There’s a big game on Saturday, apparently. We’re heading down to Wales, the land of myth and legend.

As every schoolboy knows, the Welsh for Wrexham is LLanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch (*1)

The football club’s badge incorporates two red dragons holding a football. Y Draig Goch, or Red Dragon, symbolises  the legendary pub just round the corner from Wrexham’s ground. (*2)

Then there’s the legend that is Phil Parkinson. He’s been in charge now since 2021 and has led them to 3 successive promotions. This season, in the rarified atmosphere of the Championship, he’s taken them to the brink of the playoffs. It’s a myth that he can walk on water, even in Wrexham, but he’s so well appreciated by the club hierarchy that he’s been told he won’t be losing his job any time soon.

The club’s climb via three consecutive promotions from the National League to the Championship has been legendary, and allied to its 2020 takeover by Hollywood A-list legends, Rob McElhenney (‘Rob Mac’) and Ryan Reynolds, and the much-vaunted documentary, ‘Welcome to Wrexham,’ has brought it worldwide fame. This has  even attracted many foreign visitors to the club and has given it an enviable international fan base.

These two stars are not your usual football club takeover merchants. The Glazers, the Venkys or Dejphon Chansiri they are not. They attend most games and seem to relish meeting the fans. They’ve had significant impact on the city as well as the club. They’re clearly intent on investing time and money in Wrexham and it looks like they have a sound long-term plan. Premiership football is the avowed aim. They’re already legends in their own lifetimes.

This article highlights their impact:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cq84pyw2gv7o

and this one, how the club’s finances have been improved:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cn82p32ng5vo

Wrexham AFC, formed in 1864, is reputedly the third oldest football club in the world. I don’t know if that’s a myth or not. The club’s ground, The Racecourse, or Cae Ras [= Field of Races] to give it its Welsh name, is the oldest international football stadium in the world still used for international games. It was originally built for horse racing in the 17th or 18th century. It’s called STōK Cae Ras these days after the coffee company who sponsor the club. Some think it hosts stock car races, but that’s a myth. (‘We fix’em and he wrecks’em’.)

After its meteoric rise through the league pyramid, the side has settled very quickly into life in the Championship, and has done very well to be challenging for a play-off place. Of course, romantics and writers of legends might hope for a fourth successive promotion, but we Boro fans will hope their upward progression can wait till next season! We hope they myth out this time.

Wrexham have scored 67 goals, just 3 fewer than Boro, but have conceded a hefty 63. Top scorer is Josh Windass, 15 goals, son of the legendary Dean (he who bared his bum to Boro fans in a pre-season friendly at PNE!) Welsh international beanpole Kieffer Moore has 11 goals and tremendous heading ability, while fellow Wales colleague, Nathan Broadhead, ex Ipswich, has 8. We’ll also need to be wary of experienced midfielders Lewis O’Brien (no introduction necessary) and former Coventry man, Ben Sheaf.

In the run-up to our Birmingham game in March, Forever Dormo  wrote: “I'd hate Boro to go to the Stok Cae Ras for the final game of the season needing points to secure promotion.” Well, here we are. And it’s not just Boro. Wrexham also need the points to be sure of the playoffs, with Hull and Derby hot on their heels. Our spot is at least secure, and we still have a very slim chance of going up automatically. Our attitude on Saturday must be to go all out for the win, firstly in the hope of taking advantage of slip-ups elsewhere and sneaking into second, and then to achieve a finish in either third or fourth slot, which would mean we’d be at home second leg. And finishing third would mean games against potentially weaker opponents in any of Wrexham (again), Hull or Derby, whereas we’d probably be facing Southampton if we finish fourth. I’m sure KH will have our boys geed up suitably.

This is a testing game, no doubt. Parkinson has done an amazing job, can call on a talented squad and will no doubt have them fired up too, as red dragons should be! But Boro also go into this game in good spirits, having nearly won at Ipswich then getting back to winning ways against Wednesday and Watford. The superb second half performance against Watford was a very timely boost. How good it was to have all 3 strikers on the score-sheet! Their confidence must be high right now. Can KH go for broke and incorporate all 3 of them in his starting line-up? None of the three deserves to be on the bench in my view.

The team has generally performed well without Hackney and I wouldn’t be too worried if he’s still not fit for Wrexham, but it would be so good to have him available and for him to get some minutes on the pitch before the playoffs.

If it does end  in the playoffs for us, as seems likely, then we’ll all no doubt rue missed opportunities (and literally in front of goal) to accrue the points we should have. Yet at the start of the season, with doubts about the wisdom of appointing Edwards quite widespread and the view that our squad would struggle, most of us would have snapped your hands off for a playoff slot. Boro have exceeded expectations, no doubt. They’ve given us an exhilarating and enjoyable season and some fabulous football. They have an amazing away record. There are few teams as good as Boro in this highly competitive league. That’s huge credit to Steve Gibson and Kim Hellberg, in part to Edwards and Kieran Scott, and of course, to the players themselves. I’m very proud to be a Boro fan right now.

One more big push, lads! We can do this! 

(*1) This is, of course, a myth: the Welsh for Wrexham is just Wrecsam. Llanfair PG, as it appears on the road signs, is a real place on Anglesey, reputed to have the longest railway station name in the world. It’s probably also one of the very few words in any language to contain 4 consecutive Ls, and is almost certainly the only one to have 11 in total!

(*2) Another myth. The red dragon is the overriding symbol of the Welsh nation and appears on the national flag, which surely must be the best design in the world. The club’s usual nickname these days is The Red Dragons. The club’s mascot is Wrex the Dragon. He’s sure to give us a hot and fiery reception. He’ll be hoping Boro will be toast on Saturday.

I’m sorry to let it drag on a bit. It’s been very hit and myth, really. Meanwhile, I’m off to the bookies to put £100 on Aidan Morris to score the winner on Saturday with a 30 yard screamer. Legend! 😉😉