Crawley Down Gatwick Football Club

04/09/2025 - Anvils 18's 1 Balham 18's 1

FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round

U18's fought out a good battle with Balham not much to choose betwen the sides throughout.

Balham went 1 up 2nd Half and the Anvils drew level with a goal from Finley Wigmore on 85mins 1-1

Balham won the Penalty Shootout 4-2 and go on to play Leatherhead in the next round.

02/09/2025 - Tue: 2nd Sep 25: CDG 3 AFC Walcountians 1 PB Cup R2

Anvils through in the 2nd Rd of the Peter Bentlley League cup with a 3-1 win.

Walcountians went ahead on 20mins and were on top most of the 1st Half.

2nd half the Anvils took control and scored 3 times through Oil Leslie 2 and Jake Neaves.

Anvils home to Newhaven in the 3rd Rd

Programme published on our website on the day of the game. Programme

30/08/2025 - Sat: 30th Aug 25 CDG 2 v 3 Haywards Hth Town

Anvils suffer another defeat this time against Table Toppers Haywards Heath Town but they didn't have it all their own way. A bad start let in HH after just 2mins and CDG were under pressure for most of the 1st Half with HH doubling their lead before HT.

2nd half CDG competed much better and a goal on 55mins got the match back to 1-2. Heath then scored a few mins later 1-3 but the Anvils came back with Oli getting a second on 66 mins to make it 2-3. Pressure from the Anvils for the rest of the half but Heath held out for the win.

Programme published on our website on the day of the game. Programme

29/08/2025 - Anvils Junior Pathways really do work

Anvils Junior Pathways really do work

Article by CDGFC Junior Coordinator Howard Griggs

News a couple of weeks ago that Lewis Gould, one of our first team players from last season, had signed a one-year contract with League One side Barnsley was fantastic for so many reasons. It came hot on the heels of Joe Emery, who played for our junior teams, making his first team debut for Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup against Bolton Wanderers and Tito Salaam, a first team regular at 18 last season, joining professional side Sutton United.

All these examples are, first and foremost, wonderful news for those individuals and their families. What they also do, though, is to show that Crawley Down Gatwick offers a genuine pathway for young players. As someone who is going into his 17th season coaching in the junior section here, I am proud of the way this club has developed. We now have 28 teams in this club which comprises the men’s first team, U18s sides for men and women, plus 25 teams or training groups for boys and girls from U16s down to U5s.

I have always been a strong advocate for the junior section but it has to have a purpose and this is the two-fold purpose as I see it: to provide a safe and caring environment to play football for boys and girls who want to enjoy the game; to provide a pathway from junior football to the first team and higher if they are capable of it. Both those purposes are equally important.

There have been a few cases of Crawley Down players in the past joining professional clubs, but not too many. Mitch Walker played in goal for our junior teams and later made his professional debut for Brighton and Hove Albion in a League One game against Yeovil Town in 2010. Mitch is still playing now for Dover Athletic at the age of 33. Before that, Adam Aylward went to Chesterfield and Robbie Collins to Crawley Town. On the girls’ front, Jodie Jacobs went on to play for Chelsea and West Ham after playing for Crawley Down, while two girls I coached left us after U13s to join professional clubs: Hannah Plumb was signed by Brighton and Hove Albion and subsequently played for West Ham U21s, while Rhianna Major went to Charlton Athletic.

What we have done at the club in recent years is to emphasise the second part of my ‘two-fold purpose’, which is to offer that pathway to the first team and beyond. Lewis Gould and Joe Emery, both played in the junior sides run by first team coach Martin Benetar. In fact, Gould was in our U18s squad that won the Sussex Cup in April 2024 alongside current first team squad members Jake Neaves and Alex Tidy. Fellow first teamers Callum Kilkenny and Alex Bellingham have also played for our junior sides.

While all still young themselves, these players are an inspiration to the next generation because what this does is that is shows players currently with our junior sides that there is a pathway to senior football at Crawley Down Gatwick if they work hard and have the ability to match it. Even more so, Lewis Gould’s professional contract shows ambitious young players they do not have to go elsewhere if they want to follow in his footsteps.

There are currently players I have coached in our youngest groups who I know have real ability for their age group. Of course, there is a long way to go between where they are now and playing for the first team here at Crawley Down Gatwick but the message is clear: the pathway is there for boys in our club and, once we have launched the women’s first team, the pathway will be there too for girls. These are exciting times for everyone at Crawley Down Gatwick.

HOWARD GRIGGS

19/08/2025 - Tue 19th Aug: CDG 1 Eastbourne Utd 1

Another very tight game v Eastbourne Utd with the Anvils starting the brightest in the 1st period and produced the best chances to get in front. 2nd Half EBU started on top and deservedly went ahead on 55mins and they continued to press for most of the half. However the last 10 mins the Anvils started to get back  on top and after a few missed chances they finally scored through Jack Ryder on 90+3 after racing through and slotting the ball home. In the end overall a fair result at 1-1

12/08/2025 - Tue 12th Aug: Anvils Draw 2-2 v Newhaven

Anvils on song for this one with both teams playing some good football throughout.

Anvils scored first through Sammy Clements with an unstopable header before Newhaven drew level just before HT 1-1

2nd half both sides played some impressive football. Anvils took the lead again just after the restart with another excellent header from Sammy Clements 2-1. Newhaven were awarded a penalty just after but Alex Bellingman made an excellent save low down to his right. However Newhaven equalised on 73 mins. Both teams had further chances to win the game in the last 15mins and it could have gone either way but both defences took charge and the game ended in a 2-2 Draw

09/08/2025 - Sat 09/08/25: Shoreham 2 Anvils 0

Anvils are still struggling with form and although the sides were evenly matched shoreham took their chances.

29/07/2025 - Sat 02/08/25: Lancing 1 Anvils 0 FA Cup Ex Prel Rd

You can never predict how well or not, results will go in the FA Cup and this match didn't disappoint in that respect.

Anvils started well but fell behind after just 4 mins when Lancing scored in what was their 1st attack and somehow the ball ended up in the back of the Anvil net after a ping pong session to put Lancing one up. The two sides had very different tactics with the Lancing hit and rush long ball winning the day against the play out from the back at all costs from the Anvils. So loads of Anvils possession with little clear cut action up front losing out to the long ball Lancers having more chances up front with the continuous supply of long balls. The match overall was a fairly even contest with both sides having many opportunities to win the game. 

Good luck to Lancing in the next round.

26/06/2024 - 1st Team Management Announcement

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MARTIN BENETAR WILL JOIN THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM OF DEAN BLACKMORE, JAMES DAY, MATT CRANE AND RICHARD HUGHES (NOT PICTURED).

MANAGER JAMES SAID 'I'M DELIGHTED THAT MARTIN HAS AGREED TO STEP UP FROM LAST SEASONS U18'S AND BECOME PART OF THE SENIOR SET UP AS A FIRST TEAM COACH. NOT ONLY HAS HE BROUGHT A GREAT DEAL OF SUCCESS TO THE CLUB WITH THE U18'S, HE ALSO BRINGS WITH HIM A WEALTH OF FOOTBALL KNOWLEDGE AND A STRONG CONNECTION WITH CRAWLEY DOWN THAT WE ARE KEEN TO MAINTAIN. MARTIN WILL COMPLIMENT THE SKILLSETS WITHIN THE EXISTING MANAGEMENT TEAM AND WE ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ALONGSIDE HIM.'

25/06/2024 - MEET THE CHAIRMAN

I AM ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED TO HAVE TAKEN ON THIS ROLE, FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SOME INCREDIBLE CHAIRMEN.

FROM 1986 WHEN I FIRST STEPPED OUT IN THE CLUB'S COLOURS, TO 2008 WHEN I HUNG UP MY PLAYING BOOTS, TO COACHING A YOUTH TEAM, THE HAVEN HAS ALWAYS FELT LIKE A SECOND HOME.

I FEEL AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF PRIDE WHEN I SEE THE 28 TEAMS WE CURRENTLY HAVE PLAYING AND SEE KIDS WHOSE PARENTS I ONCE PLAYED ALONGSIDE.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHERE THIS JOURNEY WILL TAKE US AS A CLUB AND LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THIS CLUB A PLACE FOR US ALL TO BE PROUD OF.

DAVE