Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says that contacting supporters was the ‘very least we could do’ as a Football Club. Artell, Club Chairman John Bowler, assistant manager Kenny Lunt, a number of our players and BBC Radio Stoke’s, Graham McGarry, took time out to call a selection of supporters on Friday to hopefully raise some spirits in these unprecedented times.

The club initiative was to reach out to isolated supporters, especially our more elderly fans, vulnerable fans or young fans, who may have had a recent birthday cancelled because of the impact of the coronavirus.

Artell told the club’s official website: “I think calling some of our supporters was the very least we could do. We are fortunate to be in that position as role models and have that status and if we could lift some spirits or give some joy to those who may be isolated or struggling a bit at the moment then that is the least we can do.

“It is a good initiative from the club and it will be happening again.

“There are a minority of footballers who let the industry down at times by having parties or crashing their cars or whatever - but they really are the minority. There are a lot of footballers out there who do a lot of good things. They donate their time and money to good causes and do a lot of unnoticed charity and community work. It tends to go unnoticed because they don’t particularly want the attention.

“I think the players have had a bad rap over the last weeks.

The boss added: “It is not much to ask to do what we did and will continue to do. I think it is important to try and reach out to those supporters who perhaps are not in the same mind-set as we are at the moment.

“If we gave some of them a boost then that is great.”