Crawley Town have been slammed by fans for sacking a much loved volunteer for what has been described to be a ‘derogatory’ tweet.
Carol Bates BEM had served the club for eight years, but it was a post on Twitter that led to the decision to end the volunteer’s tenure.
The founder of Crawley Old Girls also looked after the mascots on matchdays on weekends and weekday evenings.
Carol, who was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2021, took to social media to give her views on a new survey the club was asking fans to fill in as part of a brand identity research project.
She took issue with some of the questions fans had to answer: “And this is why you get in a CEO who knows about English football & the EFL. Someone who would know not to ask these questions to football fans. And, no, we don’t need to create a new mascot, we have a perfectly good Red Devil, after our nickname. My God.”
Crawley Town rebrand questionnaire put to fans described as ‘one of the worst things ever read’
Awful way to treat somebody who’s given devoted 8 years of her life to the club as a volunteer, and more as a fan.
Hope whoever owns Crawley next, reinstates Carol and offers her a paid role.#WAGMIOUT https://t.co/7rJrnIdlo7
— Gabriel Sutton (@GabSutton) January 18, 2025
And this is why you get in a CEO who knows about English football & the EFL. Someone who would know not to ask these questions to football fans. 🙄 And, no, we don’t need to create a new mascot, we have a perfectly good Red Devil, after our nickname. My God. 🤦🏼♀️ https://t.co/xZRLA1spUO pic.twitter.com/0bUbkMi6vp
— Carol Bates BEM (@CarolBates) January 16, 2025
CEO and co-owner Preston Johnson said in response to her tweet: “we’re using a (UK) brand identity firm that focuses specifically on football clubs. They know a lot more than me, you’re right. Some good points made nonetheless these questions are truly devastating. We’ll run them by you before we post the next one.”
Carol replied to Preston: “Truly devastating” is being sarcastic. I was just being factual. As a football fan of many years, the questions highlighted, imo, just don’t belong in a survey about our Club. You don’t need to run them by me, that’s what the CTSA can help you with. They know.”
Carol Bates BEM tweeted after the Burton game at the weekend: “For the last 8 years I have looked after the mascots at Crawley Town, on a voluntary basis, for the Club I love and have spent time, not only on a match day but evenings and weekends to make it a good experience.
‘Last evening, the night before a big game, I was informed… in a phone call that “my voluntary services were being terminated”. This was due to a tweet I made and I was told I had been derogatory about the Club, notwithstanding that there were many other tweets agreeing with me. The Club I love and have supported for many years… which I want to be thriving and successful. No warning that I shouldn’t have given an opinion, just a quick call and immediate termination of my voluntary services. I didn’t have a contract or code of conduct and have previously shared the same opinion with no feedback…
“I’ve loved looking after the mascots for 8 years and have always had good feedback. That won’t be happening again now. I’ve always been polite & respectful when I’ve volunteered and always communicated with people within 24 hours of an email at evenings and weekends…
“Anyway, I’m gutted I wasn’t able to turn up today and look after the mascots after only speaking to the parents a few days ago.
“Back to own clothes and being on the terrace at 2.50 instead of 3.02.
“One tweet, 8 years loyal service, just gone.”
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A CTSA statement said: “The CTSA would like to express their disappointment that Carol Bates BEM has been removed from her position as mascot volunteer.
“We would also like to thank her on behalf of all the Crawley Town supporters for her time, hard work and dedication as a volunteer ensuring that mascots experienced a fantastic time at Crawley Town FC.
“Here is just one of many positive reviews Carol received in her role as a mascot volunteer; ‘You couldn’t have been more welcoming and the experience wouldn’t have been anything like it was without you!’
“Her invaluable contributions to the match day experience for hundreds of children over many years will be sorely missed.”
As mentioned, Crawley Town have been slammed by fans for sacking much loved volunteer for ‘derogatory’ tweet…
@blosdacat: @KieranMaguire does this demonstrate the actions of a well run club ? Be great for you to discuss on the podcast…. @CarolBates you don’t deserve this.. shame on the club treating you like this..
@GravityDartss: Care to explain the decision @SportsCheetah, @crawleytown? You know, in the spirit of club transparency and communication.
@salopcast: Sorry to read this Carol, volunteers are the backbone of so many lower league and non league clubs. I hope they come to their senses. Sounds like you were doing a grand job.
@SouthwaterJA_PE: Thank you for all your help over the years. Whenever we as a school, or my grassroots teams got the opportunity we absolutely loved it, so thank you 🙏 Gutted it’s ended this way for you!
@KB127: They’ll be gone soon enough, Carol. Very likely leaving some kind of mess behind, as so many do. Those actions perhaps give a clue as to how worthwhile it is filling in a survey!
@Katiedu52055646: This makes me really sad! My mum said to me today oh where is Carol😢
@darren_rundle: Internet’s team finally getting their moment in the limelight.. ultimately at the cost of the removal of a willing VOLUNTEER who has served the club through thick and thin.. when you think decision making can’t be any worse, this happens…. WAGMI you are truly one of a kind 🤡
@limbach_tim: I really feel for you. I was in a similar position as a volunteer at my local hospital and all of a sudden they decided that they didn’t need me and it has made an enormous hole in my life. The problem with being a volunteer is that you have no contract, no rights.
@PictonPedro: We live in strange times. I bet if a coach or player posted a similar tweet, there would be a discussion and the post deleted. Bang out of order @crawleytown
@SamCosham: As hard as it is, you don’t want to have to work with someone like him. Flaunting his powers unnecessarily. Many, many fans agreed with you, the questions were very daft. Onwards and upwards!
@missinver: That’s disgraceful. Football clubs need to appreciate the volunteers who have stood by them through thick and thin.
@Shofficetales: Own goal of epic proportions by the current club owners. They do well to realise they are custodians only.
@redzbarchat: Sorry to hear this Carol, the way good people who give up their time to help make this club special are being cast off like they are nothing, is disgusting. Thank you for all your efforts, at least you can get back to having a drink on matchday, which is needed 🤣
@JohnIceAgency: That’s terrible! Was it a decision by the club as a whole of one person within the club? Decisions like this surely break down the link between club and community?
@kyleachan: Don’t let it dissolve your love for the club. We are still in recovery from a charlatan running our club (Dundee Utd), but good times will return. @SportsCheetah sounds way out of touch on this one (both ridiculous survey & decision) and should undo his decision. Hang in there 🤞🏼
@OlivercarpDavid: Sorry to hear that Carol after you have giving up 8 years of your time A shame the owners don’t care about the club as much as they care about social media you wouldn’t have bad comments if you ran the club properly it just bad decisions one after another all the time
@wesleysniper998: First of all, applause to Carol Bates for the hard work she put in 🫶,it’s shocking how WAGMI is running this club. How disengaged they are with fans & people who care about this club. Wow, we still have some loose professionals running this club. All the best
@LiamBr182: Sorry to hear this Carol! Club was lucky to have you 👊
@wiseandpithy: U are the Lifeblood of a lower league team. The club know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
@xSussexBlondex: Really sorry to hear this. Just because volunteers are unpaid it doesn’t make them worthless, it makes them priceless
@bwhitaker10: She had a point though.
@J_Atkinson60: So sorry you find yourself in this position. You have unintentionally pissed someone off. But you’re the bigger person if you go and stand on the terraces, you are obviously a true fan to the core.
@gordonbsimpson: Was it about the daft”survey”? Do you have American owners now or just an American CEO? I sympathise! They can be good for a club but they have to understand the culture of the club and not try to impose their own ways. They will be lucky to find such a dedicated replacement.
@TomCarter009: @SportsCheetah This is poor from you mate
@eleanorlee: This is awful Carol! You looked after my son so well & truly made his mascot experience last year. What an awful way to be treated.
@Shakyshakes1980: Awful way to be treated. Sounds like your best off out of it – hopefully you’ll get a new owner who treats fans with respect.
@PetekalhanP: Awful decision. Hope someone sees sense and gets you reinstated and maybe even pays you. Sadly, think the egos and lunatics have taken over.
@markvarley: Sorry to hear this Carol. Having read the original tweet that triggered Preston, you are very correct. He mentions working with a specialist branding consultancy. Sadly not a good one, if they haven’t a clue who the audience / customer base is, by asking those daft questions.
@LaurenyWebster: I’m not even a Crawley fan but looking at your post last night and seeing the one sarcastic reply back from who I think it the chairman shows you exactly who made the decision. He’s obviously intimidated by your knowledge and his small man syndrome took over.. shame on him
@mrpaulmilligan: Another awful decision by Wagmi, to add to the 100s of other awful ones they’ve already made. Are they that fragile that one (non-abusive) tweet has upset them that much to take this action??? It’s incredibly petty.
@srn15111961: Oh Carol what a great shame. Social media is such a sensitive area and full of danger….
@simonsmsmith: Sorry to hear Carol. Unfortunately the club will never really progress until we see the back of these people, no experience of football/EFL, no understanding of the club and clearly no idea how to deal with people. Keep your pride intact for the next regime.
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