WREXHAM AFC has been hitting the headlines after being purchased by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhanney.
Here, we look at the history of the club, and why they play in the English football league pyramid despite being Welsh.
Why does Wrexham play in the English football league?
The reason why Wrexham plays in the English league is quite simple, there wasn’t a Welsh football league when the team was founded.
Wrexham formed in 1864 by members of the Wrexham cricket club, making it the third oldest professional club in world football.
It is the oldest club in Wales.
Since then, it has played in a variety of different leagues, including The Combination League and the Birmingham & District League.
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Wrexham joined the English football league in 1920.
The team is, of course, not the only Welsh club to play in the English leagues, with Cardiff, Swansea, Newport County, and Merthyr Town, all playing in various English divisions.
Why doesn’t Wrexham play in Wales’ football league pyramid?
The League of Wales (now the Cymru Premier) commenced in 1992, however, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) allowed Wrexham to remain in the English league pyramid.
Wrexham played in the Welsh Senior League for two seasons.
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The club has been allowed to take part in the Welsh Cup, winning the competition on 23 occasions and reaching the final a total of 45 times.
However, following pressure from UEFA, Wrexham was banned from entering the Welsh Cup following their final victory in the competition in 1995.
In 2011, Wrexham was invited back into the competition, but only reached the third round after having to play a weakened side against Airbus UK Broughton due to fixture congestion.
Wrexham and other Welsh sides in the English football league pyramid were barred again from competing in the Welsh Cup ahead of the 2012/13 season, as they ruled that clubs competing in England could not represent Wales in European competition.
This is because the winner of the Welsh Cup gains a European spot in the following season.
What league is Wrexham in?
Wrexham play in the National League, the fifth tier of English football.
They have been in this division since they were relegated from League Two at the end of the 2007/08 season.
The team spent eighty years within English football’s top four divisions prior to this.
When did Ryan Reynolds buy Wrexham?
Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds bought Wrexham along with his friend and fellow actor Rob McElhenney in November 2020.
The deal received strong backing from the Wrexham supporters trust, and was completed in February 2021.
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The idea for the purchase came through looking at clubs on the database of popular video game Football Manager, which described Wrexham as a sleeping giant.
They claimed that they chose Wrexham over other clubs because of the good feeling they had about them.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
