Game changer Robert H. Griffiths’ family have been supporting Wrexham AFC for nigh on 100 years. As the club enters an exciting new era, he looks back on its fascinating history…
The glory years for Wrexham Association Football Club – founded in 1864, the third oldest professional football club in the world – have until very recently appeared to have gone forever, never to return. The halcyon days of exciting excursions into European cup competitions playing the likes of F.C. Porto, A.S. Roma, and even Manchester United lie in the past, remembered only by ‘those of a certain age’. Then there were the great F.A. Cup runs of yesteryear, the stand-out result being the thirdround beating 2-1 of the mighty Arsenal at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, on 4th January 1992. Arsenal the previous season had easily won the old First Division. Wrexham stunned the football world with goals from Mochdre born Mickey Thomas, and Wrexham born Steve Watkin, in front of a crowd of 13,343. Whenever ‘giant killing’ F.A Cup victories are shown this Wrexham one is very much to the fore. The Racecourse Ground, Wrexham (In Welsh: Y Cae Ras) is the oldest football stadium in the world still hosting international football matches, and is officially recognised as such by Guinness World Records. But sadly, gone are the days of ‘competitive matches’ taking place at the Racecourse against the likes of England, Scotland, Denmark,
At the start of the 21st Century Wrexham AFC was beset
Switzerland and Austria.
with financial problems, emerging from administration in May 2006, and supporters had to fight-off some unwelcome
The highest ever attendance at the iconic Racecourse was
attempts to own the club primarily to sell off the Racecourse
the 34,445 who witnessed the 4th Round F.A. Cup tie on 26th
for property development.
January 1957, Wrexham versus the gifted ‘Busby Babes’ of Manchester United. Tragically, just over one year later, on
Disaster on the pitch struck Wrexham AFC at the end of
6th February 1958 in the Munich Air Disaster, seven of those
Season 2007/2008 when they were relegated from the
‘Busby Babes’ who had graced the Racecourse turf a year
English Football League into non-league football, these days
earlier in their 5-0 victory were dead, including Duncan
known as the National League – the ignominy of it! Here
Edwards, regarded as one of the very finest players to put
Wrexham AFC have languished for 13 painful seasons. They
on an England shirt. Incidentally, the second highest ever
almost got to return to the EFL in Season 2012/13, but lost the
attendance was against ‘the old enemy’ Chester City, when
play-off final against Newport County, much to the lingering
29,261 turned up on Boxing Day 1936, and watched Wrexham
bitter disappointment of my son Barry who was at Wembley
lose 2-1 to Chester in a Third Division match!
that day.
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