Boss hails collective acheivement as Crewe win promotion back to League One on points per game system.

Crewe Alexandra will be playing League One football again for the first time in four years after the EFL confirmed that the Railwaymen will be joining Swindon Town and Plymouth Argyle in the league above when we resume.

It had been an anxious wait for everyone but with League One and League Two clubs voting for the league to be postponed in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak and the financial cost of staging the remaining games of the season, the Crewe boss can now prepare for next season and an even tougher assignment.

 Artell says it has been a joint effort from everyone, from the boardroom down and he has hailed the achievement of his players, saying that their rediscovered belief turned them into winners.

“It’s a terrific achievement for the lads and for everyone. It’s not about me, it’s about the players and they deserve huge credit. Yes we had to pick them up by the scruff of the neck when we first came in, dust them down and give them belief, but we were always confident.

“We just knocked them into shape and gave them the help they needed, but they deserve the credit. I hope they get the recognition they deserve.

“Everyone has played their part, we are all one big team. Hard work does pay off.

“I think we have done it fairly comfortably, albeit nine games short of what we’d have liked. I was all for playing those nine games, all for it. I was very confident we’d do well in all of them.

“The supporters deserve great credit as well. It’s been a tough couple of years, but for the last 18 months we have been doing well and that has to continue.

“This is the easiest part of our journey, and we have to go again. We have to make sure that we give a good account of ourselves and are not satisfied with just staying up, and that’s the challenge we’ll set the boys. If we meet the challenge head on I’m sure we’ll be successful again.

The boss added: “We have to keep cracking on, preparing for next season, understand what it means and how we achieved it.”