National League: Wrexham’s 33-year play-off hoodoo

Wrexham will be looking to create history as the National League season reaches its climax with the play-offs.

Phil Parkinson’s side face Grimsby Town in the semi-final at the Racecourse on Saturday with the winners facing Solihull Moors or Chesterfield in the final on Sunday, 5 June.

Wrexham have failed to gain promotion via the play-offs on five previous occasions.

1989 Fourth Division play-off final – lost to Leyton Orient

Two years after the Football League introduced the play-offs, Wrexham featured in the Division Four play-offs in 1989.

Dixie McNeil’s Wrexham had finished seventh and in the semi-finals faced Scunthorpe United, who had finished six points ahead of them in fourth spot.

“I think we jumped in more or less on the last day of the season to get into the play-offs. We couldn’t believe it,” McNeil recalls.

“We were the third lowest paying club in the Football League in those days. We had no money whatsoever.”

The Robins overcame Scunthorpe 5-1 on aggregate, which included a 2-0 win in the away leg courtesy of goals from Kevin Russell.

It set up a two-legged semi-final against Leyton Orient, and despite Wrexham’s lack of resources, McNeil’s side made up for it in terms of characters in the team.

“Kevin was a brilliant signing and went on to bigger clubs, while Jon Bowden came from Port Vale and he’d put his foot in,” said McNeil, who scored 88 goals in over 222 appearances for the club and was appointed manager in 1985.

“But we were definitely the underdogs.”

After a goalless first leg at the Racecourse, Lee Harvey put Orient ahead at Brisbane Road with a thunderous drive a minute before half-time but Bowden equalised early in the second half.

However it would be the home side who would clinch the win and promotion to the Third Division courtesy of Mark Cooper’s goal eight minutes from time.

Despite defeat McNeil was proud of the players’ effort: “I said well done to the lads, they were all disappointed.

“I sat at the front of the bus and I don’t think I spoke with anybody for four hours until we got back home.

“It’s always heartbreaking to get that close and not go up.”

2011 Conference Premier play-off semi-final – lost to Luton Town

Wrexham’s 87-year stay in the Football League came to an end in 2008 with relegation to the Conference.

Hopes of a quick return were dashed as the Welsh club finished their first two seasons in English football’s fifth tier in 10th and 11th respectively.

Under manager Dean Saunders they finished fourth in 2010-11 and in the play-off semi-finals faced another club seeking to return to the Football League, Luton Town.

“At home we got turned over,” recalls captain Dean Keates of a 3-0 home defeat at the Racecourse, with all three goals scored during a devastating first half.

“Going down to Luton we felt that if we got an early goal it would put us right back in the game,” Keates recalls.

“Luton are very similar to Wrexham in that they have a big following and if you can get on top the fans show their emotions and that can affect the players.

Wrexham did get an early goal at Kenilworth Road, with Andy Mangan netting after eight minutes before they were awarded a penalty, which Gareth Taylor missed.

“We started really well and got ourselves right back into it,” Keates said.

“We then got a penalty, which we didn’t dispatch and which would have given us a way back into the game.

“It ended up really open and they got one towards the end as we chased the game.

Zdenek Kroca equalised on the day before Jason Walker scored a second with 10 minutes remaining to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.

“It was a massive disappointment but we under performed in the home game,” Keates said.

2012 Conference Premier play-off semi-final – Lost to Luton Town

Wrexham made an impressive start to the 2011-12 season despite an uncertain time off the pitch which saw attempts by the Supporters’ Trust to take over.

Dean Saunders left to join Doncaster Rovers in September 2011 to be replaced by striker Andy Morrell as manager.

Under Morrell they enjoyed a spell at the top of the league and amassed a massive 98 points – but unfortunately for Wrexham it was still five points short of champions Fleetwood Town’s tally of 103.

“There was a massive disappointment to lose the league on 98 points – in any other season you would have won the league by a country mile,” said Keates who remained as skipper.

“It wasn’t meant to be so you had to get over it and get over it quickly, readjust and get focused for the play-offs.”

The Dragons would face Luton once again – The Hatters having lost to AFC Wimbledon in the final 12 months earlier.

“There wasn’t a feeling of ‘it’s Luton again’ – we had to deal with the task in front of us,” Keates added.

Wrexham lost the first leg 2-0 at Kenilworth Road but Keates and his team-mates felt they could overturn their lead to advance to the final.

“Being at home, especially at the Racecourse, you always know you’ve got the fans behind you – the 12th man – to make a difference,” he added.

“There was optimism within the group that we could turn it around.”

George Pilkington’s penalty extended Luton’s aggregate lead but Wrexham rallied in the second half with Adrian Cieslewicz replying.

Player-boss Morrell brought himself onto the field and scored a second goal with his side looking for a third to take the game into extra time.

“We had to throw caution to the wind to get that third or fourth goal to get back into it,” said Keates.

“The fans got behind the team and made a difference but it just wasn’t enough to get us over the line.”

2013 Conference Premier play-off final – lost to Newport County

Wrexham made their first ever visit to Wembley in March 2013 and victory on penalties over Grimsby Town saw them lift the FA Trophy.

But a return to the EFL remained the club’s main goal and Wrexham faced the prospect of the play-offs for a third consecutive season.

Kidderminster would be their semi-final opponents, the side which had finished second two points behind champions Mansfield and 13 points ahead of Wrexham.

Andy Morrell’s side won the first leg 2-1 at the Racecourse and finished off the job with an impressive 3-1 win at Aggborough to reach the play-off final for the first time.

“The mood was upbeat as we’d been to Wembley a few weeks before so it wasn’t new surroundings for us,” Keates said.

“From the day I first arrived I always believed I’d play a part in the club getting back into the Football League.

“We were a good, solid group full of characters and we felt confident that we could be the group of players who would finally get the club back into the Football League.”

Wrexham’s opponents were Welsh rivals Newport County, who were seeking a return to the Football League after 25 years.

“It was a one-off game and literally the winner takes all,” Keates said.

“It was a cagey event and we had a couple of half chances that we didn’t take.”

Brett Ormerod missed one of several chances for Wrexham and late goals from Christian Jolley and Aaron O’Connor saw The Exiles secure promotion and prolong Wrexham’s play-off woes.

“It was a massive, massive disappointment that we couldn’t get the club back to where it belongs,” said Keates.

2019 National League eliminator – lost to Eastleigh

Wrexham had high hopes of finally ending their Football League exile when former Wales defender Sam Ricketts was appointed manager in the summer of 2018.

The north Wales club had a good start to the season but were rocked when Ricketts left in December and subsequently took over at Shrewsbury.

“If Sam Ricketts had stayed that season then I genuinely believe we would have probably won the league,” said Wrexham’s captain at the time Shaun Pearson, now back with Grimsby Town.

Assistant Graham Barrow took on the role only to step down in February 2019 before former midfielder Bryan Hughes was appointed with the side fifth in the table.

Wrexham finished fourth on 84 points and were paired with seventh placed Eastleigh, the lowest of all the play-off teams, in an eliminator.

Despite having home advantage it was a frustrating night for the Dragons with Danny Hollands scoring the only goal to book Eastleigh’s place in the semi-finals.

“It was gut wrenching,” Pearson added.

“We’d had such a good season and performed really good that night and to be honest we were much the better team.

“We had numerous chances, had a goal disallowed and hit the crossbar a couple of times and one of their lads hit a worldie in extra time.

“I really felt we had an opportunity that year.”