Chester v Wrexham

Arguably, there is no fiercer rivalry in the lower leagues than there is between Chester and Wrexham. Chester v Wrexham games, also known as the Cross Border Derby have been keenly contested since 1888. In this encounter, Wrexham beat Chester 3-2 in an FA Cup Tie at Faulkner Street, Hoole. As it happens, Wrexham have continued to hold the upper hand over the years.

They have recorded 68 wins compared to Chester’s 52 victories. There has also been 34 draws. A total of 154 fixtures since 1888 may not seem as many as you think there would have been. You have to remember though for quite a few years there were no Chester v Wrexham games as they were in different divisions.

One of the reasons for this post is that the next meeting between the two clubs is tomorrow, 8th November 2017. It is to be played at Chester’s stadium, The Swansway with kick-off 7.45pm. Adding even more spice is that it is also being televised on BT Sports and that the fans ‘bubble’ restrictions are being lifted for the first time in some years.

Here’s a brief history of the prestigious fixture.

Chester v Wrexham

Chester v Wrexham

The cross-border derby sees the clubs separated by the short distance of 12 miles. It is called the cross-border derby because Chester is in England, while Wrexham is located in nearby North Wales. In fact, part of Chester’s current stadium straddles both England and Wales, further adding to the cross-border flavour.

In Football League meetings, Wrexham edged these fixtures with 30 victories against Chester’s 26. As mentioned above, there has been long periods where the clubs did not meet. Between 1986 and 2005, the sides were in the same division in just one season, the 1994/95 season.

They have regularly faced each other from the 2005/06 onwards though. Between 2005/06 to 2007/08 they were opponents in the Football League Division Two.

Conference National

In 2009/10 their paths crossed again in the Conference National after Chester followed Wrexham out of the Football League.

Sadly most recently, because of crowd violence troubles, games between the two are usually moved to a Sunday, with a 12:00 kick off. This kick off time minimises the time for alcohol consumption and the risk of the two sets of supporters clashing. So, having the game played on a Wednesday evening will ensure the police will invariably have their work cut out.

A Bubble Fixture

In the 2012–13 season, Chester won promotion to return to the Conference Premier after a three-year absence. The first encounter that season was highly anticipated. It was played at the Racecourse ground, Wrexham. This match was the first since Chester re-formed as a fan owned club. In an attempt to quell potential trouble, the match was labelled as a ‘bubble’ fixture. Unlike previous meetings, all away fans had to travel to the match via coaches and police escort. Thereby creating a ‘bubble’ around the occasion. As it happened, despite going into the game with a poor form of recent games, Chester won the match 2–0. The victory also recorded Chester’s first win of the season.

Big Rivalry

The Cross-border derby is widely considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in the lower leagues of English football. No doubt one of the reasons for this is due to the close proximity of Wrexham and Chester as they are the largest settlements in the area. Wrexham in North East Wales and Chester in West Cheshire. Also they are the only clubs in those areas to have played in The Football League. Another big reason of course for the rivalry is the Welsh-English divide. This in itself also makes it unique to other football derbies in Britain, as national identity is a large part of the two teams.

Time For Fans To Behave

Being a huge football fan myself I must admit I’ve never really understood football violence. I’ve been to big derby matches with differing reasons for the rivalry. Liverpool v Man Utd; Liverpool v Everton; Celtic v Rangers and Chester v Wrexham are matches I have attended. In the main I have attended the Liverpool fixtures more then the others, and yes there is more than an edge to the encounters with Man Utd and Everton. I’m loathe to use the word ‘hate’, especially when it comes to a football match, but there seems to be more ‘hate’ in a fixture against Man Utd than against Everton. As I said, I don’t get the ‘hate’ angle myself.

Attending a Celtic v Rangers fixture in the 1970’s (at the height of football violence really) was more of an endurance, survival exercise than a sporting spectacular to savour. The hatred was so intense. Of course, the added ingredient to this fixture is the religious angle.

Although the attendances are small in comparison, this does not diminish the intensity of a Chester v Wrexham clash. Police have lifted the ‘bubble’ status so the focus on the fans will be even more highlighted. Local newspapers have rightly appealed to the fans to behave. See this article HERE from the Chester Chronicle.

Below is a short video of a fairly recent Chester v Wrexham match in 2014. A great ending for Chester in dramatic finale…..

If You’re Going To The Match

If you’re going to the match then hopefully you enjoy it. And, just as importantly, hopefully you manage to enjoy it trouble free. Probably clutching at straws but nevertheless it should be mentioned. If you are going hell bent on causing trouble then think twice. Why not go with the thought of enjoying the football first and foremost. You never know, you might enjoy it. Bear in mind, there are quite a lot of women and children who attend these matches. Why scare the living daylights out of them? Imagine if it was your own sister, mother, younger brother or other family member. Show some sense and get behind your team and enjoy it for what it is. It’s a game of football. Nothing more, nothing less.

Finally, why not post your thoughts of the game here, win, lose or draw. I’d love to hear from you.