Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of the town's links with the rail industry, and also commonly known as 'The Alex', they have played at their current Gresty Road location (adjacent to the sites of two previous grounds) since 1906. The supporters' fiercest rivalry is with Staffordshire-based side Port Vale.

The club was formed in 1877 and named after Princess Alexandra. They entered the Football Alliance league in 1889, before becoming founding members of the Football League Second Division in 1892. However they failed to be re-elected into the Football League after finishing bottom of the division in 1895–96. They spent the next three seasons in the Lancashire League, before spending ten years competing in the Birmingham & District League. They spent the 1910s in The Central League, before they were invited to join the newly created Football League Third Division North in 1921, where they spent the following 37 years. After three consecutive last-place Third Division North finishes, they were placed in the newly formed Fourth Division, and went on to achieve their first promotion after securing a third-place finish in 1962–63. Immediately relegated, they were promoted again in 1967–68, but again lasted just one season in the Third Division.

Crewe spent 20 years struggling in the fourth tier, being forced to apply for re-election on seven occasions, before their fortunes were revived under manager Dario Gradi, who secured promotion at the end of the 1988–89 campaign. Relegated after two seasons, they were again promoted in 1993–94, and after two unsu