Crawley to become first English club to launch NFT-only kit under crypto-backed owners WAGMI United

Crawley Town are to become the first club in English football to release a kit only available to fans who invest in NFT. 

In April, the League Two side were taken over by WAGMI United, an American cryptocurrency investment group who vowed to ‘shake up the status quo’ and showcase a modern approach to ownership. 

Co-owners Preston Johnson and Eben Smith have already announced plans to slash season tickets by as much as 34 per cent in an attempt to improve attendances at the Peoples Pension Stadium – which were the second-lowest in the fourth tier last season. 

Now, in a bid to improve worldwide engagement, Crawley’s new third strip will only be made available to supporters who invest in the club’s own NFT which is expected to launch in July. 

‘Last season the club sold two different kits in the club shop’ Johnson told i. ‘That will be the same for this season but on top of that, a third kit will be sold via NFT.

‘It will be an exclusive shirt you can get if you have an NFT and then there will be two options – for those that are local or ordering online either in the UK or our American or overseas friends. It hits the spot where we think it will be extremely profitable for the club, the way we’re doing this.

‘We hope the announcement gets some good attention and positivity. We think the fans will be really excited by what we announce. We believe we’re offering something really unique,’

Johnson believes that the club’s NFT will act as a virtual season ticket for overseas fans, while those who invest will have a chance to play a part in how the club is run. 

‘An example is in January if we have £200,000 to spend in the transfer window,’ Johnson told i. 

‘We’ve seen us playing for a couple of months, we have an idea of where our strengths and weaknesses lie and we have season ticket holders and NFT holders and we give them a vote on how we distribute those funds in the transfer window.’ 

Crawley finished 12th in League Two last season but have appointed former Arsenal under-23 coach Kevin Betsy to replace John Yems as manager as they aim to climb up the pyramid. 

Meanwhile, striker Dom Telford has arrived from Newport, having finished as the division’s top scorer in 2021-22 with 25 goals.