Why does Wrexham play in the English football league pyramid and not in Wales’ leagues?
WREXHAM AFC has been the centre of attention in football 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.
Wrexham is one of the oldest professional football clubs in the world
Why does Wrexham play in the English football league?
The reason that Wrexham play in the English leagues is quite simple, there wasn’t a Welsh football league when the team was founded.
They were formed in 1864 by members of the Wrexham cricket club, making them one of the oldest professional clubs in world football.
Since then, they have played in a variety of different leagues, including The Combination league and the Birmingham & District League.
Wrexham joined the English football league in 1920.
They of course aren’t the only Welsh club to play in the English leagues, with Cardiff, Swansea, Newport County, Colwyn Bay 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 did play in the Welsh Senior League for two seasons.
Wrexham were allowed to take part in the Welsh Cup, winning the competition on 23 occasions and reaching the final a total of 45 times.
They were banned from entering the Welsh Cup following their final victory in the competition in 1995, following pressure from UEFA.
In 2011, Wrexham were 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 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 for 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 had spent eighty years within English football’s top four divisions before this.
When did Ryan Reynolds buy Wrexham?
Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds bought Wrexham along with his friend and fellow actor Rob McElhanney in November 2020.
The deal received strong backing from the Wrexham supporters trust, and was completed in February 2021.
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.
