Editing Crewe Alexandra F.C. (section)

==Supporters and rivalries==
===Attendances===
Crewe is the [[List of settlements in Cheshire by population|third largest town in Cheshire]]: its built-up area had a total population of 76,437 in 2021.<ref name="CPBUA">{{cite web |title=CREWE in Cheshire East (North West England) Built-up Area Subdivision |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/northwestengland/cheshire_east/E35001040__crewe/ |publisher=City Population |access-date=5 February 2023}}</ref> Founded by employees of the railway works, the club drew many of its supporters from the works, as well as residents from more rural areas surrounding the town. The club's location next to Crewe railway station has also helped supporters travel to and from games at Gresty Road. This enables many Alex fans to travel in from various nearby towns, especially in Cheshire and North Shropshire, and also further afield. From the 1920s through to the 1960s, attendances typically averaged around 6,000,<ref name="EFS">{{cite web |title=Crewe Alexandra F.C. |url=http://european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/league/crea.htm |website=European Football Statistics |access-date=24 March 2021}}</ref> but local derbies could more than double crowds: the visit of [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] on 26 October 1926 attracted 15,102, for example,<ref>Crisp, p.53.</ref> while Port Vale drew 17,883 on 21 September 1953,<ref>Crisp, p.85.</ref> Crewe's record league crowd.<ref name="EFS"/> Cup matches against major clubs such as Spurs also drew large crowds (a record 20,000 in 1960).<ref name="Crisp, pp.9, 91">Crisp, pp.9, 91.</ref> However, league attendances dwindled in the 1970s and 1980s,<ref>Morris, p.200.</ref> when seasonal averages of under 2,000 were recorded four times, with 1986-87 being lowest: 1,817;<ref name="EFS"/> just 1,009 watched a 1–1 draw with [[Peterborough United F.C.|Peterborough United]] on 4 February 1986.<ref>Crisp, p.117.</ref> Crewe's resurgence from the mid-1980s under Gradi boosted local interest, with 5,000-plus attendances increasingly common, even as Gresty Road's transition to an all-seater stadium began to restrict numbers in the late 1990s; average attendance peaked at 7,741 in 2004 during Crewe's years in the Championship.<ref name="EFS"/> League Two crowds before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020 averaged 4,580,<ref name="EFS"/> just above their all-time average, 4,576.<ref name="Smith-28Mar2021">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Peter |title=How Derby County would fare if English football clubs were ranked by their all-time attendances |url=https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derby-county-fans-pride-park-5238822 |access-date=30 March 2021 |work=Derby Telegraph |date=28 March 2021}}</ref>

Ticket prices at Gresty Road are broadly in line with other clubs' rates for all-seated areas. In the BBC's 2017 Price of Football survey, Crewe's tickets for individual League Two games cost a maximum of £22 (15 other clubs charged higher prices); the most expensive Crewe season ticket cost £325 (only one other club, [[Accrington Stanley F.C.|Accrington Stanley]], charged less for its most expensive season tickets), and its lowest priced season ticket (£280) was in the mid-range for the division.<ref name="BBC-15Nov2017">{{cite news |title=Price of Football: Full results 2017 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41482931 |access-date=14 July 2021 |work=BBC Sport |date=15 November 2017}}</ref> For the 2021–2022 season in League One, matchday tickets cost a maximum of £25.<ref name="CAFC-tickets">{{cite web |title=2021/22 League Match Ticket Prices |url=https://www.crewealex.net/tickets/home-tickets/ |website=Crewe Alexandra F.C. |access-date=14 July 2021}}</ref>

===Rivalries===
Crewe's main rivals are fellow English Football League team [[Port Vale]]. As of November 2024, the clubs have played 84 games since 1892 (8 games against Burslem Port Vale); overall, Crewe have won 20 games, Port Vale have won 40, with the teams drawing 24 games.<ref>{{cite web |title=Crewe Alexandra football club: record v Port Vale |url=https://www.11v11.com/teams/crewe-alexandra/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Port%20Vale/ |website=11 v 11 |access-date=27 November 2024}}</ref> The rivalry (known by some since the 1980s as the [[A500 road|A500]] Derby) intensified after the millennium, when both clubs were in [[Football League One|Leagues One]] and [[Football League Two|Two]], with close encounters sometimes resulting in violence and arrests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-12201606|title=Football fans charged after Crewe and Port Vale match|date=16 January 2011|work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/13-arrests-following-Port-Vale-Crewe-Alex-game/story-20167780-detail/story.html|title=13 arrests made following Port Vale and Crewe Alex game|work=Stoke Sentinel|access-date=4 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104204713/http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/13-arrests-following-Port-Vale-Crewe-Alex-game/story-20167780-detail/story.html|archive-date=4 January 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In January 2015 at Vale Park, Crewe won 1–0 to seal their first league double over Port Vale, and two arrests were made at the game, with minor disturbances between rival fans after the match.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/arrests-following-Port-Vale-s-1-0-home-defeat/story-25917916-detail/story.html |title=Two arrests following Port Vale's 1-0 home defeat to Crewe Alexandra &#124; Stoke Sentinel |access-date=26 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504211656/http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/arrests-following-Port-Vale-s-1-0-home-defeat/story-25917916-detail/story.html |archive-date=4 May 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Six arrests were made at Gresty Road during the 22 September 2018 meeting between the two sides.<ref name="Wise-24Sep2018">{{cite news |last1=Wise |first1=Lauren |title=Six arrested at Crewe Alex v Port Vale match |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/two-arrested-crewe-alex-v-15192662 |access-date=24 September 2018 |work=Cheshire Live |date=24 September 2018}}</ref> A 2019 study ranked the Port Vale-Crewe Alexandra rivalry as the 14th biggest rivalry in English professional football.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Peter |title=Stoke v Port Vale named in top 30 English football rivalries, below Vale v Crewe |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-port-vale-derby-3300121 |access-date=9 September 2019 |work=Stoke Sentinel |date=9 September 2019}}</ref>

Crewe also maintain smaller rivalries with [[Wrexham F.C.|Wrexham]], [[Salford City F.C.|Salford City]], [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]], [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] and traditional local Cheshire derbies with [[Macclesfield F.C.|Macclesfield]], [[Chester City F.C.|Chester City]], [[Stockport County F.C.|Stockport County]] and [[Tranmere Rovers F.C.|Tranmere Rovers]]. The Railwaymen's rivalry with Stockport intensified somewhat in 2009 when Stockport all but relegated Crewe from League One, after beating them 4–3 at [[Edgeley Park]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/8002053.stm|title=Stockport 4–3 Crewe|work=BBC Sport}}</ref> Crewe then returned the favour on 30 April 2011, when they beat County 2–0 at [[Gresty Road]], confirming County's relegation to non-League football.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stockport-county-relegated-crewe-2-859633|title=Stockport County relegated: Crewe 2 Stockport 0|date=30 April 2011|work=Manchester Evening News}}</ref>

===Songs and music===
Crewe's fans were the first to sing the song "[[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]]"<ref>Morris, p.100.</ref>―also sung by fans of [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]]―(with lyrics that do not quite match the [[Rodgers and Hart]] original) and said to be a response to the gloomy days of the 1950s and 1960s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mancity.com/news/club-news/club-news/2013/august/blue-moon|title=Blue Moon: City fan anthem|work=Manchester City FC}}. Retrieved: 16 March 2021.</ref> or reflecting an old joke that the team only wins 'once in a [[blue moon]]', i.e., rarely.<ref name="FT-12Mar2021">{{cite news |last1=Morris |first1=Charlie |title=Letter: A run of success eclipses the footballing blues |url=https://www.ft.com/content/d5ee6fb5-72d9-4dcf-a586-71fe285725f9 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/d5ee6fb5-72d9-4dcf-a586-71fe285725f9 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |access-date=29 March 2021 |work=Financial Times |date=12 March 2021}}</ref> During the 1990s, one Crewe supporter, classically trained musician Richard Sutton, was known for taking a trumpet to games,<ref>Hornbrook, p.74.</ref> playing occasional fanfares such as the theme from ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' during matches.<ref name="Shaw-2011">{{cite news |last1=Shaw |first1=Phil |title=Football: Crewe scuttle Marine's Cup aspirations |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-crewe-scuttle-marine-s-cup-aspirations-1478321.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708223454/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-crewe-scuttle-marine-s-cup-aspirations-1478321.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 July 2022 |access-date=29 March 2021 |work=Independent |date=13 January 1993 }}</ref> The Crewe-based dance trio [[Dario G]] were named after Dario Gradi.<ref name="DPost-2003">{{cite news |title=Super Dario 20 not out |url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/super-dario-20-not-out-2941664 |access-date=29 March 2021 |work=Daily Post |date=4 June 2003}}</ref><ref name="Ronay-21Mar2011">{{cite news |last1=Ronay |first1=Barney |title=Homespun philosophy of Crewe's Dario Gradi recognised by Football League |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2011/mar/21/dario-gradi-crewe-football-league-crewe |access-date=29 March 2021 |work=Guardian |date=21 March 2011}}</ref>

===Railwaymen Supporters Society===
Crewe supporters often sing a song featuring the line "We are the Railwaymen". Aggregating and formalising several former Crewe supporters groups, and supported by the national [[Football Supporters' Association]], the independent Railwaymen Supporters Society was established in 2018, and incorporated as a community benefit society on 8 July 2019.<ref name="FCA">{{cite web |title=The Railwaymen Supporters Society Limited |url=https://mutuals.fca.org.uk/Search/Society/30427 |website=Financial Conduct Authority |access-date=21 February 2022}}</ref><ref>''[https://railwaymen.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Railwaymen-2020-Accounts.pdf The Railwaymen Supporters Society Limited: Report of the Society Board for the Period 8th July 2019 to 30th June 2020]''. Access date: 26 March 2021.</ref> Initiatives have included a campaign, Project250, to raise £250,000 to invest in club shares and gain representation on the club's board (achieved in February 2020),<ref name="Morse-05Feb2020">{{cite news |title=New Crewe Alex board of directors to meet after fans make dream a reality |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/sport/football/new-crewe-alex-board-directors-17687768 |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=Cheshire Live |date=5 February 2020}}</ref> and the establishment of an Ex-Players Association ([[Gareth Whalley]] is its president).<ref name="Morse-15Apr2019">{{cite news |last1=Morse |first1=Peter |title=Crewe Alex legend Gareth Whalley to be president of supporters' club initiative |url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/sport/football/crewe-alex-legend-gareth-whalley-16131370 |access-date=25 March 2021 |work=Cheshire Live |date=15 April 2019}}</ref>