Colin Kazim-Richards has been appointed as Crawley Town head coach in April 2025, replacing Scott Lindsey after a 10-match winless run. The club was one point above the relegation zone when he took over.
Kazim-Richards had been coaching in Arsenal's academy since 2024 after retiring from playing in 2023. During his playing career, he played for 18 clubs across eight countries and made 37 international appearances for Turkey, scoring twice.
Following a thorough and highly competitive recruitment process, Colin distinguished himself as an outstanding candidate. He is a natural leader with extensive experience in the dressing room and we firmly believe he is the right person to guide the club forward at this important time.
Kazim-Richards won his first game at home to Gillingham, then beat Newport away, and drew with Shrewsbury at home. He switched to a 4-4-2 formation from Lindsey's back-three system. Under Lindsey, Crawley scored 36 goals in 39 games.
Crawley's gap to the drop zone is two points with two games remaining against Accrington and Salford. Kazim-Richards has named only six substitutes in each of his five games due to an availability crisis. Crawley Town have four seasons in League One, including last year when they were relegated by one point.
Crawley owner Raphael Khalili said Kazim-Richards was the 'outstanding candidate' after a thorough recruitment process. According to Daily Mail - Sport, Kazim-Richards described himself as thriving under pressure and believed the team was good enough to stay up. The specific tactical changes beyond formation and the nature of the availability crisis remain unclear. Contract terms for Kazim-Richards have not been disclosed.