Tag: Wrexham

McClean says Ireland coach disrespected him after Wrexham move

The Wrexham star said his international coach “couldn’t get off the phone quick enough”

James McClean has hit out at former Ireland manager Stephen Kenny, saying his “disrespectful” response to his move to Wrexham led directly to his international retirement.

McClean signed with Wrexham prior to the current season, joining the League Two outfit after a season in which he was named Wigan Athletic’s player of the year.

There were some eyebrows raised after McClean’s decision, as he dropped down two divisions after a standout campaign in the Championship.

At the time, McClean was an active Ireland international but as he revealed in an interview with the Irish Examiner, the reaction from Kenny led to his international retirement in October.

“He couldn’t get off the phone quick enough,” McClean said of Kenny. “That spoke of what he thought about the move. I don’t think he was on board. Ultimately, I would say that was a major factor in my decision to step away from Ireland. Sometimes when you make a decision, you are made to walk the plank. I felt that if I don’t walk away now, I may never get the opportunity to say goodbye on my terms.

“I thought it was very disrespectful. I had offers to stay in the Championship but at my age I wanted to do something that would excite and be a challenge. Wrexham had a project and it’s a successful one. Nobody forced me to make the move but I’m glad I did and there’s a sense of justification.”

The 34-year-old has been a fixture for Wrexham this season, as the Red Dragons clinched promotion to League One with a win over Forest Green Rovers over the weekend.

The Irish federation confirmed in November that it would not be renewing Kenny’s contract after the team failed to qualify for Euro 2024.

With McClean’s former Ireland teammate John O’Shea now coaching the team, he did leave open the possibility of an international return.

“It’s not something I’ll be campaigning for but if the call ever comes to play for your country, it’s a hard one to turn down,” McClean said.

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Wrexham takes big step towards promotion with win over Mansfield Town

Wrexham’s promotion hopes are looking up as League Two comes down the stretch

Wrexham has passed its latest big test in League Two.

The Red Dragons defeated Mansfield Town — who kicked the match off atop the division standings — 2-0 on Friday, maintaining the club’s hold on one of the three automatic promotion places.

Paul Mullin delivered a brace, with a goal in the 32nd minute followed up by a powerful 67th-minute penalty.

The victory keeps Wrexham three points clear of fourth-placed MK Dons, who thrashed Walsall 5-0 in a simultaneous game.

The run-in within League Two will be intense. Wrexham’s win over Mansfield Town, coupled with Stockport County’s victory over Forest Green Rovers, means that the top three teams are separated by just one point. Stockport (74 points) took over the top spot after Friday’s matches, with Mansfield and Wrexham both on 73.

“It was a hard-earned win, a gritty and determined performance. We restricted a very good Mansfield team to very little,” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said in quotes published by the BBC.

“We didn’t get too down when we lost to Tranmere and we’re not going to get too high after today. Now it’s about preparation for what will be a terrific game at Doncaster on Tuesday.”

Watch Wrexham vs. Mansfield highlights


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Wrexham vs. Mansfield Town: How to watch, live stream

It’s first place against third in a massive League Two matchup

Wrexham could go level on points with first-place Mansfield Town on Friday in a crucial League Two matchup at Racecourse Ground.

Wrexham, last season’s National League champion, is chasing its second straight promotion and enters the game in third place, the final automatic promotion position from League Two.

Mansfield currently tops the table, sitting three points above Wrexham and two points ahead of second-place Stockport.

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These two sides met twice in the fall, with the first meeting a 0-0 draw in the league before Wrexham defeated the Stags 2-1 in the FA Cup.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Wrexham vs. Mansfield Town

  • When: Friday, March 29
  • Where: Racecourse Ground (Wrexham)
  • Time: 11 a.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: ESPN+ (WATCH NOW)

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Wrexham roster for 2023-24 season

The full Wrexham roster for the 2023-24 season, as the club makes its return to League Two

Wrexham is back in the big time.

After a 15-year exile, Wrexham returned to the English Football League for the 2023-24 season by winning the National League in 2022-23.

Now in League Two, the Welsh side is looking to continue its rise up the English football pyramid.

Wrexham, of course, has gained global notoriety after actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the team in 2021 and made it the protagonist of the popular docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.”

Below is a list of the roster for Wrexham in 2023-24.

Wrexham signs ex-Premier League striker Fletcher as Mullin remains out

Fletcher brings a ton of Premier League experience to the League Two side

Wrexham has signed longtime Premier League striker Steven Fletcher on a free transfer.

Fletcher joins after scoring 10 goals in 39 games last season with Dundee United in his native Scotland.

The 36-year-old has made nearly 700 career appearances, representing Burnley, Wolves and Sunderland across several Premier League seasons. He has also earned 39 caps for Scotland.

“Hopefully I can bring a lot of experience. I’m 36, I’m still fit and still raring to go,” Fletcher told Wrexham’s website.

“One of the biggest selling points was the ambition of the club, and if I can help with that then great.

“I don’t think you can not see what has been happening at Wrexham — it’s been a great experience for the fans, players and owners so hopefully we can continue that.”

Fletcher’s words echo those of James McClean, his former teammate at Sunderland and Stoke, who signed with Wrexham last month and said that the club’s growing profile after actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the team was a major selling point.

Following the club’s promotion last season, Wrexham is off to an uneven start to life in League Two. The club sits 13th out of 24 teams and has both the most goals scored (15) and conceded (14) in the league.

Wrexham has managed that high goal total despite the continued absence of star forward Paul Mullin, who suffered a punctured lung against Manchester United during the club’s preseason tour of the United States.

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Wrexham signed a player too good for League Two, because they’re Wrexham

The Wrexham effect is a real

Typically, when someone is named their club’s player of the season, the next logical step would not be a transfer to a team two divisions down the ladder.

But when that team is Wrexham, anything is possible.

On Friday, Wrexham announced the signing of veteran midfielder James McClean — who, as mentioned, is coming off a season in which he was named Wigan Athletic’s player of the year.

McClean, 34, is also still an active international for Republic of Ireland, having earned his 100th cap over the summer.

After impressing in the Championship (it should be noted that Wigan was relegated last year), McClean is moving to League Two with Wrexham after the club won promotion from the National League last term.

Wrexham, of course, has gained global notoriety after actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the team in 2021 and made it the protagonist of the popular docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham.”

In an interview with Wrexham’s YouTube channel, McClean said the club’s growing profile was a major factor in his move.

“With everything surrounding this club at the moment, it’s a project that’s very exciting,” the longtime Premier League player said.

“The hype and excitement is clearly more now that the club’s back in the Football League. And I’m sure there’s ambitions here to go even further than this league. I’m a very passionate person, someone who’s very driven. And I want that as well. I want to be part of that and that’s obviously one of the main reasons for coming here.”

He added: “It’s a great story. … There’s just so much positivity that surrounds the club at the moment and it’s obviously a great thing. Like I said, the ambition is not to just stop here, but to keep going. And that’s obviously an exciting thing to be a part of.”

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Wrexham coach vaguely threatens Man Utd GK after Mullin left with punctured lung

Star forward Paul Mullin had to be taken to the hospital after being cleared out by Nathan Bishop

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was furious after a challenge from Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop left star striker Paul Mullin with a punctured lung.

The incident happened 12 minutes into Tuesday’s friendly between the two sides in San Diego. Bishop came out for a long ball and clattered into Mullin just outside the box, leaving the striker in a heap on the ground.

Mullin had to be given oxygen on the field and was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a punctured lung. Wrexham would ultimately defeat a reserve-filled Man Utd squad 3-1.

After the game, Parkinson couldn’t hide his anger with Bishop and even made a vague-sounding threat toward the 23-year-old, saying “he’s probably best steering clear of us.”

“I’m fuming about it, I’ve got to be honest with you,” Parkinson told the BBC after the game. “I thought it was a clumsy, reckless, dangerous challenge.

“I haven’t seen the goalie and he’s probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we’re not very happy.

“We just got a call from the hospital to say there’s a small puncture in his lung.

“It should have been a straight red. If it’s not denying a goalscoring opportunity it’s still a dangerous challenge, so if you add the two scenarios together he should have been off the pitch.”

Bishop issued an apology to Mullin on Twitter, stating: “Just wanted to share my sincerest apologies to @PMullin7. A complete misjudgement and a genuine accident with 0 malicious intent at all! Wishing you the speediest recovery and hope to see you back scoring goals as soon as possible!”

Mullin was a vital figure in Wrexham’s 2022-23 campaign, scoring 38 league goals as the club was promoted to League Two after winning the National League.

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‘Welcome to Wrexham’ season two gets release date

The breakout hit show will return in September for its second season

“Welcome to Wrexham” is coming back soon.

The breakout hit show confirmed on Friday that its second season will debut on September 12 on FX and streaming on Hulu, and internationally on Disney+.

The first season of the show chronicled actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds as they purchased and took over Wrexham AFC, a fifth-tier Welsh club looking to advance up the English pyramid.

The show became a breakout hit in the United States, as the story of the underdog Welsh side resonated with audiences across the country. After the first season’s finale aired last October, McElhenney confirmed that the show would return for a second season in 2023.

The show’s first season was recently nominated for six Emmys, including Outstanding Unstructured Reality Series.

Season two will follow the team in its (spoiler alert!) ultimately successful campaign to earn promotion, as Wrexham was crowned champion of the National League and earned the right to play in League Two in the 2023-24 season.

The team is currently touring the United States in its preseason, with its schedule including matches against Chelsea, Manchester United, and the reserve squads of the LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union.

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PHOTOS: Chelsea vs.Wrexham at Kenan Memorial Stadium

Here are some of the best photos from Wednesday’s match between Chelsea and Wrexham at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

History was made in Chapel Hill on Wednesday night as Chelsea and Wrexham traveled across the pound to play a friendly match at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

It was the first international soccer match at the stadium, drawing a crowd of just over 50,000 to check out the game ahead of the two team’s respective seasons that begin in August.  While the game ended up being a blowout with a 5-0 Chelsea win, the atmosphere at Kenan was incredible.

The event was run well and getting the stadium and field together for the match came together perfectly. The hope is that more soccer events like this can take place in Chapel Hill now and it would be a great thing for everyone involved.

With the event over, let’s take a look at some photos from the match on what was a historic night in Kenan Memorial Stadium.

Chelsea-Wrexham match delivers an epic night in Kenan Stadium

UNC hosted the first-ever stateside matchup between Chelsea and Wrexham, and fans got their money’s worth—a look inside the historic game.

July 19th, history was made as Kenan Memorial Stadium opened its doors to a sold-out crowd with 50,596 in attendance for the first-ever stateside meeting between Chelsea and Wrexham.

As fans lined up at the gates for the doors to open, high-fives and chatter filled the void of waiting. The temperature was perfect, with Carolina blue skies in 80-degree weather with a nice breeze.

Once doors opened, it was on as fans poured in the entrances rocking dark blue for Chelsea and red for Wrexham; it felt like Kenan Stadium was under attack by UNC in-state rivals. However, a Tar Heel chant broke out, echoing louder than UNC’s bell tower, to end any color alliance.

The game started with the national anthem performed by North Carolina’s oldest cappella group with current and alums members of the UNC Clef Hanger. The coin toss was as particular as the atmosphere, with North Carolina’s women’s soccer coach, Anson Dorrance, doing the honors of the game’s ritual coin flip.

Fans were greeted with an early treat as Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen got things going early with a goal before the three-minute mark. The thrill continued throughout the first period as fans cheered at fast breaks, held their breath for lob passes, and booed refs for suspect calls. Before the half was over, Maatsen scored his second goal to give Chelsea the 2-0 lead.

The quick 15-minute half-time show, or lack of one, did not bring the house down, but that did not waiver the energy in the second half.

Despite both teams going scoreless in the first 35 minutes of the second period, fans still found ways to erupt, whether due to a sweet pass or insane crossover. At the 81 minute, the blue sea erupted again with Conor Gallagher’s goal to give Chelsea the 3-0 lead. Chelsea added salt to injury by tacking on two more goals in the 89th and 90th minute to push the lead to 5-0.

Fans stayed seated and cheered until the end, even with the shutout on the horizon.

Chelsea would go on to win 5-nil. The excitement would not end there as men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis and football coach Mack Brown presented the Man of the Match to Maatsen, voted by the fans.

It is no telling if UNC will get another chance to host such an event, but with the atmosphere brought tonight by fans, it would be hard not to.

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