Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell says he literally cannot wait to welcome the supporters back into stadiums for pre-season and then into next season. The Alex boss is close to finalising his pre-season preparations and says it will be fantastic to see the fans back inside the Alexandra Stadium and following the team on the road again in League One.

Artell told the club’s official website: “It was a shame that only a certain number of fans got to saw us twice last season. You could see the difference they made in those two games, especially the Northampton game when Ryan (pictured) scored in injury time to win the game. We managed to win both games and although it is difficult to know for certain, I am sure they would have made a difference in other games too.

“I am sure we would have large crowds with the likes of Sunderland, Hull and Portsmouth coming to our stadium again but hopefully we will have them back for pre-season and then into next season in League One.

“Let’s hope that we can get back to full capacity as quickly as possible because the majority of our fans missed out on us playing in League One. We know there has been an economic downturn with the pandemic but we also know how much the club means to the local community.

“Hopefully, they will get their season tickets and come and watch us. They saw some good football on the ifollow, paying their tenners and we want to continue doing that when they can come and watch us in person.

He added: “I think, by and large we have an entertaining group of players and if we can add a few more then it should be another enjoyable season, even more so with the fans able to come and watch us home and away because it hasn’t been the same.”