Crawley Town co-owner apologises to fans for 'crazy' comment but says criticism shouldn't 'cross the line into harassment'

On the Live Twitter Space event called titled Shilly + Frens: Can a web3 community drop the song of the summer? some Reds fans also joined to have their say. A number of Crawley Town fans joined with one asking: “Where’s Preston, when are you selling?” Preston, talking to the host Shwaz: “You are just going to get crazy Crawley fans at this point.”

The fan then said: “Preston, when are you selling? WAGMI Out”. The fans were then ejected from the Twitter Space. You can read the full story here.

This caused a reaction from Reds fans on social media with one fan saying: “said: “Being called losers and crazy and generally slating the fans is not on at all. Not going to win back the fans that way @crawleytown @SportsCheetah.”

Fans have been demanding to hear from them following a season of turmoil which saw them have five managers and finished just three points off relegation. Also since Christmas we have seen experienced and fan favourite players leave the club such as Tom Nichols, Glenn Morris, Jake Hessenthaler, James Tilley and George Francomb, among others.

SEE ALSO Crawley Town boss 'really pleased' with the transfer business the club is doing - and there are more signings to come | 'I want to concentrate on the players who are going to play for Crawley' - Crawley Town boss after his reaction to Portsmouth defeat is discussed by ex-Arsenal star on talkSPORT

But there has been little if no communication from anyone at WAGMI United in recent months and this comment appeared to further strain the relationship.

We reached out to Johnson and he gave use this statement. He said: “Yesterday, in a live online discussion about a topic unrelated to the club, I misspoke and used a careless word that I should not have in response to a Crawley fan who attempted to interject and direct the conversation away from its intended purpose. I apologize for this mistake and any offense it may have caused to Crawley supporters.

“I understand and appreciate that some Crawley fans are upset with the club’s performance last season. They are well within their rights to feel that way. To be honest, I feel that way too. I am more than happy to take responsibility for the decisions we have made and accept any fair-minded criticism that comes with it. That’s part of my job as Co-Chairman.”

Earlier in the season, Johnson revealed he had received death threats as well as his family being threatened but he knows most of the Crawley fans have acted respectfully towards them. He added: “It is also important that we do not allow such fair-minded criticism to cross the line into harassment. In my experience, the vast majority of Crawley supporters have always conducted themselves with respect and decency, even when we may disagree. I would encourage all of us to follow their lead as we work to move the club forward. This is one of the reasons we’ve been regularly meeting with the CTSA to address fan concerns.

“With a new season upon us, my hope is that we can collectively put all of our energy and effort behind supporting Scott and the players, who are putting in the hard work on the pitch every day to give Reds fans something to cheer about on 5 August and beyond."