Chapter 27: Boxing Day
Friday, 26 December
Matchday 20: Crawley Town vs. Bradford City (Home)
Boxing Day
It was freezing at Broadfield Stadium.
Frost covered parts of the pitch, and the players could see their breath as they warmed up. The stands were still busy despite the cold. Families sat wrapped in coats and scarves, while kids carried cups of hot chocolate and waited for the game to start.
Niels stood in the tunnel with his hands in his coat pockets.
He watched the players finish their warm-up.
Max jogged past, focused as usual.
Luka was near the touchline, tapping his studs against the ground while watching the far end of the pitch.
Nate moved through the warm-up quietly, every movement controlled.
Inside the dressing room, Niels kept his team talk short.
"Forget that it's Christmas," he said.
A few players smiled.
"Forget the crowd too. We need to play our game."
He looked around the room.
"We won our last match. Good. But one win doesn't change anything."
He paused.
"Today is about doing it again. Stay focused, work for each other and play the way we know we can."
Niels nodded toward the door.
"Let's go."
The players got to their feet.
Boxing Day was just another match.
And Niels wanted another win.
The whistle blew, and Crawley started carefully.
They kept the ball moving but weren't taking many risks. Bradford, on the other hand, came out aggressively.
They pressed from the start. Their striker used his strength to cause problems, while the wingers kept moving inside and looking for space.
In the 17th minute, Crawley made a mistake.
Reece had pushed too far forward when Bradford won the ball in midfield. Their midfielder quickly spotted the space he had left behind and played a pass into it.
Reece turned and tried to get back, but Bradford's winger reached the ball first and carried it forward.
He then slipped a pass through to their striker.
The striker took one touch inside the box and fired a low shot toward the far corner.
Luka stretched out a leg, but he was too late.
The ball rolled into the net.
Bradford City 1-0 Crawley.
The home fans cheered.
Reece didn't complain or drop his head.
He ran to the goal, picked up the ball and carried it back toward the centre circle.
"Come on," he said.
Crawley slowly settled after the goal.
Their passing became quicker, and they started finding more space.
Luka dropped deeper and began controlling the midfield.
Korey, making a rare start, was working hard on the right, chasing every loose ball and constantly giving Bradford's defenders something to deal with.
In the 38th minute, Crawley found their equalizer.
Luka received the ball, turned away from his marker and played a pass straight between Bradford's two centre-backs.
Nate had already made his run.
He reached the ball and calmly placed it into the far corner.
1-1.
The Crawley players celebrated briefly.
Nate pointed toward Luka.
Luka nodded.
They both knew exactly where the goal had come from.
There were no more goals before half-time.
Half-Time: Bradford City 1-1 Crawley Town
Second Half
In the dressing room, the players weren't satisfied with the draw.
Niels stood beside the tactics board.
"They'll try to slow the game down," he said. "Don't let them. Keep the ball moving and make them work."
He looked at Korey.
"You've got plenty left in the tank. Keep running at them."
Korey nodded and wiped the sweat from his face.
Bradford came out for the second half looking to disrupt Crawley's rhythm.
They committed more fouls and took their time with free-kicks and throw-ins. It made the game stop and start.
Crawley didn't lose their focus.
Luka kept the ball moving and continued to control the midfield.
Max also started moving around more. He dropped into deeper areas at times and pulled the defenders away from their positions.
That created more space for Crawley to attack.
76th Minute: Goal! Crawley Town 2-1 Bradford City
Dev broke down the left and sent a low cross across the six-yard box.
Nate ran toward the near post, taking two defenders with him.
Korey had stayed back.
He arrived at the far post completely unmarked.
One touch.
Goal.
2-1 Crawley.
Korey turned toward the dugout and pointed at Niels.
Niels simply nodded.
The goal had come from the movement they had worked on all week.
Bradford threw everything forward after that.
They sent long balls into the box and pushed more players into attack.
Luka made two important blocks, getting in front of shots inside the box.
Then Reece headed one dangerous cross away from near the goal line.
The Crawley fans cheered.
With only a few minutes left, Nate won a foul near the halfway line and took his time getting back up.
Crawley used the seconds well.
Then the final whistle blew.
Full-Time: Crawley Town 2-1 Bradford City
The players celebrated, but it wasn't wild.
They had worked hard for the win.
Crawley had fallen behind, come back and then held on when Bradford pushed them.
It was another important step for the team.
The dressing room was still buzzing after the win.
Players were laughing, clapping each other on the back and talking about the game. Max sat on the bench with his shirt off, boots still untied, a tired smile on his face.
Nate dropped down beside him.
"That's a game we would've lost a few months ago."
Max looked over and smiled.
"Yeah. We're not that team anymore."
He looked around the room.
"We're better now."
Niels stood near the door for a moment, watching them.
This was what he had wanted for the team.
Not just wins.
A group of players who believed in each other.
He stepped forward.
"Enjoy tonight," he said. "You earned it."
The room quietened a little.
"But we're not finished. Two games left this year. Let's make both of them count."
The players nodded.
Someone at the back shouted, "Yes, boss!"
A few laughs followed.
Later that night, Broadfield was almost empty.
The floodlights were still on, shining across the pitch as frost slowly returned to the grass.
Niels stood near the dugout with his hood pulled up, listening to the cold wind moving through the empty stands.
His phone buzzed.
He looked down.
A message from Elise.
Saw the score. Mum says the seat's still open. Even if it stays empty. She made pie.
Niels stared at the message.
For a moment, the noise of the day seemed to disappear.
He could picture the house.
The kitchen.
The empty chair waiting for him.
He smiled, but his eyes stung slightly.
He typed slowly.
I'll try to make it home next time.
He looked at the message for a few seconds before sending it.
Then he put the phone back in his pocket.
Niels walked along the touchline alone.
A few months ago, he had been worried about whether Crawley could survive the season.
Now, they were winning games they used to lose.
The players believed.
The fans believed.
And, slowly, Niels was beginning to believe too.
He stopped near the centre circle and looked up at the empty stands.
There was still a long way to go.
But this wasn't about surviving anymore.
Something was being built here.
Something real.
And for the first time in years, Niels wasn't afraid of what might come next.
He was looking forward to it.