Preview: Crawley Town Set for Local Pre-Season Test at Three Bridges
Crawley Town continue their pre-season preparations on Tuesday night (July 8) as they make the short trip to face local neighbours Three Bridges at Jubilee Field.
Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images
Scott Lindsey's side will be looking to build match fitness and momentum after opening their pre-season campaign with a 3–1 defeat to Scottish Premiership side Hearts in Spain last week. New signing Louis Flower found the net in that game, offering a positive takeaway despite the result.
However, with no official line-ups released, many Crawley supporters were left in the dark about who featured. That won't be the case this time, with team sheets expected to be made public ahead of the Three Bridges clash, giving fans a clearer picture of the squad's early development.
Jubilee Field will be a familiar setting for the Reds, having used the redeveloped ground as a training venue earlier this year. Lindsey has previously praised both the facilities and the hospitality of the host club.
"The 3G pitch is outstanding there," Lindsey said. "I don't know if you've been down, but it looks amazing when you drive in — and it's just as impressive when you're on it. The people there are lovely."
With that in mind, Tuesday's game presents another opportunity for Crawley's players to gain valuable minutes ahead of their League Two campaign, which kicks off on August 2 against Grimsby Town.
Their opponents, Three Bridges, play four divisions below in the Isthmian League South East Division, where they finished eighth last season. The sides last met in 2023, with Crawley securing a 2–1 victory. Danilo Orsi scored a first-half brace before the hosts pulled one back in the 75th minute.
Ben Radcliffe in action. Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images
Manager Scott Lindsey opted to field two different line-ups in each half during that encounter — a strategy he is likely to repeat this time around as he continues to assess his squad and build match sharpness.
That rotation gave valuable minutes to a wide group of players — a necessity after a summer of major squad turnover. It's been a busy off-season at Broadfield Stadium, with eight new arrivals and 12 departures already confirmed. That figure doesn't include the release of Jeremy Kelly or the return of several loanees to their parent clubs — all signalling the emergence of a new-look Reds side.
Among the key departures are first-team players Armando Quitirna, Toby Mullarkey, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Panutche Camara, and Will Swan. However, it's the exit of Benjamin Tanimu — rumoured to be the club's record signing — that has raised the most eyebrows, with questions still lingering over the reasoning behind his original recruitment.
Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images
With anticipation building, supporters will get their first look at Crawley's new recruits on Tuesday, with several fresh faces expected to feature for the first time — including Dion Pereira, Kabongo Tshimanga, Harry McKirdy, Danny Cashman, Louis Flower, Harvey Davies, and Reece Brown.
Kick-off at Jubilee Field is scheduled for 7:45 pm, and fans can watch the action live by purchasing a ticket for £10 on Three Bridges' official website.