Cod Almighty | Article
by Miles Moss
10 July 2006
Wrexham? Who might they be?
Wrexham – or Wrecsam, for any readers of a Cymraeg tendency – are an old, old club... but with a new lease of life. The elderly get no respect these days, and so it proved when unscrupulous conmen knocked on this 130-year-old's door purporting to be businessmen, and ran off with the life savings. The ensuing near-death experience of administration and relegation is documented too well elsewhere for me to compete; try Googling the words 'Hamilton' and 'Guterman'.
The club recently avoided possible expulsion from the league when it was granted an extension to the maximum 18-month administration period. The extension allowed them to sort out a few minor details pending a takeover by former director Neville Dickens and his business partner Geoff Moss; once this has gone through, Wrexham should soon be back on their financial feet. In the meantime, thanks are due in no small part to the massive efforts of the Wrexham Supporters Trust, who have raised thousands – and proved beyond doubt that real fans are more than mere consumers.
Last season
The Dragons bounced around the upper-middle of the table for much of the season, frustratingly close to success. They were hoisted up into the final play-off spot for a few weeks but, like a seaside amusement arcade grabby machine, the grabby thing lost grip at the crucial moment, and the fluffy red dragon slipped back into the rest of the mid-table cuddly toys. It was so close: with eight games to go they were still only two points away from seventh, but those eight games resulted in only one win, two draws, and five defeats (the first of them against Town). Five weeks later, Wrexham finished right in the middle, way down in 13th.
There was no cup excitement to lighten the league, as they were knocked out at the first stage in the League Cup, FA Cup and FL Trophy by Doncaster, Port Vale and Blackpool. But hey, they made it through another year, and there is electromagnetic radiation from about 390 to 740 nm in wavelength at the exit to the man-made underground passage.
Anticipate with relish
The Mariners took all six points last season; can we expect the same generosity again? They'll be two very different teams this time, so who knows. And with Wrexham's future secure, perhaps they'll have their minds on the job this time – you know that thing about people who've been close to death and survived being all relaxed and vigorous...
Having a chance to see at Blundell Park a player who's been in this year's World Cup is surely something to tell the grandkids. Having said that, there've been loads of them in the past few years. World cup players at Town, I mean, not grandkids.
Oh, here's something to relish for the away game: it's been noted that Wrexham has more pubs in ratio to the population than any other town in Britain. Hooray for beer!
Anticipate with dread
There's a Blues Brothers-esque feel of "We're getting the band back together!" around the Racecourse at the moment, Denis Smith having brought several old boys back to the club from short periods of employment at other clubs: Juan Ugarte, Chris Llewellyn, Neil Roberts, and Lee McEvilly. Technically, McEvilly has never been away, having only been on Bradford City's books for about ten minutes, apparently passing his medical, but scarpering when the chairman turned round to get the contracts out of the cupboard.
Perhaps the adage 'never go back' could be proved right, but the ex-Wrexes were all very keen to return 'home' to Wrexham, and I have a suspicion that a team of like-minded players with something to prove could be quite dangerous.
The way forward
Miserable fans are not exclusive to Grimsby, it seems. Despite things looking rosier around Wrexham than they have in a while, there is still cause for gloom - on the same page that urges readers to "Support the Dragons", we find the results of one of those internet quick polls which suggests the majority of readers think Wrexham are heading for relegation. Even the return of the old favourites has been met with despondency in certain areas. Yeah – messageboards, mainly: "Juan Ugarte back to Wrexham they say. For Christ's sake no! Another crock brought home. Perhaps we should bring back Neil donkey Roberts?" one nesbit wrote on 21 June. He must be psychic as well as being a miserable sod, as this is just what happened a week later.
Perhaps he has a point, though; Ugarte is currently recovering from knee surgery, and McEvilly's eleventh-hour change of heart came because despite passing the medical, Bradford physios were concerned about his foot. Oh, and Roberts and Llewellyn played 67 matches between them last season and scored three goals. Damn, I wish I hadn't said that.
The broader future looks good for Wrexham though; once out of administration, there's no reason they can't have a worry-free period of success under their new owners, and with returning players and the supporters' trust all genuinely wanting the very best for the club, I can see a play-off spot at least.