, it’s the local butty bar that knows what you’re going to order for breakfast or the landlord that’s started pulling your pint as you opened the door to the boozer.
It’s not a bad thing to be proud of coming home, especially as an England football fan.
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