#9 Own a Football Club
On Sunday I will be Wembley bound for a second time in as many months to cheer on the mighty Wrexham as we contest the Conference Playoff Final with Welsh counterparts Newport County. The prize is not a World Cup, a Champions League, or even another FA Trophy, but for Wrexham it would be a significant reward and rightful return to League football. Regardless of the result on Sunday afternoon as the curtain falls, this season has been a pivotal one for my home town team and one that has reignited a flame that has been burning too dimly for too many seasons now. Thankfully, I have never been lured by the marketing machine from Manchester, the Russian Oligarch, or the sporting Sheikhs with all their promises of riches and trophies! Whilst I’ve never been unfaithful or fallen out of love with Wrexham, I took my team for granted watching matches on teletext and vidiprinters, with only a handful of sporadic visits as each season passed. Rather than dedicating myself to the cause, the excuses became easier to make than the trip into town with memories of Marriott, Hardy, Connolly and Bennett all too distant.
Wrexham is a club steeped in history, victory and turmoil. From the early beginnings at Cae Ras, to the 2-1 FA Cup giantkilling against Arsenal back in early nineties and the eventual fall from Football League grace back in 2008 after 87 years in the League, the carcass of the club stripped clean by the vultures. The injustice fought was perhaps the catalyst the club needed to sow some seeds for a brighter future and in the ensuing battle for the Racecourse, a community collective was created and a new day dawned as a Trust was born. Today, the Wrexham Supporters Trust is made up of 2128* members happy to invest in promise and potential. This Trust has been pivotal in securing the survival of a club in crisis and steering a course through stormy waters. Now more than ever it’s time for supporters to stand up and be counted. Over 17,000 Wrexham fans went to Wembley to witness the FA Trophy victory back in March and it doesn’t need a mathematician to spot the mismatch in the numbers.
Whether we win or lose at Wembley on Sunday**, I’ll be signing up again next season to sit in the stands with my sons at my side. Wrexham Football Club is the club to join – pass it on, safeguard the future and leave a legacy by making it YOUR club!
*At the time of writing Wrexham Supporters Trust is made up of 2128 adult members, 36 youth members and 309 juniors. Membership can be secured for as little as £1 per month, 24p a week, 3p a day….no excuse then!
**Wrexham subsequently lost out in the battle for League Football with Newport taking the prize in the dying throws of a tense match. Initial heartache turned to optimism for the future and hopes that as a fan owned club the foundations that have been laid can now be built upon. Our club, our future!