Preview: Bromley vs Crewe Alexandra

Crewe ride into town in search of points to push them up the table, and their young side will be as keen as mustard to strike a blow at Fortress Hayes Lane. But as we’ve seen so far this season, if you want to take anything from Andy Woodman’s Bromley, you’re going to have to work your socks off to get it.

For fans with a bit of bottle age, you can’t say ‘Crewe Alexandra’ without thinking of Dario Gradi and his famous academy. He put the Cheshire railway town on the map with a conveyor belt of young talent, each one blooded in the first team at a younger age than any other manager would dare.

Time has moved on, but the reputation and ethos linger. To this day, Crewe’s squad is statistically one of the youngest in the Football League, and the average age of their starting XI this season has been around 24. That sits in stark contrast to the majority of teams in League Two, who favour the musk and strength of experienced pros.