On 4 October 1864, in a tavern next to a cricket ground, the oldest football club in Wales was born. On 4 October 2027 Wrexham turn 163 years old. It is the story of a club that changed shirts many times, knocked out Arsenal and became a global phenomenon thanks to two Hollywood actors.

Cricketers looking for a winter sport

The club was founded at the Turf tavern by members of the local cricket club, who wanted a winter sport for the town's young men. The first match was played on 22 October 1864, and Wrexham lost 2-1 to a ten-man fire brigade side.

For decades the crest gave 1873 as the year of foundation. When older documents surfaced, such as contemporary reports on the town's "just formed" club, the year was changed to 1864.

That makes Wrexham the oldest club in Wales. The club also says it is the third-oldest professional club in the world, although that claim is disputed.

From odd outfits to red

In the early years Wrexham did not even have a kit, and in 1873 a local paper complained about the players' mismatched clothing. In October that year they appeared in white, some wearing blue caps.

By 1876, when they were founder members of the Football Association of Wales, they had adopted scarlet and black. Various blue shirts followed and, from 1904, green.

In 1921, on joining the Football League, came red shirts with white shorts, although in 1925-26 the team wore blue and white and earned the nickname "Sugarbags". Just before the Second World War the plain red shirt with a white collar was established, and it is still worn today.

Dragons, feathers and a memory

The 1973 crest is still in use, with the founding year corrected. It shows the Prince of Wales's feathers, two dragons and a football.

From 2001-02 the team officially became the "Red Dragons", to stand apart from the other "Robins" in Britain. In 2014-15, for the 150th anniversary, they wore a red shirt with black hoops.

Since 2021-22 the number 1934 has been printed on the back of the neck. It recalls the Gresford colliery disaster of that year.

The Racecourse Ground, cups and the win over Arsenal

The home ground, the Racecourse Ground, is regarded as the oldest stadium in the world still hosting international matches. The record attendance is 34,445, for a 1957 cup tie against Manchester United.

Wrexham hold the record of 23 Welsh Cups and won the very first one, in 1877-78. In 1976-77 they reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup against Anderlecht.

Their most famous night came in the 1992 FA Cup. The team beat champions Arsenal 2-1, with a free kick from Mickey Thomas and a goal from Steve Watkin.

Hollywood and three promotions in a row

In 2021 actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover of the club. From August 2022 the documentary series "Welcome to Wrexham" made it famous around the planet.

Then came something unprecedented: three promotions in a row, from the National League in 2023 with a record 111 points to the Championship in 2025. No other club in England's top five tiers had ever done it.

In 2025-26 Wrexham finished seventh in the Championship, the highest league position in their history, missing the play-offs by two points. Earlier heroes include Arfon Griffiths, with 713 appearances, and Tommy Bamford, with 175 league goals.

Celebrate with us

From a tavern in 1864 to screens all over the world, Wrexham remain true to their red. Happy 163rd birthday, Red Dragons!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: the Racecourse Ground – Rept0n1x, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.