Having announced their intention to scout potential talent at last month’s Sidemen charity match, Crawley Town have invited brothers Tobi, Manny, and Jed Brown to train with them ahead of next month’s FA Cup First Round game against Accrington Stanley.

The club's owners – WAGMI United – made a pledge to “bring Crawley Town FC to a passionate global community of online fans”, with an intention to become "the internet's team". Their partnership with the Sidemen, Europe's biggest online collective, attracted interest from the footballing and online worlds, with many hoping it'll answer the question: how good are YouTubers at football, really?

It was the Sidemen who left 'The Valley' victorious in September's charity match, raising over £1million in the process. Tobi and Manny combined to create three out of the eight goals scored, and put on an impressive display to catch the attention of Crawley Town. Their brother Jed – who did not feature on the day – has been a regular alongside his brothers in Sunday League content with their club 'Under The Radar FC'.

The trio will join up with West Sussex’s ‘Red Devils’ on November 1 and if they impress, the trio could be offered the opportunity the extend their trial and put their name in the hat for FA Cup squad selection.

It wouldn’t be the first time Crawley Town have dipped their toes into the world of popular culture, having fielded TOWIE reality star Mark Wright back in 2020 – albeit the Essex baller did have experience with Southend United and Lewes FC in the early 2000s.

In a statement, co-chairman Preston Johnson said: "We’re excited to have Tobi, Manny and Jed joining us for training next month, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they can bring to the club. As we’ve said before, it’s fairly unlikely they’d get on the pitch unless the game is well in hand, but we want to give them the opportunity to show what they can do in training and then go from there."

Regardless of whether the Brown brothers step onto the pitch, it’s an interesting move that will undoubtedly bring more eyes to the club in weeks to come, and as they currently sit 19th in League Two, next month’s First Round will be a good chance to create some fanfare for the rest of the season.