Bluffers Guide to Wrexham

Wrexham are the latest side that we bring you all the best bits that you ever wanted to know along with plenty of other stuff that you had no wish of knowing.

Wrexham FC in a nutshell..... If ever you needed proof of what the Conference can do to you, then here we have it. Wrexham, along with the likes of Mansfield, Luton and Grimsby, dropped into the Conference fully expectant of an immediate return to the Football League. And as the years start to tick by, the more and more a team becomes part of the non league fixture and fittings. This will be the fourth season in the Blue Square Premier for Wrexham and their ambitions for this season will remain exactly the same as it has been for the previous three seasons: a return to the Football League. Despite what may have been reported, a takeover by supporters has yet to go through and their fans still find themselves £100,000 short of what is required.

Who's the gaffer..... "If you don't make challenges like that, you end up playing for teams like Rochdale". Those were the words, or at least that we can best remember them some 15+ years on, that Dean Saunders came out with when taken to court over his challenge which ended the career of Chelsea's Paul Elliott. As you can imagine, the fanzines of their day went apoplectic at our team's excellent reputation being besmirched by the curly haired former Liverpool striker, and many an article of vitriol was photocopied out to the masses in his direction.  We'd probably come up with some rephrased quote about "....... you end up managing teams two divisions below Rochdale" but we're not that petty. Not that we've just dragged up a near twenty year old grudge over what was probably an innocent comment with no malice at ourselves in the first place.

The current lot..... They came close to escaping from the Blue Square last season, making it to the Play Offs before ultimately falling short to Luton Town. A final position of fourth in what was a significantly stronger division than normal was an outstanding return, and it is obvious to say that hopes will be to go one step further this season. However, a summer of uncertainty off the field won't have done them any favours, and there's just been three new additions to the squad at the Racecourse. Dale fans will recognise Dean Keates who proved himself to be an outstanding player for a number of years, though he's set to miss out this weekend due to injury.

Played for both Dale and Wrexham...... Matt Done, Jon Bowden, Joe Cooke, Andy Thackeray, Mark Jones, Sam Russell, Peter Ward, Keith Hill, Lee McEvilly

Youtube Golden Moment.... It's a bit of an obvious and clichéd choice, but it had to be really..... class="storytext">He was a bit good..... Whilst most people will know him from his time with Liverpool and Chelsea, a certain Joseph Jones is something of a Wrexham legend, and whilst his medal collection may have been earned at Anfield, they'll never have him in their hearts as much as they do in North Wales. The left back had three different spells with the Welshmen, chalking up nearly 500 appearances along the way, and he was voted as Wrexham's Cult Player on a Football Focus poll a couple of years ago or so. Forty years on from the day that he joined them as a school boy, and Jones is still part of the coaching staff at Wrexham and he still remains Wrexham's record transfer fee paid when they shelled out over £200,000 to drag him back from Liverpool in 1978.