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Wrexham Association Football Club (Welsh: Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam[3]) is a professional association football club based in Wrexham, Wales. Formed in 1864,[4] it is the oldest club in Wales and the third-oldest professional association football team in the world.[5] They compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
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| Full name | Wrexham Association Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Red Dragons, The Robins, The Town | |||
| Short name | Wrexham AFC CPD Wrecsam (Welsh) | |||
| Founded | October 1864[1] | |||
| Stadium | Racecourse Ground | |||
| Capacity | 13,341[2] | |||
| Owners | Wrexham Holdings LLC (Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney) | |||
| Manager | Phil Parkinson | |||
| League | EFL League One | |||
| 2023–24 | EFL League Two, 2nd of 24 (promoted) | |||
| Website | wrexhamafc.co.uk | |||
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The Welsh team initially participated in friendlies and cup competitions and first entered a league by joining The Combination in 1890. The team spent 13 seasons in the Combination and two seasons in the Welsh Senior League, winning four Combination titles and two Welsh Senior League titles. It entered the Birmingham & District League in 1905, where it would remain until becoming an inaugural member of the Football League's Third Division North in 1921. It spent 37 years in the Northern section until it was placed in the re-organized Third Division in 1958 and then relegated two years later. Wrexham was promoted out of the Fourth Division in 1961–62, only to be relegated again two years later. Another promotion followed in 1969–70, and it reached the Second Division for the first time after winning the Third Division title in 1977–78. Two successive relegations saw it back in the fourth tier by 1983, and it saw no further promotion until 1992–93. Relegated once more in 2002, it gained immediate promotion in 2002–03, before worsening financial problems resulted in another relegation and then administration in December 2004. It took 18 months for the club to exit administration and the club's decline on the pitch continued, as it dropped out of the Football League in 2008. Wrexham subsequently had five unsuccessful play-off campaigns in the fifth tier of the English football league system, before being promoted as champions of the 2022–23 National League to EFL League Two. On 13 April 2024, the club secured a second consecutive promotion to EFL League One.
Wrexham's honours include winning the Welsh Cup a record 23 times, the Football League Trophy in 2005 at the Millennium Stadium and the FA Trophy in 2013 at Wembley Stadium. The club is also the record winner of the short-lived FAW Premier Cup, winning it five times out of the 11 years of its tenure, participating against fellow Welsh clubs such as Cardiff City, Swansea City and Newport County. However, their biggest rivalries are with English clubs Chester, Shrewsbury Town, and Tranmere Rovers, with games between the clubs known as the cross-border derby.[6] In 1992, Wrexham upset the reigning English Champions Arsenal in the FA Cup. They also scored a 1–0 victory over FC Porto in 1984 in the European Cup Winners' Cup. Wrexham was eligible for the European Cup Winners' Cup due to winning the Welsh Cup; their first European tie was against FC Zürich of Switzerland in 1972 and their last was played in Romania against Petrolul Ploiești in 1995. Wrexham's home stadium, the Racecourse Ground, is the world's oldest international stadium that still continues to host international games.[7] The record attendance at the ground was set in 1957 when the club hosted a match against Manchester United in front of 34,445 spectators.[8]
The 2020 purchase of the club by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor Rob McElhenney and the attendant publicity from the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham had a significant impact on the club's visibility, leading to its acquiring a new global fanbase with no precedent for a team who were then in the fifth division.[9]
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1864–1905: A club of pioneers
The club was formed in October 1864 by members of the Wrexham Cricket Club who wanted a sporting activity for the winter months. This makes them (after Sheffield, Cray, Hallam, and Notts County) the fifth oldest association football team, the third oldest professional club and the oldest in Wales.[10] Their first game was played on 22 October 1864 at the Denbighshire County Cricket Ground (The Racecourse) against the Prince of Wales Fire Brigade.[11]
As the rules of football were still somewhat fluid at the time, early matches featured teams with up to 17 players on each side (16 players when playing the Provincial Insurance Office and Chester College, 15 players against the Volunteer Fire Brigade). In these early years, Wrexham were leaders of the campaign to restrict teams to having just 11 players on the pitch at any one time.[12] In 1876, the newly formed Football Association of Wales saw Wales play their first international match, against Scotland at The West of Scotland Cricket Club, Partick, featuring Edwin Cross and Alfred Davies as the first of many Wrexham F.C. players to play for Wales.[13]
In the 1877–78 season, the FAW inaugurated the Welsh Cup competition, to run on similar lines to the English FA Cup. The first Welsh Cup final was played at Acton Park. Wrexham got to the final of the inaugural competition, where they defeated Druids F.C. 1–0, with James Davies being credited with the goal.[14][15] Because of a lack of money at the fledgling FAW, Wrexham did not receive their trophy until the next year. For their first decade, Wrexham mostly played friendly matches against both Welsh and English opposition, with the Welsh Cup providing most of their competitive football, Wrexham winning it again in 1883.[16]
1883 also saw Wrexham's first appearance in the FA Cup, when after receiving a bye to the second round of the competition they were defeated 3–4 at home by Oswestry. Crowd trouble at the game led to the club being expelled from the Football Association, leading to the club being reformed in 1884 as Wrexham Olympic. Olympic was dropped from this club's name in 1888.[17] Thanks to a dispute with their landlords, who had raised the rent of the Racecourse Ground to £10 a year, Wrexham played their home games in the 1881–82 and 1882–83 seasons at Rhosddu Recreation Ground (changing the club's name to Wrexham Athletic for one season), before moving back to the Racecourse Ground for the 1883–84 season, where the club have played their home games ever since.[18]
In 1890 Wrexham joined The Combination league, playing their first game against Gorton Villa on 6 September 1890, with Arthur Lea scoring Wrexham's only goal in a 5–1 defeat. Lea played for the club despite only having one arm[19] as did playing colleague James Roberts. Wrexham finished the season second from bottom in eighth place in the first season.[citation needed] Wrexham played in the Combination for four years before a rapid increase in costs resulted in the club joining the Welsh League in the 1894–95 season. Wrexham won the Welsh League both years that they were in it, but they then decided to return to the Combination League in 1896, as despite the reduced support they received, the savings made on their traveling expenses outweighed the reduction in gate revenue.[citation needed]
1905–1968: Into the Football League
The club remained in the Combination League until 1905, by which time they had managed to win the league four times. After several unsuccessful attempts, Wrexham was finally elected to the Birmingham and District League in time for the beginning of the 1905–06 season. Wrexham's first-ever match in this league was at home against Kidderminster Harriers at the Racecourse, and two thousand spectators witnessed Wrexham win the match 2–1. Wrexham finished sixth in their first season in this league.[citation needed] During their time in the Birmingham and District League, Wrexham won the Welsh Cup six times, in 1908–09, 1909–10, 1910–11, 1913–14, 1914–15, and 1920–21. They also reached the First Round proper of the FA Cup for a second time in the 1908–09 season before losing a replay 1–2 to Exeter City after extra time.[citation needed]
In 1921 Wrexham was elected to the newly formed Third Division North of the Football League. Their first League game was against Hartlepools United at the Racecourse in front of 8,000 spectators. Playing in blue shirts, Wrexham were defeated 0–2. The week after this defeat Wrexham travelled north to play Hartlepools and managed to get their revenge by beating them 1–0 in a hard-earned victory.[citation needed] It was during this particular season that Wrexham achieved many "firsts" in the club's history, such as when Ted Regan scored the club's first ever Football League hat-trick, and also Brian Simpson became the first Wrexham player to be sent off in a Football League game, against Southport in January 1922. Charlie Hewitt was the club's first-ever manager during this period.[citation needed]
In the 1926–27 season the club got past the first round of the FA Cup only to be knocked out by Rhyl. The following season Wrexham fought their way to the fourth round before they lost 0–1 to Birmingham City. A record 32 league goals from Albert Mays helped Wrexham to get to third position in the division in the 1928–29 season. Later in that season Tommy Bamford made his first appearance for the club. He went on to score 201 League and Cup goals for the club during his time at the Racecourse. During the 1929–30 season the club recorded their best-ever league win to date when they defeated Rochdale 8–0.[citation needed] Wrexham enjoyed their best-ever Third Division North season in 1932–33, when they finished runners-up to Hull City and won 18 of their 21 home games during the course of the season. This was the first season that the club appeared in their now-familiar red and white strip for the first time for the short-lived 1939–40 season.[citation needed]
During the Second World War years, when long cross-county trips were impossible due to the war, Wrexham played in the Regional League West against local teams from Merseyside and Manchester, amongst others in the northwest region. Wrexham's position as a barracks town meant that the team could secure the services of many famous guest players such as Stanley Matthews, Stan Cullis, and others.[citation needed] In the first post-war season Wrexham equaled their best-ever position when they again finished third in the Third Division North. In the summer of 1949, the club made its first-ever tour abroad when it played three games against the British army in Germany.[citation needed] The club reached the fourth round of the FA Cup in 1956–57 where they played Manchester United's Busby Babes in front of a crowd of 34,445 people at the Racecourse, which still remains a club record. The 5–0 defeat did not spoil the occasion for the large home crowd, and later that season Wrexham managed to win the Welsh Cup for the first time in 26 years.[citation needed]
1960 saw the club relegated to a lower tier for the first time in their history, and they dropped into the newly created Fourth Division. But their performances improved following the appointment of Ken Barnes as player-manager. He led Wrexham to promotion to the third division in his first season in charge and oversaw the 10–1 trouncing of Hartlepool United, which is still the club's record league victory. Two years after their promotion, Wrexham was relegated to the Fourth Division again, and in 1966 they finished rock-bottom at 92nd in the Football League after an extremely disappointing season.[citation needed]
1968–1982: The glory years
John Neal was appointed manager of Wrexham in 1968, succeeding Alvan Williams who had brought Neal to the club as his assistant.[citation needed] He guided the club to a 9th place finish in 1969, before leading Wrexham to their second Football League promotion in 1970 with a second place finish and promotion to the Third Division.[citation needed] With Welsh clubs now able to qualify for the European Cup Winners' Cup by winning the Welsh Cup, Wrexham played their inaugural match in Europe against Swiss side FC Zurich in Switzerland on 13 September 1972, the game finishing 1–1. In the return leg, Wrexham won 2–1, advancing to the second round with a 3–2 win on aggregate. The second round drew Wrexham against Yugoslav side Hajduk Split. Over the course of two games, the score finished 3–3 on aggregate with Wrexham matching their more illustrious opponents, but they were knocked out of the competition due to the away goals rule.[citation needed]
The 1972–73 season saw the completion of the new Yale stand, with a capacity of up to 5,500. Including the terrace helped to comprise the bottom tier of the stand. The 1973–74 season saw Wrexham change their badge from the Maelor crest to a brand new badge that had much more resemblance to the Welsh roots of the club, with three feathers on the top of the badge and two dragons, one on either side of the badge and facing inwards. This is still the badge for today's team. This season also saw Wrexham reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in another cup run. After victories over Shrewsbury Town, Rotherham United, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Southampton, their cup run finally came to an end with a loss to first division side Burnley at Turf Moor, with 15,000 Wrexham fans present to watch the match.[20] Also that season Wrexham just missed out on the promotion spots, finishing in 4th place at the end of the season.[citation needed]
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1975–76 saw John Neal's starlets captained by Eddie May, again shocking the football world by reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup after another sparkling cup run and defeats of several higher quality opponents. In the first round, Wrexham beat Swedish team Djurgårdens IF 3–2 on aggregate. They then managed to knock out the Polish side Stal Rzeszow 3–1 on aggregate. Wrexham played Belgian champions Anderlecht in the quarter-finals and narrowly lost 2–1 to the eventual winners of the competition.[citation needed] The 1976–77 season saw Wrexham again beat First Division opposition in both Cup competitions as they went on another cup run, defeating Tottenham Hotspur in the Football League Cup and Sunderland in the FA Cup. However, the league season was a traumatic one as the club, on the verge of promotion to the second division with only four matches left to play, needing just three points to reach their goal, missed out after a poor run.[citation needed]
Arfon Griffiths took over as player-manager for the 1977–78 season. They reached both the League and FA Cup quarter-finals that season, and Wrexham finally clinched promotion to the second division when they beat Rotherham United 7–1 at a packed Racecourse, Wrexham went on to win the Third Division Championship that year.[citation needed] In the 1978–79 season Wrexham made it to the fourth round of the FA Cup, where they lost to Tottenham Hotspur 3–2 in the replay after the first game finished 3–3. The Spurs team had stars amongst their ranks such as Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa, and Glenn Hoddle, and Wrexham were bested in getting knocked out.[citation needed] Following Arfon Griffiths' resignation from the manager's position in 1981, his assistant Mel Sutton was put in charge, with a third-round FA Cup win over Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest in another cup run, the highlight of the season.[citation needed]
1982–1991: Decline
The summer of 1982 saw Bobby Roberts appointed the club's new manager. Relegation meant the club had dire financial problems, resulting in the sale of many of the club's experienced and talented players. Frank Carrodus, Ian Edwards, Mick Vinter and Wayne Cegieski had already left during the summer, Steve Fox, Joey Jones, Dixie McNeil and Billy Ronson soon followed. Wrexham were again relegated to the Fourth Division after plummeting from apparent mid-table security. The club's slide continued into the following season, and only goal difference prevented Wrexham from being forced to apply for re-election to the League.[citation needed]
The 1984–85 season saw Wrexham take on FC Porto in European competition. Wrexham won the home leg with a 1–0 victory, but in the second leg, Porto showed their class and were 3–0 up after 38 minutes. However, Wrexham pulled goals back and the game finished 4–3, making it 4–4 on aggregate with Wrexham advancing on away goals. The second round draw was to pair Wrexham with Italian side AS Roma, managed by Sven-Göran Eriksson. Wrexham lost 3–0 on aggregate over the two legs. Their league performance was even more dire than the previous year, and by the time Bobby Roberts was finally removed from his post, Wrexham was rock-bottom of the entire Football League.[citation needed]
Former Racecourse favourite Dixie McNeil was appointed caretaker manager, and immediately inspired a revival that saw Wrexham win 7 of their last 10 matches and comfortably finish clear of having to apply for re-election, which earned him the job on a permanent basis that summer. His first season in charge saw the team finish mid-table position in an average season, he led the team to a Welsh Cup final win over Kidderminster Harriers. 1986 saw Wrexham make a return to European football with a first-round draw against Maltese side FC Zurrieq, whom they beat 7–0 on aggregate to earn a second-round tie against Real Zaragoza which they drew 2–2 with on aggregate but they went out on away goals.[citation needed]
Following the Bradford City stadium fire in May 1985, legislation on ground safety at all football grounds was brought into effect. This eventually led to the closure of the Mold Road stand because it did not reach the necessary safety standards. Led by Dixie McNeil, Wrexham reached the Fourth Division play-offs in 1989, having finished seventh in the league. Wrexham beat Scunthorpe United in the semi-final 5–1 on aggregate, but narrowly lost to Leyton Orient 2–1 in the final. After Wrexham started the next season with just 3 wins from 13 league games, Dixie McNeil resigned before his inevitable sacking.[citation needed]
He was replaced, initially on a temporary basis, by Brian Flynn, but his appointment was made permanent a month later. However the club continued to struggle domestically, and Flynn was forced to make three important signings in Mark Sertori, Eddie Youds and Alan Kennedy which saw the team finish in twenty-first place, therefore avoiding relegation.[citation needed] At the start of the 1990–91 season it was announced there would be no relegation to the Conference Premier as a team had already voluntarily left the league. That season Wrexham finished in ninety-second place. Wrexham were knocked out of the European Cup Winners' Cup in the second round by Manchester United 5–0 on aggregate, who eventually went on to win the trophy.[citation needed]
1991–2001: Giant killers
The 1991–92 season saw Wrexham still in a poor financial state, as they continued to struggle on the field. With the club knocked out of the League Cup and struggling in the league, it was left to the FA Cup to keep the season alive. Having beaten Telford United and Winsford United, they were drawn to play the previous season's First Division champions Arsenal. Wrexham produced one of their most memorable nights to beat the Gunners 2–1 after being behind, with a thunderous Mickey Thomas free kick and a Steve Watkin goal. They lost in the next round to West Ham United 1–0 in a replay[21] after the first game had finished 2–2.
In an attempt to change the fortunes of the club after several seasons in the doldrums at the bottom of the football league pyramid, the 1992–93 season saw Wrexham manager Brian Flynn make a shrewd signing when he enlisted the services of Gary Bennett, who soon settled and helped Wrexham into the promotion race. Wrexham's season came to a head on 27 April 1993 when with two games left they traveled to Northampton Town requiring a win to gain promotion to the next tier of English football. The game ended with a 2–0 victory to Wrexham and the 5,500 travelling "Reds" supporters there were jubilant when promotion had finally been achieved.[citation needed] The 1994–95 season would see Wrexham achieve more success in cup competitions, this time going on a run through the FA Cup. Having beaten Stockport County and Rotherham United, they faced Premier League side Ipswich Town at the Racecourse, with Wrexham running out 2–1 winners thanks to goals from Gary Bennett and Kieron Durkan. In the next round, Wrexham was drawn away to Manchester United and despite taking the lead at Old Trafford, United went on to win 5–2.[citation needed]
The 1995–96 season once again saw Wrexham in European action, with their opposition this time coming in the form of Romanian team Petrolul Ploiești; the home leg ended in a 0–0 draw but Wrexham lost 1–0 in the away leg, with the Romanians scoring the only goal of the match, and Wrexham were subsequently knocked out of the tournament.[citation needed] The 1996–97 season saw Wrexham set off on another strong run in the FA Cup and beat more top-flight opposition. Following wins at Colwyn Bay and Scunthorpe United, they were drawn to play West Ham United at home, the game ending in a 1–1 draw on a snow-covered pitch. The replay at Upton Park ended in a shock 1–0 win to Wrexham as Kevin Russell scored in the dying minutes to send Wrexham into the fourth round.[22] After also beating Peterborough United and Birmingham City in the following rounds, they played Chesterfield in an all-Division-2 FA Cup quarter-final, Wrexham narrowly losing to the Spireites 1–0.[citation needed]
June 1997 was the date for the official opening of Colliers Park, which was Wrexham's new training ground and was situated just outside Gresford on Chester Road. It was built at a cost of £750,000 and is widely regarded to be one of the best training grounds outside of the top flight. It has been used for training by many visiting teams that play at a higher standard over the years, such as Barcelona.[23] The 1999–2000 season saw Wrexham again beat a top-flight team in the FA Cup, this time in the shape of Middlesbrough. The final score of the match was 2–1, with the second-half goals coming from Robin Gibson and Darren Ferguson after being behind the Premiership outfit. Wrexham went on to win the FAW Premier Cup in May 2001.[24]
2001–2008: Administration and the slide into non-League football
At the start of the 21st century, the club was dogged with many problems off the pitch, including then chairman Alex Hamilton, attempting to get the club evicted from the stadium so that he could use and sell it for his own development purposes – the saga involved the sale of the Racecourse Ground to a separate company owned by Hamilton immediately after he became the club's chairman.[25] The club was included in FIFA Football 2004 for the first time and remained playable up to FIFA 08. In the summer of 2004, Hamilton gave the club a year's notice to quit the ground.[26]
The club's fans developed an affinity with the fans of fellow football league club Brighton & Hove Albion, who themselves had managed to successfully depose their chairman and keep control of their stadium after he had sold the ground for development purposes in almost the same circumstances.[27] On 3 December 2004 the club was placed in financial administration by the High Court in Manchester as the club owed £2,600,000, including £800,000 which was owed to the Inland Revenue in unpaid taxes. Wrexham became the first League club to suffer a ten-point deduction under the new rule for being placed in administration, dropping them from the middle of the League One table to the relegation zone after the point deduction, and subsequently condemned Wrexham to relegation.[28]
Despite their financial troubles, Wrexham went on to win the 2004–05 Football League Trophy by defeating Southend United 2–0 after extra time, in Wrexham's first appearance at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.[29] The winning goals were scored by Juan Ugarte and Darren Ferguson as Wrexham ran out winners in front of nearly 20,000 Wrexham fans.[30] Wrexham still retained an outside chance of escaping the drop in the 2004–05 season following an end-of-season winning streak; however, their faint hopes of staying up were ended with a 2–1 home loss to Brentford on 3 May 2005. The 10-point deduction proved decisive in determining Wrexham's fate, as the club finished with 43 points compared to 20th-placed Milton Keynes Dons' 51 – a net points tally of 53 after deduction, which had condemned them to relegation.[31]
In October 2005, Birmingham High Court decided that Alex Hamilton's company CrucialMove had improperly acquired the freehold of the ground and the decision went against him.[32] Hamilton then took this to the Appeal Court in London and it ruled on 14 March 2006 that the stadium must remain in the hands of the club's administrators.[33] On 30 April 2006 the administrators reached an agreement with local car dealer Neville Dickens, subject to agreement by the shareholders and creditors (which was achieved on 30 May), for Dickens to take over control of the club and all its assets.[34] Had the club still been in administration by 3 June then Wrexham would have automatically been expelled from the League because of their financial situation. Wrexham Football Club (2006) Ltd is the name of the "phoenix" company that took over the assets of the old Wrexham Association Football Club Limited – technically, the club is no longer known as Wrexham Association Football Club due to the takeover of the club by Neville Dickens and Geoff Moss and their associates; this is reflected on new merchandise, although most fans will still refer to it as "Wrexham AFC".[citation needed]
The 2006–07 season started well for Wrexham, as they went 8 games unbeaten.[35] However, the club would then struggle with Denis Smith eventually being sacked in January 2007 with Wrexham in the bottom half of the division and after a poor run of results.[36] He was replaced by coach Brian Carey.[37] Wrexham finished 19th in League Two with 51 points[38] after an impressive late run of form which saw them win 4 out of their last 5 games, which included defeating local rivals Shrewsbury in the last derby match at Gay Meadow.[citation needed] Wrexham's league status was saved on the last day of the season with a vital 3–1 victory on 5 May 2007 over Boston United at home which sent their opponents down to the Conference Premier and ensured that Wrexham would stay in the Football League.[39]
Expectations were high for the 2007–08 season, with fans expecting a promotion push.[citation needed] However, the season started badly with the club in 24th by November 2007.[citation needed] Brian Carey was eventually sacked, and on 15 November 2007, Brian Little was named as Wrexham's new manager and the replacement to Carey, who took the role of assistant manager.[40] After a promising start to his reign, Wrexham experienced a run of seven straight league defeats, prompting the club to bring in eleven new players during the January transfer window.[41][citation needed] Wrexham went six matches unbeaten before some poor form which saw defeats against some fellow strugglers.[citation needed] Wrexham were finally relegated to non-League following a 2–0 defeat away at Hereford United, ending the club's 87-year stay in the Football League.[42]
2008–2020: The non-League years
The 2008–09 season started well, with a 5–0 home victory against Stevenage Borough.[43] However a run of poor results followed, with Wrexham being left in the mid-table battle, only four points above the relegation zone and only keeping two clean sheets all season. Following a 3–0 home defeat against Rushden and Diamonds, and fans calling for his dismissal, Little left Wrexham by mutual consent.[44] Little was replaced by Dean Saunders.[45] Wrexham's first full season in the Conference Premier ended in a disappointing 10th place.[46] The following year, 2009–10, ended in a similar fashion with Wrexham finishing in 11th position, well off the pace of the promotion battle.[47]
In March 2011, the ownership of the club became subject to two bids: one from Wrexham Supporters' Trust and another from local businesswoman Stephanie Booth.[48] Wrexham's MP and AM indicated that they would prefer Wrexham Supporters' Trust to secure the bid.[49] A third bid later came in, but after WST and Booth came to an agreement, their bid was then re-accepted. In April 2011, the club was served with a winding-up order from HMRC, with an unpaid tax bill of just under £200,000.[50] The team finished the 2010–11 season in 4th place, qualifying for a playoff spot, but were beaten 5–1 on aggregate by Luton Town in the semi-final.[51]
During the 2011–12 season, Wrexham were invited back into the Welsh Cup after 16 years, entering at the third round stage.[52] New manager Andy Morrell guided Wrexham to a record tally of 98 points but this was not enough to gain automatic promotion, as they ended the season only 5 points adrift of Fleetwood Town, who gained the only automatic place.[53] Wrexham lost in the play-offs to Luton Town again.[54] Wrexham earned themselves places in both the FA Trophy final and the Conference Premier play-off final, their first two appearances at Wembley Stadium in the club's 150-year history to date, and within five weeks of one another. In the FA Trophy final, Wrexham won on penalties after a 1–1 draw with Grimsby Town.[55] A 5–2 aggregate win over Kidderminster Harriers in the two-legged play-off semi-final saw Wrexham through to the final versus Newport County, the first play-off final to feature two Welsh teams; Newport defeated Wrexham 2–0.[56]
In June 2013, members of Wrexham Supporters Trust voted on whether they should change the club's name back to Wrexham AFC.[57] As a result, the name was changed.[58]
In February 2014, Andy Morrell stepped down as manager.[59] Billy Barr was appointed as interim manager before being replaced a few weeks later by Kevin Wilkin.[60] Wrexham finished the 2013–14 season in 17th place.[61] In 2018–19, Wrexham finished in 4th place but lost the play-off quarter-final to Eastleigh.[62] In 2019–20, the club finished 19th on points per game after the season was ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the lowest position in the club's 150-year history.[63][64]
2020–present: New owners, return to EFL
In November 2020, Canadian-American actor Ryan Reynolds and American actor Rob McElhenney, through their RR McReynolds Company LLC, bought the club. The deal received the backing of 98.6% of the 2,000 members of the Wrexham Supporters Trust that voted[65][66] and was completed in February 2021. They were included in FIFA 22 as part of the "Rest of World" section, becoming the first non-league team to be featured in the series.[67] In 2021–22, Wrexham finished 2nd before losing the play-off semi-final 5–4 to Grimsby Town after extra time.[68] Wrexham also reached the 2022 FA Trophy final which they lost 1–0 to Bromley.[69]
Following the takeover, a docuseries called Welcome to Wrexham was announced to be in production for FX with Boardwalk Pictures. The series debuted on 24 August 2022 on FX and Hulu in the United States, followed by a release on Disney+ in the United Kingdom and Ireland the next day.[70][71][72] The acquisition by Reynolds and McElhenney and the attendant publicity from Welcome to Wrexham had a significant impact on the club's visibility, leading to its acquiring a new global fanbase with no precedent for a team in the fifth tier.[9][73][74] The club's fortunes began to attract dedicated coverage from global sporting media that would not typically be afforded teams outside the Premier League.[75] This, in turn, inspired a debate about the potential replicability of this strategy for other lesser-known clubs and leagues, with The Guardian remarking that "everybody wants to ‘do a Wrexham’, but not everybody can."[76]
During the 2022–23 season, the team progressed to the fourth round in the 2022–23 FA Cup, being the only National League team to do so, beating Coventry City in an upset in the third round, and eventually being knocked out by Sheffield United in a replay. The first game against Sheffield United, which ended in a 3–3 draw, was ESPN's most followed football game across its digital platforms.[77] Wrexham vied with Notts County throughout the season to lead the league, trading the first spot back and forth, and both setting new National League records for wins, goals, and goal difference, while 20+ points ahead of the third place team by the end of the season.[78] On 22 April 2023, Wrexham secured winning their first league title in 45 years, and were promoted to the EFL League Two after a 15 year absence, following a 3–1 win against Boreham Wood.[79] The club amassed a tally of 111 points that season, a record for the top five divisions of English league football, beating Notts County to the championship and single automatic promotion spot.[80][81] The team participated in the inaugural The Soccer Tournament in June 2023 where they were eliminated by Conrad and Beasley United in the round of 16.[82] On 5 August 2023, Wrexham played their first Football League match in 15 years, losing at home to MK Dons.[83] Wrexham AFC's income increased to over £10 million in the year ending in June 2023.[84]
In the 2023–24 season, Wrexham secured a second successive promotion, taking the club to EFL League One, the third tier of the English football system[85][86] and ultimately finished second behind Stockport County F.C..[87] Wrexham was awarded Category Four status as an EFL academy from the 2023/24 campaign with the short-term aim to reach Category Three status[88] and operate an Under-18 side. Club Necaxa's backers purchased 5% of Wrexham AFC in April 2024[89] and both owners, in turn, purchased a minority stake in Necaxa. The academy was awarded Category Three status as an EFL academy from the 2024/25 season.[90] The football club joined the European Club Association in August 2024.[91]
The 2024–25 season began with the first League One match in 19 years and with the 5000th recorded league match for the club,[92] winning at home 3-2 to Wycombe Wanderers. The Allyn family of Skaneateles, New York was announced as a new minority investor in the club in October 2024.[93]
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Wrexham's home kit is red shirts, white shorts, and white socks. The club has played in a predominantly red kit with white features since the late 1930s. The away kit is white shirts, red shorts, and red socks. In 2014–15, to celebrate the club's 150th anniversary, Wrexham wore a red and black hooped Nike home shirt as this was the club's first ever recorded home shirt.[94] Macron have been the kit supplier of Wrexham AFC since 2016 and helped arrange a pre-season training camp for the first team in pre-season 2017 in Portugal where over 600 supporters traveled over to support the team in a 2–1 win over Louletano. They still visit Portugal each summer.[citation needed]
In April 2011, Wrexham signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Greene King brewery. This was cancelled in September after Wrexham University (then known as Glyndŵr University) bought the Racecourse, as the university had an exclusive deal with another brewery.[95] Starting with the kits for the 2021–22 seasons, the back neck of the shirt has the number "1934" embroidered in, in remembrance of the Gresford disaster.[96] In May 2023, the team's training kit was announced to be sponsored by Betty Buzz, a beverage company owned by Blake Lively, for the 2023–24 season.[97]
Kit manufacturers and sponsors
- Source:[98]
| Period | Brand | Shirt Sponsor (chest) | Shirt Sponsor (back) | Shirt Sponsor (sleeve) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–85 | Patrick | Crosville Buses | none | none |
| 1985–87 | Winning Ways | Marston's | ||
| 1987–88 | Hi-Tec Sports | |||
| 1988–89 | Admiral Sportswear | |||
| 1989–91 | Spall | |||
| 1991–92 | EN-S | |||
| 1992–98 | Wrexham Lager | |||
| 1998–2002 | Super League | |||
| 2002–04 | Vandanel | Gap Personnel | ||
| 2004–06 | Just Go | |||
| 2006–08 | Lease Direct | |||
| 2008–11 | Umbro | |||
| 2011–12 | Puma | Glyndŵr University | ||
| 2012–14 | Adidas | |||
| 2014–15 | Nike | |||
| 2015–16 | Adidas | |||
| 2016–21 | Macron | Ifor Williams Trailers | ||
| 2021–22 | TikTok | Expedia | Aviation American Gin | |
| 2022–23 | Vistaprint | |||
| 2023–2024 | United Airlines | Vistaprint | HP Inc. | |
| 2024–Present | Meta Quest | |||
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Since 1864, Wrexham have played their home games at The Racecourse Ground, situated on the Mold Road, which is the main through road heading into Wrexham; it is opposite the residential area of Maesgwyn, situated between Wrexham University and Wrexham General railway station.[99] In August 2011 Wrexham University purchased the stadium and the club training facilities in Gresford,[100] adding their name to the stadium for it to become The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium (Glyndŵr University was the name of Wrexham University at the time). Subsequently, in 2016, Wrexham Supporters Trust secured a 99-year lease on the ground, and the name reverted to the Racecourse Ground.[101] The capacity is 10,500, which made it one of the largest stadiums in the National League.[102] In June 2022, Wrexham AFC purchased the Racecourse Ground freehold from the university and are planning renovations to the stadium.[103] The maximum capacity as of the 2024/25 season is 13,341 due to an expanded temporary Kop.[104]
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In August 2011, Wrexham were faced with being expelled from the Football Conference,[105] fans rallied and raised £127,000 in one day[106] to help pay a bond, so they could secure football for the forthcoming season. A month later the Wrexham Supporters' Trust (WST) took over the day-to-day running of the club.[107] Fan ownership of Wrexham was finally ratified on 12 December 2011.[108] As of May 2015 the WST had 4,129 adult members and joint-owners of the club.[109] As well as the city of Wrexham, support is drawn from the surrounding towns and villages of the district, such as Gwersyllt and Rhos,[110][111] the Flintshire towns of Mold,[112] Buckley,[113] Holywell[114] and Deeside. For the 2013 FA Trophy final coaches of Wrexham fans came from many North Wales towns including; Bala, Bangor, Caernarfon, Colwyn Bay, Denbigh, Flint, Llandudno, Prestatyn, Rhyl and Ruthin.[115] Additionally, many Wrexham fans reside in Shropshire.[116]
Exiled supporters clubs can be found in South Wales,[117] Manchester and London.[118] Over the past 15 years, even as a lower-league side, Wrexham have been able to attract gates of 11,000+ for big games at the Racecourse.[119][120] Famous Wrexham fans include Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield,[121] former Royal butler Paul Burrell,[122] actor and television presenter Tim Vincent,[123] actor Llŷr Ifans,[124] actor and comedian Ted Robbins,[125] Sweet guitarist Andy Scott,[126] Lloyd Roberts of rock band Neck Deep,[127] 2012 Olympian weightlifter Gareth Evans,[128] Sky Sports reporter Bryn Law,[129] Rugby World Cup referee Nigel Owens[130] and former footballers Neil Roberts,[131] Robbie Savage[132] and Mark Hughes.[133] The club also has a namesake club in Uganda, Wrexham F.C. Uganda, established in 2009, created by Welsh charity Teams4U.[134][135][136]
Rivalries
Wrexham has a fierce rivalry with Chester; the two contest the cross-border derby.[137][138] The clubs are located just 10 miles apart, but are Welsh and English respectively. The first match was held in 1888 with Wrexham running out 3–2 winners at Faulkner Street, the former home of Chester City; the most recent was played in March 2018 with Wrexham winning 2-0 at the Racecourse Ground.[139] Wrexham lead the head-to-head rivalry with 67 wins compared to Chester's 50. Games between the two are classed as "high risk"[140] for the potential of disorder and are generally moved to early kick-offs with a large police presence to prevent it,[141] though arrests do still occur for various offenses surrounding the fans of both clubs.[142][143][144]
Former Chester City player Lee Dixon said of the derby "I'm telling you, Chester versus Wrexham was a real derby! It's difficult to compare if you've not played in each one but there's something special about any derby at any level. I played for Chester v Wrexham and that could get ferocious, it lost nothing in ferocity compared to Arsenal v Spurs".[145] Former Wales and Liverpool striker Ian Rush, who played for both clubs, said in 2013 that the cross-border derby between the two clubs is "as intense as they come" and "It is like Wales v England really, it is incredible".[146]
Wrexham also have a fierce rivalry with Shrewsbury Town[147][148] and Tranmere Rovers due to geographical proximity. The games are often moved to early kick-offs, in accordance with police wishes, to minimize the potential of trouble as has happened between clubs previously. In 2003, 32 hooligans were jailed after a Tranmere v Wrexham match at Prenton Park[149] and trouble was again evident when the two clubs met in a 2013 friendly at the Racecourse Ground.[150] Though not as intense as they once were, due to divisional differences, Crewe Alexandra and Port Vale, as well as fellow Welsh clubs Cardiff City, Newport County,[151] and Swansea City are also classed as rivals.[147][152][153][154] Wrexham is represented by a hooligan firm known as the 'Front Line' that have been involved in major disorder around Britain since the early 1980s.[155]
Recent seasons have also seen rivalries cultivated with both Stockport County and Notts County after Wrexham battled Stockport for the 2021-22 National League title, narrowly missing out in spite of a late season surge that saw Wrexham beat Stockport at home twice in the FA Trophy [156] and League,[157] before battling Notts County for the title in 2022-23 in a season that saw both teams clear the century mark for both goals and points with a 3-2 win on Easter Monday in 2023 for Wrexham, helped by a Ben Foster penalty save in the last minute,[158] proving crucial as Wrexham finished 4 points clear of Notts to win the title and promotion back to the EFL. 2023-24 saw Wrexham win another promotion in 2nd place, just behind Stockport who won the league (although Wrexham beat them 2-1 at home on the final day of the season [159]) to ensure the two would be in League One for the 2024-25 League One season.
Team mascot
Wrex the Dragon is the official team mascot of Wrexham. The mascot, along with the team nickname "The Dragons", was introduced in 2001–02 following a ballot of fans to help increase sponsorship and promote the club's Welsh image whilst also providing a more original nickname as Bristol City, Swindon Town and Cheltenham Town also use the nickname of 'The Robins'. Wrex is occasionally performed by owner Rob McElhenney.
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Wrexham's training ground was the purpose-built Colliers Park, in neighbouring Gresford.[160] When the construction had been completed it was officially opened in June 1997, at a building cost of £750,000.[160] It is widely regarded in British football as one of the best training grounds outside the top flight and one of the best never to have been used by a top-flight team.[161] The England national team, Barcelona, Rangers and the Wales national team have all used it for training purposes.[161][162] Colliers Park continues to be improved; a running hill, as well as all-weather pitches and a small stand have been constructed since the facilities opened in 1997. Colliers Park was bought by Glyndwr University as part of their purchase of the Racecourse Ground assets in 2011.[163] Wrexham's former training ground found a new purpose after about £4 million were invested by the Football Association of Wales to transform it into a National Development Centre in February 2018.[164]
For the beginning of the 2016–17 season, Wrexham moved back to their former training ground at Stansty Park,[165] the home of Welsh National League side Lex Glyndwr, due to the use of Colliers Park becoming financially unsustainable for the club.[166] Wrexham did however retain the use of Colliers Park for Youth and Reserve fixtures. After one season of training at Stansty Park, Wrexham announced their move to a new training ground at 9 Acre field for the beginning of the 2017–18 season based near the city center[167] but also used Stansty Park in 2021.[168] Wrexham still occasionally train at Colliers Park since the takeover and use multiple venues.[169]
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Squad
- As of 7 December 2024[170]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable former players
For all players with a Wikipedia article, see Wrexham A.F.C. players.
For a complete list of players, see List of Wrexham A.F.C. players with 100+ appearances, 25–99 appearances and 1–24 appearances.
Hall of Fame
The following are members of the Wrexham A.F.C. Hall of Fame.[171] Entry is not restricted to players; anyone who has made a great contribution to the club in any capacity can be considered.
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Player of the Year
Player records
- Most goals in a season in all competitions: Tommy Bamford – 51 (1933–34)[172]
- Most League goals in a season: Tommy Bamford – 44 (1933–34, Division Three North)[172]
- Most league goals in total: Tommy Bamford – 175[172]
- Most hat tricks: Tommy Bamford – 16[173]
- Most goals scored in a single game by one player: Andy Morrell – 7 (against Merthyr Tydfil, 16 February 2000)[174]
- Most league appearances: 592 – Arfon Griffiths (1959–61, 1962–79)[175]
- Most appearances in total: 713 - Arfon Griffiths (1959–61, 1962–79)
- Most capped player: 146 - Daniel Bennett, Singapore
- Most caps while at Wrexham: 49 – Dennis Lawrence, Trinidad & Tobago
- Oldest player: Bobby Roberts – 43 years, 88 days (against Worcester City, 29 October 1983)[176]
- Youngest player: Ken Roberts – 15 years, 158 days (against Bradford PA, 1 September 1951)[177]
Reserves
Between 1988 and 1995 the reserve team of Wrexham played in the Welsh football leagues.[178]
On 2 August 2022, Wrexham announced their participation in the upcoming 2022–23 Central League season.[179]
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- Attendance – 34,445 v Manchester United, FA Cup 4th round, 26 January 1957[180]
- League attendance – 29,261 v Chester City, Division Three, 26 December 1936[181]
- Average attendance – 11,651, 1977–78[182]
- Highest league win – 10–1 v Hartlepools United, 3 March 1962[183][a]
- Worst league defeat – 9–0 v Brentford, Division Three, 15 October 1963[citation needed]
- Highest league finish - 15th, Second Division, 1978-79
- Lowest league finish - 17th, Conference National, 2013-14
- Biggest cup win – 6–0 v Charlton Athletic, FA Cup 3rd round, 5 January 1980[citation needed]
- Most games won in a row – 10, 5 April 2003 – 8 May 2003, 2002–03[184]
- Most league wins in a season – 34, 2022–23
- Most goals in a season – 115, 2022–23
- Longest unbeaten run – 28, October 2022 – 7 April 2023, 2022–23[185][186]
- Most consecutive league clean sheets – 7, 9 October – 26 November, 2011–12[187]
- Most clean sheets in a season – 26, 1973–74 and 2018–19[188]
- Highest transfer received – £800,000 for Bryan Hughes, Birmingham City, 1997[189]
- Highest transfer fee paid – £590,000 for Modou Faal, West Bromwich Albion, 2024[190]
European record
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  FC Zürich |
2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | [191][192] |
| Second round |  Hajduk Split |
3–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | [193][194] | ||
| 1975–76 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  Djurgården |
2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | [195][196] |
| Second round |  Stal Rzeszów |
2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | [197][198] | ||
| Quarter-final |  Anderlecht |
1–1 | 0–1 | 1–2 | [199][200] | ||
| 1978–79 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round | Rijeka |
2–0 | 0–3 | 2–3 | [201][202] |
| 1979–80 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  FC Magdeburg |
3–2 | 2–5 | 5–7 | [203][204] |
| 1984–85 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  FC Porto |
1–0 | 3–4 | 4–4 | [205] |
| Second round |  Roma |
0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | [206][207] | ||
| 1986–87 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  Żurrieq |
4–0 | 3–0 | 7–0 | [208][209] |
| Second round |  Real Zaragoza |
2–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | [210][211] | ||
| 1990–91 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  Lyngby |
0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | [212][213] |
| Second round |  Manchester United |
0–2 | 0–3 | 0–5 | [214][215] | ||
| 1995–96 | Cup Winners' Cup | First round |  Petrolul Ploiești |
0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | [216][217] |
- As of 19 May 2023[218]
Coaching staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Phil Parkinson |
| Assistant manager | Steve Parkin |
| First-team coach | David Jones |
| Goalkeeping coach |  Aidan Davison |
| Head of performance, medicine and sport science |  Kevin Mulholland |
| First team sports scientist | Owen Jackson |
| First team strength and conditioning coach | Richard Hill |
| First team physiotherapist | Jonny Griffiths |
| First team sports physiotherapists |  Gemma Bamford |
| Ryan Murray | |
| Ashley Painter | |
| Performance analyst | Kyle Crutchley |
| Chief scout | Andy Kidby |
| Academy Manager | Andy Lowe |
| Kitman | Iwan Pugh-Jones |
| Centre of excellence manager | Dan Nolan |
| Youth team coach | Cledwyn Ashford |
| Youth team analyst | Aaron Bennett |
Board of Directors
- As of 19 May 2023[219]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Co-Chairmen | Rob McElhenney |
| Ryan Reynolds | |
| Executive director | Humphrey Ker |
| Chief Executive | Michael Williamson |
| Chief Business and Communications Officer | Rob Faulkner |
| Advisors to the Board | Shaun Harvey |
| Peter Moore | |
| Les Reed |
Honourary
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Club President | Dixie McNeil |
| Vice Presidents | Dave Bennett |
| Dave Griffiths | |
| Spencer Harris | |
| Gavin Jones | |
| Rob Parry | |
| Phil Salmon | |
| Mark Williams |
Managerial history
Managerial history for Wrexham AFC from 1912 to present.[220]
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Wrexham AFC's honours include:[221][222]
League
- Third Division North / Third Division (level 3)
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4)
- National League (level 5)
- The Combination
- Welsh Senior League
Cup
- Football League Trophy
- Winners: 2004–05
- FA Trophy
- Football League North Cup
- Winners: 1943–44
- FAW Premier Cup
- Welsh Cup
- Supporters Direct Cup
- Winners: 2015–16 (Shared)
- Champions 2022/23 – The Story Of A Record-Breaking Season, Wrexham A.F.C., 2023
- The Giant Killers; a Wrexham fan's view by Richard Partington, Bridge Books, 2001
- My Wrexham Story; The Inspirational Autobiography From The Beloved Football Hero by Paul Mullin, Cornerstone, 2023
- The Racecourse Robins from Adams to Youds: a Who's who of Wrexham Association Football Club, 1921 to 1999 by Peter Jones and Gareth Davies, the authors, 1999
- Tinseltown: Hollywood and the Beautiful Game - A Match Made In Wrexham by Ian Herbert, Headline, 2023
- Wrexham; A Complete Record 1872 – 1992 by Peter Jones, Breedon Books, 1992
- Wrexham AFC (Ultimate Football Heroes) by Paul Harrison, John Blake Publishing, 2024
- Wrexham FC 1872–1950 by Peter Jones and Gareth Davies, History Press Limited, 2000
- Wrexham FC 1950–2000 by Peter Jones and Gareth Davies, History Press Limited, 2001
- Wrexham FC, An A–Z history by Dean Hayes, Sigma, 1998
- Wrexham Football Club Pen-Portraits by Don Meredith, Don Meredith, 1997
- Wrexham; The European era by Peter Jones, Desert Island Books, 2002
- Wrexham; Through The Trap Door by Peter Jones, Desert Island Books, 2008
The team plays a significant role in the 1994 book Twenty Two Foreigners in Funny Shorts by Peter Davies, written for the World Cup in the US. It profiles the ongoing and ultimately successful promotion effort.
- Notable for the first occasion of three hat tricks in a single Football League game.[citation needed]
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