I am a huge advocate for sports like football in fostering community ties, particularly with younger age groups. I admire the steps the Alex has taken in strengthening its relationship with residents.  

I’ve seen myself the wonderful work Crewe Alexandra do with charities like Wishing Well and the YMCA to provide access to sport for vulnerable people.   

The club has also taken actions like giving away 12,000 tickets to their youngest fans, inspiring that intergenerational connection to football for everybody – not just those that can afford a seat.  

I’m glad the Labour Party is recognising the impactful contribution of community-led clubs like Crewe Alex through the Football Governance Act, which helps to protect them and gives fans more control over how they’re run.  

I kept my promise to the Alex to support the Act at all stages through Parliament, and I am delighted that it’s now received Royal Assent. 

The club’s strong community ties are further evidenced by its dedicated fanbase. Even through the stormy weather and potential for a strong finish in League Two, the Railwaymen Supporters are as committed as ever.  

Which brings me onto the point of this Weekly Blog: earlier this year, I was invited by Stuart Price to be a guest speaker on The Railwaymen Podcast. They’d approached me with an idea to design a mural celebrating Crewe Alex in the constituency.  

I was only too happy to support the proposals, and since then, we’ve collaborated with local stakeholders, including the club itself and local arts organisation CreweCreates to develop a consultation on the plans. 

We’re hoping to get buy-in from residents, whether they’re diehard supporters or not, on things like the location, design and theme of the mural, before moving to the next stage of securing funding for the mural and getting it set up. So far, we’ve already received over 100 responses from the public, and we’re hoping to capture as many as possible before January, when the survey closes. 

So if you’re interested in designing a piece of history for Crewe and Nantwich, please fill out our consultation using the link below.