'A very special club' - Meet the man behind the amazing videos at Crawley Town as he prepares to say goodbye after four years

Whether it be beating Premier League Leeds United 3-0 in the FA Cup, being taken over by a US consortium or just escaping relegation from League Two, it’s always been a rollercoaster ride following the Reds.

But one person who has been through it all in that time – and helped capture it on video and keep the fans up to date with unrivalled content – is Charlie Palethorpe.

The 25-year-old from Burgess Hill started at the club in 2019 on a voluntary basis before turning full-time in 2021. Fans, staff and opponents alike have all praised Charlie for his content but next week when Crawley host Crewe Alexandra at the Broadfield Stadium, they will all be waving goodbye to him.

The Brighton and Hove Albion fan is moving up north as he becomes the content creator for Preston North End. He will be sorely missed by everyone. Manager Scott Lindsey told us: "I love Charlie, he’s a brilliant person for the football club, he is there working hard every day. He’s in his chair every day cutting and editing and always putting out really good content for the football club. We will miss him. I know for a fact Preston North End have got a real good person in Charlie.”

Mark Dunford, Head of Sport for SussexWorld.co.uk, said: “I watch a lot of content from football clubs all across the spectrum and it’s hard to find anyone who puts out content as good as Charlie’s. He’s been a huge asset to the club and great help to me and the Crawley Observer.”

We caught up with Charlie and asked a few questions about his time at Crawley Town and looked ahead to his new role at Preston North End.

How does it feel to he leaving Crawley? How much are you going to miss the place? I am going to miss Crawley a lot! Crawley is a very special club, everyone that works behind the scenes put the hours in week in week out to make sure the club runs how it does. From General Manager Tom Allman, Harry Maynard the football operations manager, Sam Gadsdon the head of media, Katie Lampey in the ticket office, Clare James the club secretary and Pete Reynolds and Ben Harwood the kit team! The office is always extremely positive and puts it all into the club.

Have you seen our new show Gull-Mouth Action where we discuss all things Brighton and Hove Albion and Crawley Town? Watch it on Shots TV here – or Freeview channel 276.

People seem to genuinely love your content, how nice is it to read the feedback from fans? It’s lovely to read the feedback from the fans. We always try to put out content that they want to see. I’ve got to know a lot of them over the years and I still speak to a lot of them before each game! It’s a great club to work for as you really feel a part of the tight knit community here.

You have been through some pretty turbulent times with the club, what have been your standout moments? I think their are two stand out moments for me during my time at Crawley, the first being Leeds at home during covid in the FA Cup. To be able to capture one of the most historic days for the club was special and it was fantastic to see. The buzz around the town was amazing after the result. But my personal favourite moment was the victory at Hartlepool United last season. I filmed Scott Lindsey’s pre-match meeting at the hotel before the match, and it was incredible to see the spirit and passion of the team. You just knew we weren’t going to lose that game from that moment! The scenes at full time were incredibly special and I may have got caught up in the moment when Dom scored the 2nd goal!

What part of your job did you enjoy most? My favourite part of the job has been getting to know everyone that works at the club and supports the club. It’s great to get to know the players and staff as people, rather than just putting a camera in their face from the off! The club is full of fantastic characters and to be able to produce behind the scenes content showcasing this is a dream job.

Are there any players that standout for you as particularly good in front of camera or who just love the camera? One man jumps out instantly, and that is Dom Telford! Dom was fantastic with the media last season and he is an even better guy. One of the nicest guys in football, the Christmas video we filmed with him and Nick Tsaroulla was one of the funniest things I’ve been a part of! Kwesi Appiah and Danilo Orsi have also been fantastic for us when it comes to filming content, they are always up for it.

How much are you going to miss the fans? I will miss my pre-match chats with all of them. Carl and Pat in the west stand, Tester and Carol in the terrace, they are all always chatty. I will definitely be back as a fan myself and I look forward to catching up with them all again soon!

You are off to Preston North End, a big change, how much you looking forward to it? I am very much looking forward to it! It is a historic club with a great fan base, so I’m looking forward to trying the best I can to produce more work that the fans will enjoy. The people up there have been so helpful and they have an extremely talented team on and off the pitch. I’m also looking forward to moving up north, it will be sad to move away from my friends and family, but it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do and it’s an opportunity I am incredibly grateful to Preston for giving me.

What's it been like working with Scott and the current squad? It seems pretty special at the moment. Scott Lindsey is an incredible manager, what he has done with this club is incredibly special. From how he steered the club to safety to becoming one of the best footballing sides in the division, he has done a phenomenal job. You can see from his interviews and his meetings, he demands the very best from everyone and he has changed the club’s mentality around. He is also great to deal with and always engages with the media! The current squad is also brilliant, credit goes to everyone involved in the recruitment this summer. There is so much talent in amongst the squad now and every person at the club is a great character too. Everyone gets on so well with one another and you can see the hard work and chemistry amongst the group is paying off.

See a picture special of Charlie’s time at Crawley Town in the Crawley Observer – edition Wednesday, October 18.