For those of you who are missing my regular blogs – I realise that is probably not as many of you as I would like – I thought I would just update you with what I am currently doing.
I have been writing a Memory Match for each season Wrexham AFC spent in the Football League between 1921 and 2008. All of these chapters have now been written, so I am currently proof-reading and adding information to try to make sure I produce a comprehensive history of the club.
Please bare with me while I do this. Regular blogs will return when possible, but should the current team win a money-fuelled promotion, then the book really does need to be ready to hit the shelves.
I really would prefer it if we didn’t win promotion this season. This would give me the extra time that I need to perfect the book. We shall see what happens over the coming months.
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I am fortunate enough to have several knowledgeable friends to discuss the history of Wrexham AFC with. One of these friends, Mark Thompson, has provided the following analysis of the club’s fortunes in FA cup qualifying and preliminary round matches from 1888 to 1920.
We continued to play qualifying round matches until 1924, but those games contested as a Football League club are documented at the end of each chapter of this book.
Massive thanks to Mark for his work on the following list that helps to provide a clearer picture of our historic club’s history. Some of you may be disappointed to see a lack of data on FA Cup qualifying round matches played in the 21st Century, but that is a job for a future historian.
Hopefully, some of the missing data may be provided in the future, but at the present moment I can only work with the information that is to hand. I will now stand aside while Mark shares his impressive historic data.
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| Round | Date | Venue | Opponents | Result | Score | Goalscorers |
| Q1 | 6/10/1888 | H | Davenham | W | 3-0 | |
| Q2 | 27/10/1888 | H | Northwich Vic | W | 3-2 | |
| Q3 | 17/11/1888 | H | Chirk | W | 2-1 | |
| Q4 | 8/12/1888 | A | Chester | W | 2-3 | |
| Q2 | 26/10/1889 | A | Northwich Vic | L | 3-1 | |
| Q2 | 25/10/1890 | H | Nantwich T | L | 2-3 | J Roberts 2 |
| Q2 | 24/10/1891 | A | Chester | W | 2-4 | Parry 2, Wilding, Lewis |
| Q3 | 14/11/1891 | A | Crewe Alex | L | 3-1 | Lewis |
| Q1 | 15/10/1892 | A | Liverpool Cal | L | 7-1 | Owen |
| Q1 | 14/10/1893 | A | Barnton R | W | 3-4 | Hayes, Butler, Davies og |
| Q2 | 04/11/1893 | A | Nantwich T | W | 2-3 | Lewis, Owen, Butler |
| Q3 | 25/11/1893 | A | Stockport C | L | 3-2 | Lewis, James |
| Q1 | 13/10/1894 | A | Stalybridge R | W | 2-3 | Lewis, Trainer. Harrison |
| Q2 | 13/11/1894 | H | Macclesfield T | W | 7-1 | Lewis 3, Trainer 2, Lee, Harrison |
| Q3 | 24/11/1894 | H | Glossop NE | L | 1-2 | Lea |
| Q1 | 12/10/1895 | H | Newtown | W | 3-1 | Pugh 2, Harrison |
| Q2 | 02/11/1895 | H | Crewe Alex | D | 3-3 | Harrison 2, Williams |
| Q2R | 06/11/1895 | A | Crewe Alex | L | 5-2 | |
| Q2 | 30/10/1896 | H | Rock Ferry | L | 0-4 | |
| Q1 | 25/09/1897 | H | Warrington St E | W | 3-0 | Kelly, C Davies 2 |
| Q2 | 16/10/1897 | A | Chirk | D | 2-2 | Kelly 2 |
| Q2R | 20/10/1897 | H | Chirk | W | 2-0 | Harrison 2 |
| Q3 | 30/10/1897 | A | Crewe Alex | L | 4-1 | Kelly |
| Q1 | 01/10/1898 | H | Chester | W | 3-2 | Harrison, Kelly, Grainger |
| Q2 | 15/10/1898 | A | South Liverpool | L | 4-2 | |
| Q2 | 14/10/1899 | A | Llandudno Swifts | W | 1-2 | Pountney, Challinor |
| Q3 | 28/10/1899 | A | Dudley | W | 2-3 | Pountney, Gordon |
| Q4 | 22/10/1899 | A | Small Heath | L | 6-1 | Gordon |
| Q3 | 03/11/1900 | A | Stockport County | L | 6-2 | Pountney 2 |
| Q2 | 19/10/1901 | A | Chirk | W | 0-2 | Brookes, og |
| Q3 | 02/11/1901 | A | Oswestry Town | W | 1-2 | Hughes, Gordon |
| Q4 | 28/11/1901 | H | Burslem P Vale | D | 0-0 | |
| Q4R | 30/11/1901 | A | Burslem P Vale | L | 3-1 | Gordon |
| Q3 | 01/11/1902 | H | Nantwich Town | W | 3-0 | Cane, Gordon, Pountney |
| Q4 | 15/11/1902 | A | Glossop NE | L | 4-0 | |
| Q3 | 17/10/1903 | A | Oswestry Town | L | 2-0 | |
| Q3 | 29/10/1904 | A | Crewe Alex | W | 0-3 | L Griffiths 2, W Davies |
| Q4 | 12/11/1904 | H | Earlstown | W | 2-0 | W Davies, Gordon |
| Q5 | 26/11/1904 | A | Stockport County | L | 4-0 | |
| Pr | 23/09/1905 | H | Rhyl | L | 1-4 | E Williams |
| Pr | 22/09/1906 | H | Rhyl | W | 7-0 | Gordon 3, Blytheway 2, G Jones 2 |
| Q1 | 06/10/1906 | H | Tranmere Rovers | W | 2-1 | L Griffiths, G Jones |
| Q2 | 20/10/1906 | H | Oswestry Town | W | 3-1 | Smith, Stockton, L Griffiths |
| Q3 | 03/11/1906 | H | Whitchurch | W | 3-2 | Blytheway 2, L Griffiths |
| Q4 | 24/11/1906 | A | Kidderminster H | L | 2-1 | Smith |
| Q1 | 05/11/1907 | H | Oswestry Town | D | 1-1 | Smith |
| Q1R | 10/10/1907 | A | Oswestry Town | L | 1-0 | |
| Pr | 19/09/1908 | H | Welshpool | W | 6-1 | Wynne 2, Smith 2, Mason og |
| Q1 | 03/10/1908 | A | Whitchurch | W | 1-3 | P Williams, Price, Uren |
| Q2 | 17/10/1908 | A | Nantwich Town | W | 2-4 | Smith 3, Wynne |
| Q3 | 07/11/1908 | A | Chester | W | 1-3 | Wynne 2, Pike |
| Q4 | 21/11/1908 | A | Hednesford Town | W | 1-2 | Wynne, Price |
| Q5 | 05/11/1908 | H | Oxford City | W | 7-0 | Wynne 2, Price 2, Smith 2, A Hughes |
| Q4 | 20/11/1909 | A | Coventry City | L | 3-0 | |
| Pr | 17/09/1910 | H | Wellington St Gges | W | 9-1 | Roberts 4, Corfield 2, Barker, Goode 2 |
| Q1 | 01/10/1910 | H | Chester | L | 0-1 | |
| EP | 09/09/1911 | H | Rhyl | W | 11-0 | Roberts 4, Mason 3, og, Williams 2, Cooke |
| Pr | 16/09/1911 | A | Harrowby | D | 1-1 | Roberts |
| (No replay because Harrowby withdrew from the competition) | ||||||
| Q1 | 30/09/1911 | H | Witton Albion | W | 4-2 | Roberts, Hughes, Williams, Samuels |
| Q2 | 14/10/1911 | H | South Liverpool | W | 4-3 | W Davies, F Davies, Robert, Pitt |
| Q3 | 03/11/1911 | H | Chester | L | 1-4 | Hughes (pen) |
| Pr | 28/09/1912 | H | Chester | W | 2-0 | Rowlands 2 |
| Q1 | 12/10/1912 | A | Wellington Town | D | 1-1 | Cooke |
| Q1R | 16/10/1912 | H | Wellington Town | D | 2-2 | W Davies, Roberts |
| Q1R2 | 21/10/1912 | A | Wellington Town | W | 0-3 | Roberts 2, Catherall |
| Q2 | 02/11/1912 | A | Northwich | L | 5-1 | Cooke |
| Pr | 27/09/1913 | A | Witton Albion | W | 0-5 | Goode 2, Hoskins 2, Huffadine |
| Q1 | 11/10/1913 | A | Connah’s Quay | W | 1-2 | Goode, Uren |
| Q2 | 10/11/1913 | H | South Liverpool | D | 1-1 | Uren |
| Q2R | 12/11/1913 | A | South Liverpool | L | 2-1 | R Jones |
| (Match played at Chester) | ||||||
| Pr | 26/09/1914 | H | South Liverpool | W | 2-1 | G Davies 2 |
| Q1 | 10/10/1914 | H | Skelmersdale | W | 2-1 | Goode, C Davies |
| Q2 | 24/10/1914 | H | Nantwich Town | W | 4-2 | G Davies 3 (1 pen), P Williams |
| Q3 | 07/11/1914 | H | Tranmere Rovers | D | 1-1 | Goode |
| Q3R | 11/11/1914 | A | Tranmere Rovers | W | 0-1 | Goode |
| Q4 | 21/11/1914 | A | Walsall | L | 2-1 | Goode |
| Pr | 27/09/1919 | A | Witton Albion | D | 2-2 | Edwards, Mathias |
| PrR | 01/10/1919 | H | Witton Albion | W | 3-2 aet | Owen, Edwards, Mathias |
| Q1 | 11/10/1919 | H | Marlborough OB | W | 8-0 | B Jones 3, Goode 2, Edwards 3 |
| Q2 | 25/10/1919 | A | Crewe Alex | D | 3-3 | Goode, Griffiths, Edwards |
| Q2R | 29/10/1919 | H | Crewe Alex | L | 0-1 | |
| Pr | 25/09/1920 | H | Norwich Vics | W | 3-0 | Goode 3 |
| Q1 | 09/10/1920 | H | Prescot Wire Works | W | 7-0 | R Jones 3, Foster 2, Edwards, Goode |
| Q2 | 23/10/1920 | H | Prescot | W | 2-0 | Goode 2 |
| Q3 | 06/11/1920 | A | Buckley Utd | L | 1-0 | |
Biggest home win – 11-0 v Rhyl (extra prelim rd 1911/12)
Biggest away win – 5-0 v Witton Albion (prelim rd 1913/14)
Worst home defeat – 0-4 v Rock Ferry (2nd qual rd 1896/97)
Worst away defeat – 1-7 v Liverpool Caledonian (1st qual rd 1892/93)
Three biggest home crowds –
8,693 v Newport County (6th qual rd 1921/22)
8,592 v Crewe Alexandra (5th qual rd 1921/22)
8,390 v Port Vale (5th qual rd 1923/24)
Three biggest away crowds –
8,000 v Accrington Stanley (6th qual rd 1923/24)
7,200 v Port Vale (5th qual rd 1922/23)
7,000 v Coventry City (4th qual rd 1909/10)
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