EFL Championship: How long since Wrexham played these clubs?

Leader Live

23-06-2025

Phil Parkinson's men finished runners-up in League One last term to secure an historic third successive promotion.
Back in the second tier for the first time in 43 years, Wrexham will come up against some familiar faces but there are also new opponents for Reds fans to look forward to facing.
There are three teams - Ipswich Town, Middlesbrough and West Brom - that the north Wales club, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have never faced in a league encounter.
However, Wrexham secured a 2-1 victory over Ipswich, then a Premier League outfit, in an FA Cup third round tie at The Racecourse in 1995 with Keiron Durkan and Gary Bennett getting the goals to set up a trip to Manchester United.
And four years later at the same stage of the competition, Brian Flynn's Reds caused another upset by beating Middlesbrough - another top-flight side - by the same score at the iconic north Wales stadium with Robin Gibson and Darren Ferguson finding the net against big-spending Boro.
Cup surprises were the norm for Wrexham, led by Karl Connolly and co, in the 1990s under Flynn.
Watching on from the Kop, I always felt that the Reds would come out on top when they faced higher division opponents.
Although they faced some tough times following relegation from the EFL, Wrexham have climbed the football pyramid at a rapid rate since the high profile takeover of the club and now they will be facing the likes of Ipswich and Boro on a weekly basis next season.
You have to go even further back to when Wrexham played West Brom in a regional league competition which does not count in official records.
The 1941-42 campaign was a special wartime season in England and Wrexham lost 6-4 at the Baggies before drawing 5-5 at home in another high-scoring clash.
It is 65 years since the last time Wrexham faced Southampton in a league game.
The Reds beat the Saints 2-1 at The Racecourse in the 1959-60 season after losing 3-0 at The Dell in the old Division Three, although the teams met in a two-legged League Cup tie back in 1979 with Southampton winning 8-0 on aggregate.
I was just a young boy then but I fondly remember the last time Wrexham played Coventry City!
Parkinson's men - then in the National League - caused yet another FA Cup shock when they won 4-3 at Coventry in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2023.
The promotion push was the priority but the Reds produced a brilliant performance to win against the second tier Sky Blues with Sam Dalby, Elliot Lee, Tom O'Connor and Paul Mullin getting the goals.
The teams last met in the league in 1963-64, but the other teams in the Championship have faced Wrexham more recently.
Blackburn Rovers, Derby County, Leicester City and Norwich City were opponents in 1981-82 - the Reds' last campaign in the old second division.
But there has been an FA Cup encounter with Blackburn as recently as 2024 when Andy Cannon put Wrexham ahead in front of 7,000 travelling supporters at Ewood Park before Rovers turned things around to triumph 4-1 while Derby beat the Reds 3-1 in the competition back in 2007 - Denis Smith's last game as manager.
Portsmouth and Sheffield United were Division Three opponents in 1982-83, although the Reds have enjoyed some pulsating cup ties against the Blades during the Reynolds/McElhenney regime.
Fresh after knocking out Coventry, the Reds were heading for the FA Cup fifth round in 2023 but United scored a last gasp equaliser to draw 3-3 at The Racecourse before winning the replay 3-1 after bagging two late goals in Yorkshire.
The last time Watford and Preston North End were league opponents was during the 1997-98 and 1999-2000 campaigns respectively, with David Moyes in charge at Deepdale where the Reds played out a goal-less draw.
Wrexham haven't faced Millwall since 2000-01 when Craig Faulconbridge scored in a 1-1 draw at The Racecourse.
The Reds last went head-to-head with Stoke City in 2001-02 but met in an FA Cup tie in 2015 when Mark Carrington put Kevin Wilkin's side ahead but the then Premier League side - managed by Wales and Wrexham-born legend Mark Hughes - hit back to win 3-1.
There will be a Welsh derby with Swansea City to look forward to next season. The last meeting was in 2002-03 when the Reds won promotion from Division Three.
Wrexham and Queens Park Rangers haven't met since 2003-04, the season before Hull City, Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday were opponents when the Reds went into administration and suffered relegation from League One, but they did have EFL Trophy success to celebrate that campaign with a win over Southend United in the final at The Millennium Stadium.
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However, Smith guided his Reds side to a League Cup win against the Owls in August 2006 at Hillsborough - the biggest stadium Wrexham will visit next season.
There is one club - Oxford United - who Wrexham actually faced during the 15-year non-league nightmare.
The sides met during the 2009-10 campaign when Oxford won both games 1-0 on route to clinching promotion, and they also triumphed 2-1 in an FA Cup match in 2013.
Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic were both opponents last season when Wrexham sealed promotion from League One.
The 3-0 win against Charlton in April at The Racecourse proved to be a memorable occasion as goals from Sam Smith (2) and Ollie Rathbone ensured Wrexham went straight up for a third year in a row behind big-spending champions Birmingham, with the Addicks joining the duo after winning the play-off final.