Wrexham away preview

[Sweden Stag]

For the first time in a decade, the Stags travel to Wrexham in any competition.

Last time out, our 12-match winning run came to an end under controversial circumstances as the Stags had a goal wrongly disallowed. Revenge came just a few weeks when the Stags went into the final BSP game of the regular 2012-13 season knowing that a victory against the Wrexham Dragons would seal the Stags return to League Two. And the Stags could clinch it without help from others. Due to the very important Matt Green injury-time winner at Hereford a few days earlier, the Stags were two points ahead of their main rivals Kidderminster, who played relegation-threatened Stockport at home. In the end, Stags and Kidderminster won their games. While a Matt Green penalty sealed the Stags’ EFL return, Kidderminster condemned Stockport to their then third relegation in four seasons, from League One to National League North (almost like currently Scunthorpe who took five seasons to slide that downhill) to a 4-0 scoreline at Aggborough. Kidderminster then lost to Wrexham in the playoff semifinals, which gave Wrexham the chance to return to the EFL together with the Stags. If they had done so, it had been a first. Relegated together from the EFL, then return together. But it was not to be as two very late Newport goals in the final condemned Wrexham to stay down. And the Dragons had to wait another decade for their return, as they became National League Champions after a thrilling neck-to-neck race with Notts County last seaon. National League records were broken left right and centre last season apart from the Stags’ 12-match winning run in 2012-13, which ended in an unlucky 1-2 defeat at Wrexham on April 1, 2013.Within that sequence, there were late match-winning goals, too, as proved at Luton and Lincoln in consecutive games. Where had the Stags been without those goals and the all-important one at Hereford ?

Wrexham and Notts County both surpassed the 100-point mark and both scored more than a century of National League goals. But after the EFL return of both sides, attacking has been no problem. The worrying problems are in defence, as Wrexham already have conceded five on three occasions (3-5 at home to MK Dons, 5-5 at home against Swindon and 0-5 in Wrexham’s latest away fixture). Notts County have also conceded a lot, but more on that in the forthcoming County v Stags preview.

On April 20, 2013, and not for the first time altogether, the Stags faced Wrexham in their final league game of a campaign. For more details, see below. In 1972, a such game ended in Stags heartbreak, and five years later, Wrexham experienced the same thing.

April 20 is a good day for Stags promotions on a regular season-ending date. Not only in 2013, but also in 2002 when the previewer watched the Stags beat Carlisle 2-0 on the final day of that season.

In league history dating back from the 1930's, the Stags and Wrexham have faced each other several times and also managed to by-pass each other on a few occasions as well. Below are some memorable fixtures.

The most memorable Stags v Dragons league fixture before the final game in 2012-13 should be very easy to pick for any Stags fan, including the previewer. This was on the final day of the 1976-77 season. The Stags were already promoted, but were two points ahead of Brighton, who themselves played at Chesterfield on May 14, 1977. Wrexham had a few days earlier lost 2-4 at home to Crystal Palace in the final minutes and therefore needed a win to topple the Londoners. In an English newspaper, think it was the Guardian, there were quotes from – of all places – Chesterfield, like this: “We want Mansfield to win the title, the region needs success”. Brighton could only manage a 1-1 draw at Saltergate. And at Wrexham, as expected there was a full house. That May Saturday ended in heartbreak for Wrexham as Ernie Moss hit the only goal of the game and clinched the Stags’ second championship in three seasons. That win was also the Stags' first at Wrexham since September 18, 1954, when Bradley, Gaskell and Adam hit the net in front of 9197. Bradley, then, was not "gone in 60 seconds-Shayne" in the Stags v Spireites league game on January 18, 2003, but Don Bradley, who scored one of his six Stags league goals then. At one time, Don Bradley held the record for most Stags' league appearances, a record later beaten by two players playing a big part in both 1970's championships, namely Sandy Pate and Rod Arnold, while Wrexham had to wait another year for their turn.

Then on May 14, 1977, the Stags gained definitely sweet revenge on Wrexham as the Dragons sent the Stags down to the basement five seasons earlier on May 1, 1972 due to a late Dragons goal by Mickey Evans, after nine seasons at third level. The Field Mill fixture in the 1976-77 season was won as well. On December 18, 1976, the Stags stung the Dragons 2-0 thanks to goals from John Miller and the late Gordon Hodgson in front of 5399. But that gate was the Stags' second lowest home one all 1976-77 season, must have been due to Christmas shopping or something like that. The Wrexham home game then was the first in a 14-game spell in which the Stags won twelve, drew once and lost just once, catapulting them from seventh position to top spot. During that spell, the Stags scored in eighteen consecutive League fixtures! Wrexham, then using only 16 players, three ever-presents, ten playing 40 games or more, were in the running, too. That campaign, the Stags used 19 players, two playing all 46 games (GK Arnold and the late Gordon Hodgson). But both sides were in that matter surpassed by another promotion-chasing outfit, Rotherham, who used only 15 players all season, one playing only once, but with SIX ever-presents! In that matter, the Millers were the FL League champions when talking about the least players used.

Another memorable game at Wrexham was played as far back as in the 1936-37 season. That campaign was the one of Ted Harston. When the Stags visited Racecourse Ground on April 17, 1937, the talk among the older Stags supporters must have been if Harston were to score his 50th league goal that term? Eventually he did, and netted another in the 3-2 victory. And in the home game a few weeks earlier, Harston fixed a hat-trick, including one from the spot, in the 3-0 win on March 30, 1937.

In 1975-76, the teams clashed six times, three times in the FA Cup before the Stags went through. A few months earlier, the Stags had disposed of Wrexham in the League Cup as well. Despite their FA Cup giant-killing credentials (ask i.e. Arsenal on January 4, 1992!), Wrexham had never before the FA Trophy game in December 2008 won any cup game against the Stags. In 2000-01, the Stags, then in Division Three, dumped the Dragons, then in Division Two, out of the League Cup, mainly due to a 3-0 victory in Wales on September 5, 2000, thanks to two goals from Wayne Corden and one from Chris Greenacre, avenging a 1-0 deficit in front of a paltry 1052 crowd at Notts County's ground! The home game was played there due to work at Field Mill then. In 1975-76, goals from Kevin Bird and Ray Clarke were enough to see off Wrexham on September 10, 1975 at their place. The Stags then went on to dump out TWO then Division 1 (before the PL) sides like Coventry and Wolverhampton, both at Field Mill in front of five-figure gates. In the FA Cup, the Stags went through at the third attempt. This was at a current PL ground where the Stags in fact gained maximum points twice in the early seventies! The FA Cup second replay was won 2-1 thanks to Mick Laverick and a Wrexham own-goal. The ground: Villa Park, where the Stags beat Aston Villa 1-0 in successive seasons, 1970-71 and 1971-72 respectively (scorers Partridge in 1970 and Jones in 1971, both games early on in the corresponding seasons).

In 2011-12, the Stags beat Wrexham twice. The final BSP home game last season saw the Stags win 2-0 in front of the TV cameras, the second goal coming from Alan Marriott !!!!!!

Yet tradition was against Wrexham in the 2012-13 season. Between April 19, 1954 and October 24, 1959, the Stags won seven consecutive home games against Wrexham, 26 for, 7 against, and the Dragons were hit for six in October 1959 and also stung to a 6-1 scoreline way back on February 4, 1956.

Three seasons earlier than the 2012-13 one, two ex-Stags figured for Wrexham. One, Simon Brown, played last for Tamworth. The other, Jefferson Louis, had his best-ever scoring spell (at Wrexham) for any side he's represented (memorable for netting the 90th minute winner for the Stags at Wycombe in February 2008 season in front of the previewer). But Louis knows the BSP inside out having played for several other BSP sides during his nomadic career. The proof: Louis left Wrexham at the end of the 2008-09 campaign had played for Hayes & Yeading after leaving Darlington, whom he represented against the Stags in October 2010, after having had spells at Crawley and Rushden & Diamonds. Jefferson Louis also played for Lincoln under former Stags boss Dave Holdsworth and for Newport, to name but two out of several other sides he represented during his nomadic career. The scorer of the winning goal at Field Mill against Luton on the way to the FA Trophy final, Danny Mitchley, played for Wrexham against the Stags at Field Mill on Easter Saturday 2010. The scorer of the Stags, first goal back in the EFL, Ollie Palmer, is not at Wrexham, while the scorer of the Stags’ equalizer at Gillingham earlier this season, Davis Keillor-Dunn, played a few games for Wrexham early on in his career.

Only six games between Stags and Wrexham have ever finished goal-less. The game between the sides at One Call was the first one since a game at Wrexham in 2017.

Fact is that the Stags have scored in each of their twenty away fixtures from the start of a League campaign, surpassing the record from our first-ever promotion campaign, scoring in nineteen. Fact is also that the Stags have scored in their last 25 games on the road spread over two seasons. Meanwhile, Wrexham, who over the couple of seasons have netted left, right and centre at headquarters, have failed to score in three out of their last five home fixtures, including the last two, a goal-less draw against Harrogate followed by a defeat to Tranmere.

One month after the goal-less clash at One Call, the sides clashed in the first round of the FA Cup with Wrexham progressing thanks to a 2-1 scoreline. Eventually Wrexham, more often than not FA Cup giant-killers (just ask Arsenal in 1992), reached the fourth round. Maybe the FA Cup run distracted Wrexham? While the Stags after the FA Cup exit could fully concentrate on the League campaign.

Played for both sides: Daniel Alfei, Dave Artell, Eric Betts, Louis Briscoe, Roy Brown, Simon Brown, Michael Carter, Stephen Charles, John Clayton, Simon Heslop, Johnny Hunt, Simon Ireland, James Jennings, Marcus Kelly, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Jefferson Louis, John McAliskey, Danny Mitchley, Louis Moult, Kenneth Murray, Ollie Palmer, Martin Riley, Scott Shearer, Adam Smith, Alf Somerfield, Jake Speight, Jamie Tolley, Mick Vinter, George Wynn, Adi Yussuf.

Played for the Stags, later managed Wrexham: Bobby Roberts. Managed both sides: Jack Baynes.

Home games: P 38, W 21, D 9, L 8, GF 73, GA 37
Away games: P 37, W 7, D 10, L 20, GF 38, GA 73

Season Home Date Away Date

1932-33 0-0 1932-12-03 1-1 1933-04-15 Div 3 (N)
1933-34 1-1 1934-01-06 0-5 1933-09-02 Div 3 (N)
1934-35 4-0 1934-12-25 3-1 1934-12-26 Div 3 (N)
1935-36 3-2 1935-09-11 1-5 1935-09-04 Div 3 (N)
1936-37 3-0 1937-03-30 3-2 1937-04-17 Div 3 (N)
1947-48 1-0 1947-12-27 1-2 1947-12-26 Div 3 (N)
1948-49 1-2 1948-12-26 1-1 1949-05-04 Div 3 (N)
1949-50 1-0 1950-04-07 0-0 1950-04-10 Div 3 (N)
1950-51 1-1 1951-04-23 2-2 1950-08-19 Div 3 (N)
1951-52 3-0 1951-09-15 1-3 1952-01-19 Div 3 (N)
1952-53 0-2 1952-09-27 0-1 1953-02-14 Div 3 (N)
1953-54 4-0 1954-04-19 0-2 1954-04-16 Div 3 (N)
1954-55 2-1 1955-02-05 3-1 1954-09-18 Div 3 (N)
1955-56 6-1 1956-02-04 0-2 1955-09-24 Div 3 (N)
1956-57 3-1 1957-04-06 0-0 1956-11-24 Div 3 (N)
1957-58 2-1 1957-09-07 2-4 1958-01-11 Div 3 (N)
1958-59 3-1 1958-09-22 1-2 1958-10-01 Div 3 (old)
1959-60 6-2 1959-10-24 0-3 1960-03-12 Div 3 (old)
1960-61 0-3 1960-09-12 0-2 1960-09-07 Div 4 (old)
1961-62 1-2 1961-12-23 0-5 1961-08-26 Div 4 (old)
1963-64 3-1 1964-02-29 0-2 1964-03-20 Div 3 (old)
1970-71 1-1 1970-09-19 0-4 1971-04-24 Div 3 (old)
1971-72 1-1 1972-05-01 1-1 1972-03-13 Div 3 (old)
1975-76 0-0 1976-03-06 0-1 1975-11-01 Div 3 (old)
1976-77 2-0 1976-12-28 1-0 1977-05-14 Div 3 (old)
1983-84 3-4 1984-03-06 3-2 1983-11-05 Div 4 (old)
1984-85 1-0 1984-10-20 2-2 1985-03-09 Div 4 (old)
1985-86 1-1 1985-09-07 2-1 1986-02-01 Div 4 (old)
1991-92 3-0 1991-09-03 2-3 1992-01-01 Div 4 (old)
2005-06 2-2 2006-02-18 1-4 2005-12-06 League Two
2006-07 3-0 2006-10-21 0-0 2007-03-31 League Two
2007-08 2-1 2008-04-01 1-1 2008-03-01 League Two
2008-09 1-2 2008-10-18 0-2 2009-04-04 BSP
2009-10 0-1 2010-04-03 1-2 2010-02-02 BSP
2010-11 2-3 2011-01-29 1-1 2010-11-27 BSP
2011-12 2-0 2012-04-20 3-1 2011-09-27 BSP
2012-13 1-0 2013-04-20 1-2 2013-04-04 BSP
2023-24 0-0 2023-10-03 (at One Call) League Two

Previous FA cup and League Cup games:

FA Cup:

1975-76 1-1 1975-11-22 1st round at Field Mill
1975-76 1-1 1975-11-24 1st round replay at Wrexham
1975-76 2-1 1975-12-08 1st round 2nd replay at Villa Park, Birmingham
2023-24 1-2 2023-11-04 1st round at One Call

League Cup:

1975-76 2-1 1975-09-10 2nd round at Wrexham
2000-01 0-1 2000-08-22 1st round, 1st leg at Meadow Lane, Nottingham due to work at Field Mill
2000-01 3-0 2000-09-05 1st round, 2nd leg at Wrexham (the Stags through 3-1 on aggregate)

A titanic clash is on the cards. Come on Mansfield!

[ParisStag]

Great preview. Appreciated, as always!

[Sneag]

We've do seem to be joined at the hip with Wrexham over the years,

91 years, 82 encounters in league & cup and the records are almost identical.

P 82 W 31 D21 L30 F121 A117

There can't be many records this tight after so many games.

[wxm80s]

Great preview that. Some awful memories in there for us though. F**king Newport. Urgh.

Tough one to call this one. I've got no idea. We were toothless in our last two home games but dominated the games completely.

We seemed to get back on track at Grimsby although they're a poor side.

Mullin looks to be back to close to his best finally and Cannon is running games for us and is possibly our player of the season. We have the much loved ( ) McClean back after suspension too.

Thankfully Parky has gone back to the Palmer and Mullin partnership up front which is our best strike force.

We've had two smash and grab home defeats to woeful teams this season; Tranmere and Bradford (Bradford's form btw ) so I don't want another but I'm pretty sure that won't be your tactic and you'll come at us which suits us perfectly.

[Stephen]

Great preview that. Some awful memories in there for us though. F**king Newport. Urgh.

Tough one to call this one. I've got no idea. We were toothless in our last two home games but dominated the games completely.

We seemed to get back on track at Grimsby although they're a poor side.

Mullin looks to be back to close to his best finally and Cannon is running games for us and is possibly our player of the season. We have the much loved ( ) McClean back after suspension too.

Thankfully Parky has gone back to the Palmer and Mullin partnership up front which is our best strike force.

We've had two smash and grab home defeats to woeful teams this season; Tranmere and Bradford (Bradford's form btw ) so I don't want another but I'm pretty sure that won't be your tactic and you'll come at us which suits us perfectly.

I think the fact both teams will come to win the game will suit both, and the neutrals watching on Sky!

[part time pete]

I am surprised Sweden Stag has not included the FA trophy tie in the list of games.

[Rob]

I am surprised Sweden Stag has not included the FA trophy tie in the list of games.

Like the rest of us, he's trying to forget!

[part time pete]

I am surprised Sweden Stag has not included the FA trophy tie in the list of games.

Like the rest of us, he's trying to forget!

Folk who went to that game should have had first dibs at Good Friday tickets.

[Marky Mark]

Great preview that. Some awful memories in there for us though. F**king Newport. Urgh.

Tough one to call this one. I've got no idea. We were toothless in our last two home games but dominated the games completely.

We seemed to get back on track at Grimsby although they're a poor side.

Mullin looks to be back to close to his best finally and Cannon is running games for us and is possibly our player of the season. We have the much loved ( ) McClean back after suspension too.

Thankfully Parky has gone back to the Palmer and Mullin partnership up front which is our best strike force.

We've had two smash and grab home defeats to woeful teams this season; Tranmere and Bradford (Bradford's form btw ) so I don't want another but I'm pretty sure that won't be your tactic and you'll come at us which suits us perfectly.

What's your view, as a presumably long-suffering Wrexham fan, on the influx of new 'fans' that you've had over the last few years?

[wxm80s]

What's your view, as a presumably long-suffering Wrexham fan, on the influx of new 'fans' that you've had over the last few years?

Yes I am long suffering - been a fan for 30 odd years. In the main, 30 miserable years.

Its a massive positive. We have to get new fans for the club to grow and progress so it isn't an issue for me. We sell out for every home game and 90% of away games so the demand is there for more.

More fans equals more money equals better players.

I couldn't care less if the bloke next to me away at Doncaster on Tuesday has been a fan for 5 minutes or 50 years. Or if he's from Wrexham or Canada or America or wherever. Its all good.
The only issue is there isn't enough tickets to go round but that will be eased when the new Kop is built.

You can't go to the ground now without hearing Americans or Canadians and there's some at every game. We have an International section of the ground specifically to cater for them and they have their own ticket allocation. And then they go into the club shop and spend a small fortune. There's bus tours from Liverpool every week packed full of tourists visiting the ground and the Turf etc.
The whole of Wrexham has benefitted massively from this, hotels, restaurants pubs, businesses in general.

There are no negatives for me but I've got a season ticket, someone who hasn't who's been going for a long time might feel differently, but you can't have it both ways.

[Captain Cunno]

Quick question for you wxm , we have the lower and upper tier of the Wrexham Lager stand... are they both accessible on entry or have seperate turnstiles?

Some of us have tickets for lower some upper just wondering if we could still sit together...
I know allocated seating means zip nowadays doesn't it..

Cheers.

[wxm80s]

Quick question for you wxm , we have the lower and upper tier of the Wrexham Lager stand... are they both accessible on entry or have seperate turnstiles?

Some of us have tickets for lower some upper just wondering if we could still sit together...
I know allocated seating means zip nowadays doesn't it..

Cheers.

Hmmm been a long time since i've been in that end however I'm pretty sure there are two turnstiles that are for both lower and upper access as there are stairs at the front of the upper stand that leads up. I might be wrong though as they may have changed it but I doubt it as both upper and lower need access to the toilets and kiosks etc. Sorry I couldn't be more definite but thats been the away for a good while now. But I'm 98% certain you'll be able to sit together