The Wrexham side that won the first Welsh Cup in 1878

This is a list of seasons played by Wrexham Association Football Club from the 1877–78 season, when the club began playing in competitive fixtures following the founding of the Welsh Cup, to the most recent current season.

The club was formed in 1864 by members of the Wrexham Cricket Club, who wanted a sporting activity for the winter months, which makes them (after Sheffield, Cray, Hallam, Notts County, and Stoke City) the sixth oldest football team, third oldest professional club and the oldest in Wales. Their first game was played on 22 October 1864 at the Denbigh County Cricket Ground (The Racecourse) against the Prince of Wales Fire Brigade.

In 1878, they won the inaugural Welsh Cup, beating Druids 1–0,[1] and the club went on to win the competition a further 23 times, still the most wins by any team, until they were barred entry during the 1990s, along with other Welsh clubs playing in the English football league system.[2] Through winning the Welsh Cup, Wrexham also qualified several times for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, reaching the quarter-finals during the 1975–76 campaign.

In 1890, the club were founding members of the second incarnation of The Combination.[3] Apart from a brief two-year spell in the Welsh Senior League between 1894 and 1896, Wrexham spent the following fifteen seasons in The Combination, winning the competition on four occasions, before moving into the Birmingham & District League in 1905. Two years after the end of the First World War, Wrexham joined The Football League, where they spent eighty consecutive seasons,[4] before being relegated to the Conference National in 2008.

Wrexham's highest position in the Football League was 15th in the old Second Division (now EFL Championship) in 1978–79. Their lowest position in the League was 24th in the Football League Fourth Division in 1965–66 (at a time where League membership maintenance was by election) and in 1990–91 (when the League decided to suspend relegation due to expansion of the First Division to 22 clubs). The feat was repeated for a third time in Football League Two in 2007–08 and this time they were relegated to Conference National. Their lowest position in the Conference, and thus overall, was 19th in the 2019–20 season.

Seasons

Season League FA Cup League Cup Welsh Cup[5] FA Trophy Scottish
Challenge Cup 		Europe[6]
Division Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
1877–78 N/A W
1878–79 RU
1879–80 2R
1880–81 2R
1881–82 3R
1882–83 W
1883–84 2R 4R
1884–85 2R 1R
1885–86 1R 1R
1886–87 1R 3R
1887–88 2R
1888–89 1R 1R
1889–90 RU
1890–91 Combination 16 4 4 8 25 47 10[a] 8th RU
1891–92 Combination 22 9 2 11 45 65 20 6th SF
1892–93 Combination 22 9 1 12 41 66 19 8th W
1893–94 Combination 18 5 6 7 36 46 16 8th SF
1894–95 Welsh Senior League 16 13 2 1 77 20 28 1st RU
1895–96 Welsh Senior League 12 9 3 1 39 13 19 1st RU
1896–97 Combination 18 7 2 9 41 40 16 6th W
1897–98 Combination 24 10 6 8 45 44 26 4th RU
1898–99 Combination 28 15 3 10 55 48 33 5th RU
1899–1900 Combination 16 11 1 4 58 25 23 2nd 3R
1900–01 Combination 22 16 3 3 62 20 35 1st
1901–02 Combination 26 17 7 2 80 21 41 1st RU
1902–03 Combination 26 19 5 2 80 23 43 1st W
1903–04 Combination 24 12 4 8 53 34 28 5th 3R
1904–05 Combination 26 21 1 4 70 16 43 1st W
1905–06 Birmingham & District League 34 17 5 12 72 55 39 6th SF
1906–07 Birmingham & District League 34 14 6 14 68 76 34 10th 4QR SF
1907–08 Birmingham & District League 34 14 9 11 51 56 37 6th 4R
1908–09 Birmingham & District League 34 14 3 17 60 76 31 11th 1R W
1909–10 Birmingham & District League 34 13 7 14 61 62 33 10th W
1910–11 Birmingham & District League 34 17 7 10 74 52 41 4th W
1911–12 Birmingham & District League 34 15 10 9 62 52 40 6th 4R
1912–13 Birmingham & District League 34 16 4 14 58 48 36 6th 3R
1913–14 Birmingham & District League 34 15 8 11 46 47 38 7th W
1914–15 Birmingham & District League 34 16 8 10 63 49 40 6th W
No competitive football was played between 1915 and 1919 due to the First World War.
1919–20 Birmingham & District League 34 17 5 12 73 45 39 3rd RU
1920–21 Birmingham & District League 34 22 5 7 77 32 49 3rd W
1921–22 Division Three North 38 14 9 15 51 56 37 12th 6QR SF
1922–23 Division Three North 38 14 10 14 38 48 38 10th 1R 7R
1923–24 Division Three North 42 10 18 14 37 44 38 16th 6QR W
1924–25 Division Three North 42 15 8 19 53 61 38 13th 5QR W
1925–26 Division Three North 42 11 10 21 63 92 32 19th 1R 6R
1926–27 Division Three North 42 14 10 18 65 73 38 13th 2R SF
1927–28 Division Three North 42 18 6 18 64 67 42 11th 4R 6R
1928–29 Division Three North 42 21 10 11 91 69 52 3rd 1R 5R
1929–30 Division Three North 42 13 8 21 67 88 34 17th 4R SF
1930–31 Division Three North 42 21 12 9 94 62 54 3rd 3R W
1931–32 Division Three North 40 18 7 15 64 69 43 10th 1R RU
1932–33 Division Three North 42 24 9 9 106 51 57 2nd 2R RU
1933–34 Division Three North 42 23 5 14 102 73 51 6th 1R 6R
1934–35 Division Three North 42 16 11 15 76 69 43 11th 2R 7R
1935–36 Division Three North 42 15 7 20 66 75 37 18th 1R 6R
1936–37 Division Three North 42 16 12 14 71 57 44 8th 3R 6R
1937–38 Division Three North 42 16 11 15 58 63 43 10th 2R 6R
1938–39 Division Three North 42 17 7 18 66 79 41 14th 1R 6R
1939–40 N/A[b] 4R
No competitive football was played between 1940 and 1945 due to the Second World War.
1945–46 N/A[c] 3R
1946–47 Division Three North 42 17 12 13 65 51 46 7th 2R SF
1947–48 Division Three North 42 21 8 13 74 54 50 3rd 2R 7R
1948–49 Division Three North 42 17 9 16 56 62 43 9th 1R 7R
1949–50 Division Three North 42 10 12 20 39 54 32 20th 2R RU
1950–51 Division Three North 46 15 12 19 55 71 42 14th 2R SF
1951–52 Division Three North 46 15 9 22 63 73 39 18th 2R SF
1952–53 Division Three North 46 24 8 14 86 66 56 3rd 3R 5R
1953–54 Division Three North 46 21 9 16 81 68 51 8th 3R 7R
1954–55 Division Three North 46 13 12 21 65 77 38 18th 2R SF
1955–56 Division Three North 46 16 10 20 66 73 42 14th 1R 6R
1956–57 Division Three North 46 19 10 17 97 74 48 12th 4R W
1957–58 Division Three North 46 17 12 17 61 63 46 12th 1R W
1958–59 Division Three 46 14 14 18 63 77 42 18th 1R SF
1959–60 Division Three 46 14 8 24 68 101 36 23rd 3R W
1960–61 Division Four 46 17 8 21 62 56 42 16th 1R QF SF
1961–62 Division Four 44 22 9 13 96 56 53 3rd 3R 1R RU
1962–63 Division Three 46 20 9 17 84 83 49 9th 3R 1R 6R
1963–64 Division Three 46 13 6 27 75 107 32 23rd 2R 3R SF
1964–65 Division Four 46 17 9 20 84 92 43 14th 2R 1R RU
1965–66 Division Four 46 13 9 24 72 104 35 24th 2R 2R 5R
1966–67 Division Four 46 16 20 10 76 62 52 7th 2R 1R RU
1967–68 Division Four 46 20 13 13 72 53 53 8th 1R 1R 6R
1968–69 Division Four 46 18 14 14 61 52 450 9th 2R 2R 6R
1969–70 Division Four 46 26 9 11 84 49 61 2nd 4R 3R 6R
1970–71 Division Three 46 18 13 15 72 65 49 9th 1R 1R RU
1971–72 Division Three 46 16 8 22 59 63 40 16th 3R 1R W
1972–73 Division Three 46 14 17 15 55 54 45 12th 2R 2R 4R Cup Winners' Cup 2R
1973–74 Division Three 46 22 12 12 63 43 56 4th QF 2R SF
1974–75 Division Three 46 15 15 16 65 55 45 13th 1R 1R W
1975–76 Division Three 46 20 12 14 66 55 52 6th 1R 2R 5R Cup Winners' Cup QF
1976–77 Division Three 46 24 10 12 80 54 58 5th 4R 4R SF
1977–78 Division Three 46 23 15 8 78 45 61 1st QF QF W
1978–79 Division Two 42 12 14 16 45 42 38 15th 4R 2R RU Cup Winners' Cup 1R
1979–80 Division Two 42 16 6 20 40 49 38 16th 5R 2R 5R Cup Winners' Cup 1R
1980–81 Division Two 42 12 14 16 43 45 38 16th 5R 1R SF
1981–82 Division Two 42 11 11 20 40 56 44 21st 4R 3R 5R
1982–83 Division Three 46 12 15 19 56 76 51 22nd 2R 1R RU
1983–84 Division Four 46 11 15 20 59 74 48 20th 1R 1R RU
1984–85 Division Four 46 15 9 22 67 70 54 15th 1R 1R 5R Cup Winners' Cup 2R
1985–86 Division Four 46 17 9 20 68 80 60 13th 2R 2R W
1986–87 Division Four 46 15 20 11 70 51 65 9th 3R 2R SF Cup Winners' Cup 2R
1987–88 Division Four 46 20 6 20 69 58 66 11th 2R 1R RU
1988–89 Division Four 46 19 14 13 77 63 71 7th 1R 1R 5R
1989–90 Division Four 46 13 12 21 51 67 51 21st 1R 1R RU
1990–91 Division Four 46 10 10 26 48 74 40 24th 1R 2R RU Cup Winners' Cup 2R
1991–92 Division Four 42 14 9 19 52 73 51 14th 4R 1R 5R
1992–93 Division Three 42 23 11 8 75 52 80 2nd 1R 1R SF
1993–94 Division Two 46 17 11 18 66 77 62 12th 1R 2R 4R
1994–95 Division Two 46 16 15 15 65 64 63 13th 4R 2R W
1995–96 Division Two 46 18 16 12 76 55 70 8th 3R 1R Cup Winners' Cup QR
1996–97 Division Two 46 17 18 11 54 50 69 8th QF 1R
1997–98 Division Two 46 18 16 12 55 51 70 7th 3R 1R
1998–99 Division Two 46 13 14 19 43 62 53 17th 4R 1R
1999–2000 Division Two 46 17 11 18 52 61 62 11th 4R 1R
2000–01 Division Two 46 17 12 17 65 71 63 10th 1R 1R
2001–02 Division Two 46 11 10 25 56 89 43 23rd 1R 1R
2002–03 Division Three 46 23 15 8 84 50 84 3rd 1R 2R
2003–04 Division Two 46 17 9 20 50 60 60 13th 1R 1R
2004–05 League One 46 13 14 19 62 80 43[d] 22nd 2R 2R
2005–06 League Two 46 15 14 17 61 54 59 13th 1R 1R
2006–07 League Two 46 13 12 21 43 65 51 19th 3R 2R
2007–08 League Two 46 10 10 26 38 70 40 24th 1R 2R
2008–09 Conference National 46 18 12 16 64 48 64 10th 4QR 4R
2009–10 Conference National 44 15 13 16 45 39 58 11th 2R 1R
2010–11 Conference National 46 22 15 9 66 49 81 4th 4QR 2R
2011–12 Conference National 46 30 8 8 85 33 98 2nd 3R 3R 1R
2012–13 Conference National 46 22 14 10 74 45 80 5th 1R W
2013–14 Conference National 46 16 11 19 61 61 59 17th 2R 2R
2014–15 Conference National 46 17 15 14 56 52 66 11th 3R RU
2015–16 National League 46 20 9 17 71 56 69 8th 4QR 2R
2016–17 National League 46 15 13 18 47 61 58 13th 4QR 1R
2017–18 National League 46 17 19 10 49 39 70 10th 4QR 1R
2018–19 National League 46 25 9 12 58 39 84 4th[e] 2R 2R
2019–20 National League 37 11 10 16 46 49 43 19th 1R 1R QF
2020–21 National League 42 19 11 12 64 43 68 8th 4QR 3R
2021–22 National League 44 26 10 8 91 46 88 2nd[f] 1R RU
2022–23 National League 46 34 9 3 116 43 111 1st 4R 4R

Key

Champions Runners-up Promoted Relegated

Notes

  1. ^ Deducted two points.
  2. ^ The 1939–40 season was abandoned due to the outbreak of the Second World War.
  3. ^ Following the end of the Second World War, competitive league football did not resume until the 1946–47 season.
  4. ^ Deducted 10 points for entering administration.
  5. ^ Lost in the play-off quarter-final to Eastleigh 1–0 (after extra time).
  6. ^ Lost in the play-off semi-final to Grimsby Town 5–4 (after extra time).

References

  1. ^ "Wrexham 1-0 Druids". Welsh Football Data Archive. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  2. ^ "UEFA rejects Welsh club' bid". BBC Sport. 10 October 2001. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  3. ^ "England - The Combination". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  4. ^ "The history of Wales' oldest team". Wrexham F.C. 19 July 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  5. ^ "Welsh Cup - year-by-year". Welsh Football Data Archive. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  6. ^ "Welsh clubs in Europe". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
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