Emphasis on Fair play

Football League Chairman Lord Brian Mawhinney has outlined new measures which should be of benefit to Crewe Alexandra next season. We have of course, won the Bobby Moore fair play trophy in eleven of the last fourteen seasons.

Last season Crewe had just one sending off, Gary Roberts in the defeat at Bristol City. The club amassed just 120 disciplinary points which was the best in the country by some distance.

The referees have been advised to adopt a stricter control of on-field conduct in the forthcoming season, with our exemplary fair play record this approach should be of benefit to Crewe in the 2007-08 season.

Mawhinney told the Football League's official website "'There's a competitive as well as a behavioural aspect to this issue. If a player cheats because he thinks it will give him an advantage it does in fact give him an unfair advantage, so he is undermining the integrity of the competition.

'One of my bugbears is the blocking of taking free-kicks quickly. We've had assurances that referees will be doing their best to stamp that out this season, and we will be looking for tangible evidence that on-pitch behaviour generally is better than in the past.'

Commenting on being crowned the fair play winners for the 2006/07 the Offical Site said "Winning the Fair Play accolade fills everyone at Crewe Alexandra with much satisfaction. The team has always prided itself on acting in a sporting and proper manner and to finish top of the Fair Play League once again clearly shows that the Railwaymen will always try to be successful by playing the football in the correct manner."

Crewe Vital would like your views, by being fair do you think we prosper or would you like to see a meaner Crewe?