In 2013, Steve Davis was interviewed by BBC Sport, telling them “It’s a little piece of history.”
The then-manager of a League One outfit had won promotion from the fourth tier through the playoffs in the 2011-12 campaign, it was followed by returning to Wembley and lifting the Johnstone Paint Trophy a year later.
But for a club like Crewe Alexandra, Davis’ history-making decision on the 27th April 2013 will live as long in the memory.
The Railwaymen have a proud history of developing youth players through their academy; taking local young footballers, offering them a place to flourish and providing them with a clear route to professional, first team football.
The 27th April was the last game of the 2012/13 season, fresh from their JPT victory a few weeks prior, Crewe welcomed Walsall to Gresty Road. Cemented in mid-table, the Alex had already guaranteed safety upon their return to the third tier.
The season prior had seen an electric Nick Powell fire Crewe up the table, and fellow academy graduate Ashley Westwood – who has since had a solid Premier League career – work his magic in the engine room. Both left for big money in the summer of 2012, to Manchester United and Aston Villa respectively.
So with the Alex safe and the third of that impressive midfield trio, Luke Murphy, captaining the club, Steve Davis decided to make history.
For the first time in Crewe’s history, they named a ‘homegrown XI’ – a full starting line up exclusively featuring graduates from the Railwaymen’s famed academy.
It’s also understood that this is the first time in Football League history that this feat was performed. Footballing academies were common in 2013, but they hadn’t been around for that long, therefore other clubs, particularly those down in League One and Two, are unlikely to have been able to match this.
It’s worth noting that the Alex, who at the time were the only club outside English football’s top two divisions to be graded a Category Two academy club, produced players at a rate that was largely unmatchable.
Impressively, many of those featuring in the homegrown XI had featured many times for the Alex previously.
Between Luke Murphy, Matt Tootle, Harry Davis, Kelvin Mellor, Byron Moore and Ajay Leitch-Smith, they had racked up a combined 717 appearances.
Goalkeeper, Ben Garratt was making his senior debut, but he was the only player to do so. Other youngsters, Ryan Colclough, Ollie Turton, George Ray and Max Clayton all had featured in previous games in either that season or the one beforehand.
For Crewe fans, it would’ve been a dream come true to see their club make history. The cherry on the cake came too, with Luke Murphy scoring the opener before substitute loanee, Chuks Aneke, made it two.
It might have been the first time in the Football League that a homegrown XI was named, but it wasn’t the last.
In 2018, Crewe did it all over again. Davis’ replacement, David Artell, played a second homegrown XI, once again featuring Ben Garratt and George Ray. Future Championship players, Harrying Pickering, Perry Ng, Ryan Wintle and Tommy Lowery also played, with James Jones, Charlie Kirk, Callum Ainley and Lewis Reilly. Veteran striker, Shaun Miller had returned to Crewe for a second stint – aptly, he scored both goals in 2-1 victory over Cheltenham Town.
It’s rare that EFL clubs make history or break records; that day in April 2013 will be one Crewe fans are surely going to remember for the rest of their lives.
And also, you now know the answer if it ever comes up in your local’s pub quiz!