Rob Elliott, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to join Crawley Town from Gateshead, has been named the team’s new manager.
Reds have appointed quickly in the wake of Scott Lindsey’s move to MK Dons. Early on, Elliot was favored for the position, and on Tuesday, it was reported that the two teams.
Louis Storey, who will take on the position of assistant manager, and Antony Sweeney, who will become a first-team coach, will be joining the 38-year-old. Both Louis and Antony were members of the Gateshead coaching staff, which is presently ranked fifth in the National League.
Prior to starting his coaching profession, Elliot had a highly prosperous playing career as a goalkeeper. Elliot had stints with Charlton Athletic, Bishop’s Stortford, Notts County, and Accrington Stanley before joining Newcastle United, where he played for the Magpies for nine productive years.
In August 2022, Elliot left his playing career to become the Technical Director at Gateshead. Elliot also supported Mike Williamson, the manager at the time, for the 2021–2022 season. Williamson left the team in October 2023, and Elliot was appointed interim manager of the team.
With Gateshead, Elliot had a great season ending as he won the Isuzu FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium and led his team to a sixth-place finish. In June 2024, the former Premier League goalkeeper was then announced as the team’s permanent manager.
Elliot stated, “When the opportunity came about, it was impossible to turn down,” after signing the agreement. We had a really nice talk with the proprietors after I heard there might be some interest. I can’t wait to work with these individuals on the training field because I find their style of play to be so intriguing.
“We couldn’t be more assured and optimistic to have Rob stepping into this crucial role at such an important moment for Crawley Town Football Club,” Chairman Preston Johnson remarked in reference to Elliot’s appointment. We naturally started our due diligence by consulting with a number of possible candidates once Scott informed us of his decision to leave the club, but it soon became apparent to us that Rob is the ideal fit.
“We’ve had a great year so far, and Rob knows what it will take to keep improving because he’s been a player for a long time and recently took over as manager at Gateshead. His playing style, in our opinion, will provide consistency and be extremely advantageous to our players as they proceed with the present League One season, both on the field and in the locker room.
To be clear, though, Rob will not be taking over as Scott Lindsey 2.0. We’ve brought him on board because he’s a driven young coach with a wealth of independent experience and knowledge. He also has a forward-thinking, data-driven style of play that will help him make the best decisions for the team and align with our values as an ownership group. While staying up this season is undoubtedly our top priority, and we think Rob offers us the best chance to do so, this appointment is also about establishing long-term, sustainable success.
In the days to come, I’m excited to collaborate with Rob and his team as we seek for every way to take the club to even higher levels in the upcoming months and years.
Ben Gladwin and Steve Hafner will continue to be in charge for the match against Mansfield Town this evening.
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