Wrexham

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Wrexham’s start to life in League One shows they are on track to challenge for promotion – and leave an exclusive club to start their own.

Only a handful of sides have the distinction of winning back-to-back promotions, as Wrexham managed in jumping from the National League to the third tier last season.

But no other club has earned three promotions in a row in English football’s professional game.

That’s the prospect Phil Parkinson’s side face if they can keep up the form shown over their first ten games in their return to this level for the first time in 19 years.

Making the leap from League Two to the Championship isn’t unheard of with five sides having completed the feat since the millennium.

They include two teams who went on to eventually reach the top-flight. They include Brighton in 2000-2002 under Micky Adams and Peter Taylor, and Luton Town - who had earlier won promotion from the National League at the expense of Wrexham – under the stewardship of Nathan Jones and Mick Harford.

Former Wrexham captain Darren Ferguson managed it with Peterborough between 2007 and 2009, as did Burton under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Nigel Clough in 2014-2016, the Brewers another side who had previously gone up from the fifth tier.

And current League One rivals Rotherham have pulled it off twice, first in 1999-2001 under Ronnie Moore and then again between 2012 and 2014 under Steve Evans who is now back at the club for a second spell with the Millers.

Wrexham’s current tally of 20 points after ten games stacks up well against the most recent teams to go from fourth to second tier, although lag behind Luton who amassed an incredible 28 points from the first 30 on offer before going on to win the title with 98 points, 12 ahead of their nearest rivals.

Burton were only two points better off than Wrexham on their way to a second-placed finish in 2016, while Rotherham (19) and Peterborough (17) were both behind Parkinson’s points return to date, Posh going up automatically behind future Premier League champions Leicester and Rotherham going up via the play-offs.

Of course, such numbers will mean little to Parkinson and his composed managerial style which has served the Dragons more than well during his time at the Racecourse.

But it does show – if the table did not already – that Wrexham should already be taken seriously as challengers as they back up James McClean’s claim that they are “more than a match” for their League rivals.

And if they do, they would not only emulate Swansea City’s successive climb from fourth tier to second under John Toshack, but stand alone as back-to-back-to-back promotion specialists.

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Given that his team have played 13 games in all competitions already this season, Phil Parkinson may be grateful Wrexham have a break before they return to action against Rotherham United on 19 October.

The Red Dragons were due to host Lincoln City at the Stok Racecourse on Saturday, but the game was postponed owing to international call-ups within the Imps' squad.

Wrexham will hope to benefit from additional time on the training ground, plus a few days off.

Yet the Welsh side might have wanted to take to the field this weekend given their astonishing home record.

Wrexham have won each of their opening five home games in the current League One campaign.

The last time they achieved a better return from the outset of a season was in 1975-76, when John Neal's side won their first six home Third Division fixtures.

Last weekend's 4-1 triumph over Northampton Town took Wrexham to nine consecutive home league wins, matching the run set during the 2022-23 season when Parkinson's side were promoted from the National League as champions.

However, they have some way to go when it comes to their best ever home sequence.

Wrexham won 29 consecutive home matches between February 1904 and September 1905, with 19 of those triumphs coming in the league.

Nevertheless, it is fair to say Parkinson's home league record since becoming Wrexham boss in the summer of 2021 is formidable.

Wrexham lost just one regular season home fixture - against Yeovil Town in November 2021- across their two seasons under Parkinson in the National League.

Last term, MK Dons, Bradford City and Tranmere Rovers were the only sides to secure league wins in north Wales as Wrexham gained promotion from League Two.

That means Wrexham have won 59 of their 73 home regular-season league games under Parkinson at a win rate of 81%. They have lost just four of those matches, with the remaining 10 being draws.

These impressive numbers will undoubtedly be put to the test over the coming months as the likes of Huddersfield Town, Mansfield Town, Blackpool, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers come to town.

But with increased crowds and an ever-growing feel-good factor around the club, Wrexham's Stok Racecourse fortress is proving pivotal in the club's quest to continue their climb towards the upper echelons of the football pyramid.

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Mo Faal opened his goal account for Wrexham in style on Tuesday night, hitting a spectacular volley to round off a 3-0 EFL Trophy win against Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s.

The 21-year-old striker has had to be patient since joining from West Bromwich Albion on transfer deadline day for £500,000, and has yet to makes his League One debut for Wrexham.

But Faal was one of a number of youngsters including Aaron James and Harry Ashfield who were given a chance to shine in the EFL Trophy by Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson.

"It was good, I came into that game wanting to score a goal and I put a little bit of pressure on myself," said Fall, who was born in The Gambia but from the age of seven grew up in Birmingham after his family moved to England.

"Coming in at half-time, speaking to the gaffer [Parkinson], he just said, 'look, just keep doing the right stuff and it will come' and that's exactly what happened so I'm delighted, I'm buzzing."

Faal - who also scored in the EFL Cup for the Baggies in August before his transfer - struck in the 57th minute at the Stok Racecourse, but admitted he only attempted his eye-catching goal thinking an offside flag was imminent.

"It [the finish] was decent wasn't it?" he said.

"I've just said... if I didn't think I was offside I probably wouldn't have gone for it... because I thought I was offside I just went acrobatic. It doesn't get much better than that for a first goal, does it?"

The Wrexham fans responded to Faal's talent and enthusiasm by naming him player of the match, and Faal is eager to take any future chances he earns.

"I don't know how I nicked that man of the match award, there were so many great performers out there, but I'm just pleased they thought I did alright," he said modestly.

At the very least, with Wrexham now having secured a place in the knock-out stages of the EFL Trophy, Faal will continue to get opportunities in cup games as he continues to improve.

"It's definitely about building confidence, definitely gelling with the team, and to be honest even gaining a bit more fitness," Faal added.

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Teenager Harry Ashfield faces the challenge of turning himself into a regular having made his first senior start in Wrexham’s EFL Trophy win over Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s on Tuesday.

Local lad Ashfield, 18, has been at Wrexham since he was aged six and was named academy player of the year in 2023-24.

The midfielder made his senior bow as a late substitute in the EFL Trophy last season, and came off the bench again in the same competition against Salford City last month.

But Ashfield was picked from the start – and played 80 minutes – as Wrexham beat Wolves’ youngsters 3-0 at the Stok Racecourse.

“He works had in training all the time,” said Wrexham first-team coach David Jones.

“He has been playing for the youth team, the reserves and has appeared a few times for the first team.

“For him to continue that progression [with a first start], as well as other players like Aaron James… hopefully they will keep building on those performances and be an integral part of the squad moving forward.”

Fellow youth product James, 19, made his fifth Wrexham start – and first appearance this season – in the Wolves win.

Wrexham triumphed thanks to goals from Lewis Brunt, Paul Mullin and Mo Faal.

Dylan Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales at the Stok Racecourse

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Wrexham are through to the knock-out stages of the EFL Trophy after a convincing 3-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s with one game remaining in the group.

Manager Phil Parkinson made 11 changes from the side that started Saturday's 4-1 win in League One against Northampton Town, with Paul Mullin named captain.

Wrexham took the lead after 22 minutes when defender Lewis Brunt slotted home Anthony Forde’s free-kick, and seven minutes before half-time Mullin lobbed Wolves goalkeeper Tom King.

Wrexham dominated possession and striker Mo Faal extended their lead in the second half, scoring his first goal for the Welsh club with an acrobatic volley.

The Dragons will face Port Vale next month in their final game in Northern Group B.

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Assistant manager Steve Parkin expects changes to be made to the Wrexham team for Tuesday’s EFL Trophy match against Wolves.

That could mean starting places for strikers Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher, who came on as substitutes during the 4-1 win against Northampton Town in League One.

Manager Phil Parkinson made several changes for the EFL Trophy win over Salford City in September and Parkin expects the same against Wolves.

“There are key players in the building that definitely need some minutes, so I won’t see that changing,” said Parkin.

“They are a great bunch of lads and are really good to work with. Sometimes it’s not easy being out of the team and seeing the team winning but the boys that train with us have been magnificent”.

Parkin says recent injury replacements in the team has shown the strength of the current squad.

“We got an unfortunate injury to Max [Cleworth] last week and somebody has to step in, i.e. Scarry [Dan Scarr],” Parkin added.

“We’ve got a strong squad and they are all motivated to get in the team so to see some of them play on Tuesday night will be good”.

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James McClean says he feels a significant responsibility to set the tone at Wrexham having been handed the club captaincy for the 2024-25 campaign.

The midfielder has worn the armband this season following the departures of Luke Young and Ben Tozer over the summer.

The former Republic of Ireland international has led by example as Phil Parkinson's men claimed 20 of the first 30 points on offer to sit second in the League One table after 10 matches.

He scored twice as Wrexham beat Northampton Town 4-1 in north Wales to move within two points of league leaders Birmingham City.

And the 35-year-old - who won 103 caps for his country - hopes his efforts continue to rub off on his Wrexham team-mates.

"To be trusted with that role, for me, my motto has always been to work as hard as I can each day and never get out-worked," McClean said.

"If that rubs off on all of the players then absolutely brilliant, because this team is built on hard work.

"For me to be given the armband and the opportunity to lead this team out then I feel it's a responsibility for me to make sure that I'm bang at it every game when it comes to setting the tone."

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Ryan Barnett is rivalling Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer for assists this season after the Wrexham defender’s hat-trick of set-ups against Northampton.

Barnett laid on goals for Elliott Lee and James McClean in the 4-1 Racecourse win that kept Phil Parkinson’s side second in the League One standings.

It took the 25-year-old right-back’s tally for assists to five for the season after also laying on goals in the wins over Reading and Shrewsbury.

Only Arsenal ace Saka and Chelsea star Palmer have registered more in the Premier League, with Saka already with seven assists to his name in the top-flight. England midfielder Palmer also has five, as has West Brom midfielder Tom Fellows.

Barnett was named Wrexham’s man of the match against Northampton having also had a role in Jack Marriott’s strike, the former Derby striker’s fifth goal of the season.

It also takes Barnett’s assists past last season’s tally of four as he played a key role in Wrexham’s promotion back to the third tier for the first time in 19 years.

The performance against Northampton earned Barnett a standing ovation, something the player admitted was “brilliant”.

On social media, captain McClean described the display as a “masterclass” while executive director replied to Shrewsbury-born Barnett’s own post celebrating the win dubbing him “The Shropshire Shevchenko”.

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Waynne Phillips hailed Wrexham's "classy performance" as they returned to winning ways by beating Northampton Town 4-1 at the Stok Racecourse. 

A James McClean brace along with goals from Jack Marriott and Elliot Lee earned Phil Parkinson's side an emphatic victory over the Cobblers in north Wales.

And former Wrexham midfielder Phillips hailed some of the Red Dragons' goals in the contest as "outstanding".

"Brilliant afternoon for Wrexham, it was very comfortable," he told BBC Radio Wales.

"They started the afternoon on the back foot, Northampton asked a few questions early on. Wrexham became dominant and got the goal they deserved; they were sailing. 

"The shock of the half came when Northampton found an equaliser. Not for one moment did I see that coming. 

“Wrexham got back to their game well and got that all important second goal before half-time.

"In the second half, the two goals that Wrexham scored from Elliot Lee and James McClean were outstanding.

"The last 15 minutes then became simply ‘ole football’. It was a classy performance."

Victory over Northampton moved Wrexham - who sit second - to within two points of League One leaders Birmingham City.

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Ryan Barnett described the standing ovation he received after being withdrawn during Wrexham's 4-1 win over Northampton Town as "one of the best feelings" of his career.

The right wing-back played a key role in all four of his side's goals against the Cobblers and registered three assists as Phil Parkinson's men moved to within two points of League One leaders Birmingham City.

Barnett was replaced by Seb Revan in the 86th minute of the contest with Jon Brady's outfit and received significant applause from the home supporters as he walked off the pitch.

"It was nice to be honest, I was absolutely shattered," he said.

"When the gaffer brought me off, you want to be there for the 90 minutes but sometimes when the games come Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday, it's a tough ask.

"The reaction when I came off was brilliant, it's one of the best feelings of my career."

Victory was Wrexham's sixth from 10 League One matches so far this season, and Barnett was pleased his side could react after failing to score against Leyton Orient and Stevenage in their previous two outings.

"I think from the start if you said where we were now, you'd 100% have taken it," added Barnett.

"There's been a couple of dodgy performances in there, but if you look at today, we've reacted to it straight away.

"We'll take the start, but it's only the start, we've got to keep it going."

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James McClean believes Wrexham are "more than a match" for anyone in League One after they returned to winning ways with a 4-1 triumph over Northampton Town.

McClean netted twice to add to goals from Jack Marriott and Elliot Lee as Phil Parkinson's side moved to within two points of league leaders Birmingham City following the Blues' 1-0 loss to Charlton Athletic.

Victory came after Wrexham - who sit second in the table after the opening 10 games of the campaign - failed to score in their previous two fixtures - against Leyton Orient and Stevenage.

And McClean feels Wrexham are more than capable of challenging their promotion rivals this season if they can produce high performance levels on a consistent basis.

"You look at the squad we have and the quality we have, when we're bang at it, we're more than a match for anybody, but you have to be bang at it every game," he said.

"If you ease up or you're a little bit off it like we have been in the last couple of games, the results speak for themselves. You can't afford to do that.

"This team is built on hard work. We've got the quality, but first and foremost we need to work hard, and when we're at it and it clicks like it did today, it's a joy to behold."

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Wrexham’s Jacob Mendy has been named in The Gambia’s squad for Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar.

Wing-back Mendy, who has three caps, has made three Wrexham appearances so far this season having recovered from injury.

The Gambia will take on Madagascar twice, on 11 October and again three days later, with both games being played in Morocco.

Wrexham’s League One game against Lincoln City, which was scheduled for 12 October, has been postponed because of the Imps’ international call-ups.

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Dan Scarr has had to be patient since dropping out of the Championship to join Wrexham in August.

Centre-back Scarr made 28 second-tier appearances for Plymouth Argyle last season.

But the 29-year-old watched Wrexham make a promising start to the League One campaign from the bench, with his only game time in the first seven weeks of 2024-25 coming in cup competitions.

That all changed when Max Cleworth suffered an ankle ligament injury at Leyton Orient last weekend.

Scarr made his Wrexham league debut as a late substitute at Brisbane Road, before making his first third-tier start for the Dragons in the midweek defeat at Stevenage.

Now the former Wycombe Wanderers and Walsall player is eyeing a first Wrexham league appearance on home soil when Northampton Town come to the Stok Racecourse this Saturday.

“The atmosphere has been great every time I have been on the bench,” Scarr said.

“All being well, it would be nice to get a start and play in front of the home fans.”

Wrexham’s aim this weekend will be to make amends after they were beaten in the league for just the second time this season.

Scarr acknowledged that Phil Parkinson’s team “slipped below our standard” in the first half at Stevenage, but insists there is no need for concern.

“We have done well this season. We will pick ourselves up, go again on Saturday and try to put it right.”

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Wrexham will return to the Stok Racecourse on Saturday knowing a win would be timely as they attempt to stay in touch with Birmingham City at the top of League One.

The Blues continued their spectacular form in midweek, beating Huddersfield Town 1-0 to make it seven successive league victories.

Birmingham are five points clear at the summit of the third tier and have a game in hand over second-placed Wrexham.

Phil Parkinson’s side have lost ground this week, having lost for only the second time in the league this season at Stevenage on Tuesday after drawing with Leyton Orient last Saturday.

A win against 19th-placed Northampton Town this weekend would be welcome, therefore, especially as Wrexham will then go 14 days without a league fixture following the postponement of their game against Lincoln City, which had been due to take place on 12 October.

Northampton may not be relishing the prospect of a trip to north Wales after back-to-back home defeats against Bolton Wanderers and Mansfield Town, though Jon Brady’s side did claim the scalp of Huddersfield Town on their last away day.

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The kick-off time for Wrexham's League One game at Shrewsbury Town on 18 January has been brought forward due to police advice.

The fixture at Croud Meadow was originally scheduled to get under way at 15:00 GMT.

But the club has confirmed the match - which will be Wrexham's first league fixture at Shrewsbury since 2008 - will now kick-off at the earlier time of 12:30 GMT.

Goals from Ollie Palmer, Jack Marriott and Elliot Lee earned Phil Parkinson's side a 3-0 victory in the most recent meeting between the sides in September.

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Phil Parkinson has welcomed the idea of Wrexham having a chance to play European football through success in a Welsh cup competition.

As things stand, Wrexham, Cardiff City, Swansea City and Newport County are only able to qualify for European competitions via the Premier League, FA Cup or EFL Cup.

But discussions have taken place at the four clubs and the Football Association of Wales about the idea of entering the Welsh League Cup - currently known as the Nathaniel MG Cup - for a chance to represent Wales in the Europa Conference League.

Parkinson says it would be “fantastic” for Wales’ EFL clubs to have a route into Europe through Welsh domestic competition.

“To have that opportunity to get into Europe again for the club would be amazing,” said the Wrexham boss.

“Hopefully that comes to fruition.”

The proposal – known as Prosiect Cymru, Welsh for Project Wales – has been presented to Uefa, the Football Association, Premier League and clubs in the Cymru Premier, Wales’ domestic top flight.

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Wrexham are waiting for news on the extent of George Evans’ injury after the midfielder was forced off during Tuesday’s defeat at Stevenage.

Evans made his first League One start of the season at the Lamex Stadium, but was forced off early in the second half.

“It’s such a shame for George because he has worked hard to get back into the team,” said Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson.

“He felt something crack. I don’t know what it is, but it is a huge blow.”

Evans’ injury comes after defender Max Cleworth suffered ankle ligament damage in last weekend’s draw at Leyton Orient.

Parkinson said Cleworth’s return date remains uncertain, but said his problem was “not as bad as we first feared”.

“We have had a decent run with injuries so far this season but one or two things have caught up with us a little bit now,” Parkinson added.

“We have to reassess a little bit and look ahead to the weekend.”

Wrexham go in search of a first league win in three games when they host Northampton Town on Saturday.