Wrexham A.F.C.

Wrexham Association Football Club, or Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam in Welsh, is a professional football club based in Wrexham, Wales. Founded in 1864, it holds the distinction of being the oldest club in Wales and the third-oldest professional football team globally. The club currently plays in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football, after a remarkable run of three consecutive promotions from 2022 to 2025.

Domestically, Wrexham has won the Welsh Cup a record 23 times, the FAW Premier Cup five times, the Football League Trophy in 2005, and the FA Trophy in 2013. Their recent surge saw them win the National League in 2022–23, finish runner-up in League Two in 2023–24, and again in League One in 2024–25, becoming the first club in the top five tiers of English football to achieve three straight promotions.

Internationally, Wrexham competed in the European Cup Winners' Cup multiple times via Welsh Cup victories, reaching the quarter-finals in 1976 and famously beating FC Porto while drawing with Real Zaragoza and Anderlecht. However, rule changes in 1995 and a 2012 UEFA ruling barred Welsh clubs in the English system from qualifying through the Welsh Cup. The club's fortunes transformed after its 2020 takeover by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, whose investment and the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series brought a global fanbase to a then-fifth-division side. The Racecourse Ground, their home stadium, is the world's oldest international stadium still hosting matches, with a record attendance of 34,445 in 1957. Wrexham's main rivalries include the cross-border derby with Chester, plus Shrewsbury Town and Tranmere Rovers. The club is also known as cup giant-killers, notably upsetting reigning league champions Arsenal in the 1992 FA Cup. [edit]

Wrexham was formed on 4 October 1864 by members of the Wrexham Cricket Club, who wanted a winter sport to keep them active during the colder months. They played their first match in December 1864 against a team from the local volunteer fire brigade, winning 4–0. The Racecourse Ground, their home since the beginning, originally hosted horse racing from the early 1700s, and the site still holds the title of the oldest international football stadium in the world that continues to host matches. Wales played their first home international there in 1877, and the ground has hosted more Wales fixtures than any other.

Through the early 20th century, Wrexham competed in regional leagues, winning the Welsh Cup repeatedly. They joined the Football League in 1921 as a founding member of the Third Division North. The club's first major league success came in 1977–78, when they won the Third Division North under manager John Neal. That era also saw European adventures: in the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup, Wrexham knocked out FC Porto in the first round before falling to Anderlecht in the quarter-finals. The 1991–92 FA Cup run remains the stuff of legend. Wrexham, then in the fourth division, drew Arsenal in the third round. On a muddy January afternoon at the Racecourse, a Steve Watkin goal gave them a 2–1 victory over the reigning league champions, one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history.

The club entered a turbulent period in the 2000s. They won the Football League Trophy in 2005, but financial struggles led to administration in 2011. That same year, the Wrexham Supporters Trust took ownership, making the club supporter-owned for a decade. They won the FA Trophy in 2013, but remained in the National League. In 2021, Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought the club for £1, promising £2 million in investment. The takeover sparked a revival. Under manager Phil Parkinson, Wrexham won the National League in 2022–23 with a record 111 points, then earned back-to-back promotions from League Two and League One, becoming the first club in the top five tiers of English football to achieve three consecutive promotions. The 2025–26 season saw them finish 7th in the Championship. [edit]