Eastbourne Borough will honour the long service of midfielder Matt Crabb with a testimonial match on Saturday (August 6th) – on the eve of the winger’s 12th season at Priory Lane.
Crabb, still only 29, signed in the summer of 2000 from cross-town rivals Eastbourne United and more than a decade later is second on the club’s all-time appearance list, having played in 473 games and netted 59 goals.
Supporters will pay tribute to Crabb at the preseason friendly with last year’s Blue Square Bet South champions Braintree Town – kickoff is at 3 pm.
Eastbourne-born and bred, Matt is one of three brothers, along with younger siblings Nathan and Sam, who have all forged successful careers in the non-league game. He played for Old Town Boys, one of the town’s top youth football clubs, before beginning his senior career with Eastbourne United in the Sussex County League. The game that would change the course of his career came early into his second season at The Oval – when United hosted league leaders Langney Sports. Crabb put in a dazzling performance down the left flank and scored as United forged a 2-0 lead by half-time – Langney hit back to win the match 3-2 and later clinched the title and promotion to the Dr Martens League, but Matt had done enough to catch the eye of Sports boss Garry Wilson and assistant Nick Greenwood.
Wilson said: “I well remember him playing against us for Eastbourne United. He tore us apart that night and after that game Nick and I said we needed to get the lad on board.”
Crabb added: “I didn’t hear anything from them until the end of the season. Then in the summer I got a phone call at home – I was out at the time but my mum said that Nick Greenwood from Langney Sports had called and wanted to speak to me.”
The teenager had no hesitation in signing for a club that he’d watched from the terraces as a schoolboy and soon became a first team regular as Langney – who became Eastbourne Borough in 2001 – moved up the leagues.
Crabb said: “People said at the time that maybe the move was too early for me or that I was only going to play a handful of games but I always believed in my own ability and 11 years later I’m still here.”
During Crabb’s time with the club, Borough climbed from the Dr Martens Eastern Division to the top flight of non-league football – Matt cites the last promotion, when little brother Nathan scored in a televised 2-0 play-off final win over Hampton & Richmond in 2008, as his best moment during his Borough career. And, although the club was relegated from the Blue Square Bet Premier after three seasons, Matt has never considered moving on.
He said: “I can’t see myself leaving the place. It’s such a great atmosphere, the spirit never changes and that’s one of the things that Garry and Nick have done – it’s a very good place to be.”
Wilson himself has nothing but praise for the player he brought to the club during a summer when Kevin Keegan was England manager and Eminem had his first number one hit.
The Borough boss said: “He’s been a fantastic player for us and a fantastic guy to have around the club. He’s a real crowd pleaser and a great ambassador for the club.”
“As he’s got older he’s become cleverer as a player. He knows when to come inside and when to go out. He’s obviously lost a bit of pace as he’s got older but, like Ryan Giggs, he can become a really good central midfielder.”
“It’s never dull with Matt around and he’s a real statto on non-league football. If you ever want to know about a player or a team, Matt’s the one to go and ask. He is someone who loves the game.”
And Crabb, a father of two little girls, admits he wants to move into management when he hangs up his boots. He said: “I would probably have a year out to do stuff with the family and then evetually start doing my coaching badges.”
Before then, though, comes Crabby’s testimonial and a chance for supporters to honor a player who has given his all for the club over 11 seasons.
