Kazim-Richards tells Crawley to stop being ‘scared’ of mistakes before trip to leaders Salford
Thursday 15 October 2026 · By Owen Darbyshire
Crawley Town’s next game could hardly be tougher. The bottom club travel to leaders Salford City on Saturday, without one of their most reliable defenders and still looking for a second league win of the season. Colin Kazim-Richards believes his players’ biggest problem is fear.
“I think sometimes we try to play a certain way. We try to be line-breaking and, for whatever reason, it’s there where we’re scared to make the mistake rather than make the mistake and just deal with it,” Kazim-Richards told the Sussex Express after last weekend’s 2–2 draw with Chesterfield. “We make a mistake, come in at half time or at the end of the game and we apologise - get over it.”
That draw showed the character he wants. Crawley were 2–0 down before substitute Gianmarco Di Biase scored twice, the first from the penalty spot, to earn their first home point of the season. Kazim-Richards said the comeback “answered a lot of questions from outside” about his team’s mentality.
The bad news is that defender Akin Odimayo will miss the Salford game. He was stretchered off in the 37th minute against Chesterfield. “AK doesn’t look great,” Kazim-Richards told BBC Radio Sussex. “Normally I don’t come in and say that to you guys, but there’s no chance of him playing the next [game]. So, I might as well be honest with you guys.”
He was full of praise for the defender. “He was a rock today, an absolute rock,” he said. Charlie Barker moved into the back line after the injury and Hull loanee Nathan Tinsdale came on. Kazim-Richards said Tinsdale, 21, “gave a really good account”, and the midfielder almost won the game in stoppage time.
Crawley are still 24th with five points from eight games, three points from safety. Kazim-Richards faced chants from some home supporters at 2–0 down last weekend, but he was positive about the point. “In terms of progress, in terms of the guys’ belief in there, it’s a good point,” he said. “This week, we’ve gone two games [and] we haven’t lost.” That run includes a 4–0 EFL Trophy win over Bromley.
He knows Salford are in form. Peter Cklamovski’s side have won four league games in a row. “Salford are in a good moment,” Kazim-Richards said. “But as I’ve said all the time, this league is full of teams that can beat everyone, from top to bottom. Everyone can beat everyone.”
Crawley still have games in hand. Their postponed trip to Walsall, called off on 3 October, still has no new date.
After Saturday’s 3pm kick-off at Salford, Crawley have two home games. Shrewsbury visit on Tuesday 20 October (7.45pm), and Tranmere come on Saturday 24 October. They then travel to Oldham on Saturday 31 October.
Those home games may matter more than Salford. But a good performance against the leaders would give Kazim-Richards’ young side some belief.
Broadfield Stadium is a compact, purpose-built ground on Winfield Way (RH11 9RX), just off the A23 at the southern edge of Crawley. Opened in 1997 after the club left Town Mead, it holds 6,134 and remains one of the smaller Football League venues. For visiting supporters that compactness is the point: you are close to the pitch, the walk from the away turnstiles is short, and the atmosphere is usually good-natured rather than hostile.
Away fans are housed in the covered North Stand terrace behind the northern goal, with extra seated tickets often sold in the northern slice of the East Stand. The terrace can be split depending on numbers, so a small following may only get the north-west corner while a large one takes the whole end. Both areas are covered. The South Stand opposite is the home terrace and tends to hold Crawley’s most vocal support. Along the sides, the West Stand is the raised main stand — offices, shop, changing rooms, dugouts and hospitality — and runs only about two-thirds of the pitch. The East Stand, added in 2012, is a full-length seated stand used mainly by home fans and families, plus that away seated pocket at the north end.
By car, leave the M23 at Junction 11 (Pease Pottage), follow signs for the stadium and you are there in a couple of minutes. On-site parking for visiting supporters is limited; coaches drop at the north end near the Away Fan Zone. Street parking exists on Brighton Road and nearby residential streets, but arrive early on bigger games. Crawley station is a little over a mile away: turn left from the station, left again onto Brighton Road and walk south, using the underpass to cross the A23. Allow 20–25 minutes on foot.
The Away Fan Zone sits next to the north turnstiles and is open before kick-off and at half-time, with hot food, soft drinks and alcohol when the licence allows. Inside, expect the usual pies, burgers, hot dogs and tea bars. Toilets are basic but close to the away end. Turnstiles typically open about an hour before kick-off (sometimes earlier for bigger fixtures). Tickets are best bought in advance through your own club; matchday sales, when available, are often card only. Prices vary by competition, but standing in the North Stand is usually a couple of pounds cheaper than an East Stand seat.
Views from the North terrace are decent if you get reasonably high; the roof is low, which helps the noise but can feel tight when the allocation is full. Pillars in the East Stand can spoil a few seats, so if you have a choice of numbered seats check before you pick. The pitch is grass. A digital scoreboard sits on the North Stand, so away fans looking the other way rely on phones or the PA.
Crawley is not a city-centre ground. The nearest pubs with a mixed or away-friendly reputation are closer to the station and town — The Railway on Brighton Road is a common mention — rather than immediately outside the gates. Many travelling fans now use the official Away Fan Zone instead of walking into town. Stewards are generally straightforward; segregation is clear but the ground is small enough that you will hear the home end throughout.
Practical notes: kiosks are largely card-based, so do not rely on cash. Blue-badge parking is limited and should be booked via the club. Disabled away spaces are few, so contact the ticket office well ahead. Bags may be searched. The club shop is on the West Stand side, which visiting fans usually cannot reach once inside the away section, so buy merchandise before you go through the turnstiles if you want it.
Broadfield will not dazzle you with architecture, but it is easy to reach from the motorway, simple to navigate, and close enough to the pitch that a decent away following can be heard. Get there early, use the north-end facilities, and you will have a straightforward League day out in West Sussex.