List of Wrexham A.F.C. players

Wrexham Association Football Club is an association football club based in Wrexham, Wales. Founded in October 1864, it is the oldest football club in Wales and the third-oldest professional association football team in the world.[1] After playing in the Combination and regional leagues for several years, Wrexham joined the Football League shortly after the First World War, as a founding member of the new Third Division North. The club remained in the Football League for over 85 years, before they were relegated to the National League in 2008.[2] They remained in the fifth tier of English football for the next 15 seasons, missing out on promotion through the play-offs on five separate occasions.[3] Wrexham were promoted in two consecutive seasons between 2022 and 2024, and will play in League One for the first time since 2005.[4]

Elliot Lee is the latest player to pass 100 appearances for Wrexham, having done so in April 2024.

Wrexham's first team has competed in numerous nationally and internationally organised competitions. As of the end of the 2023–24 season, a total of 209 players have appeared in 100 or more such matches for the club. Arfon Griffiths holds the record for the greatest number of appearances for Wrexham. In two spells between 1959 and 1979, the Welsh winger played 721 times in all competitions for the club.[5] As of 2001, eleven other players have made more than 400 appearances for Wrexham.[6] The club's goalscoring record is held by Tommy Bamford, who scored 209 goals in all competitions between 1929 and 1934.[7] To date, Bamford is the only player to have scored 200 goals for Wrexham.[7] He also holds the club records for most goals in a season (51 in 1933–34) and most goals per game (0.855).[8][9] Ten players on this list went on to manage Wrexham – Ken Barnes, Arfon Griffiths, Mel Sutton, Dixie McNeil, Brian Flynn, Joey Jones, Brian Carey, Andy Morrell, Dean Keates and Bryan Hughes.[10]

  • The list is ordered first by date of debut, and then if necessary in alphabetical order.
  • Appearances as a substitute are included. This feature of the game was introduced in the Football League at the start of the 1965–66 season.[11]
  • Statistics are correct up to and including the match played on 27 April 2024. Where a player left the club permanently after this date, his statistics are updated to his date of leaving.
Positions key
Pre-1960s 1960s–
GK Goalkeeper
FB Full-back DF Defender
HB Half-back MF Midfielder
FW Forward
Nationality
Unless otherwise noted, the nationality of a player is determined by the country/countries which he has played for, or if said person has not played international football, their country of birth.
Position
Playing positions are listed according to the tactical formations that were employed at the time. Thus, the change in the names of defensive and midfield positions reflects the tactical evolution that occurred from the 1960s onwards.
Club career
Club career is defined as the first and last calendar years in which the player appeared for the club in any of the competitions listed below.
Total appearances and Total goals
Total appearances and goals comprise those in the Combination, Welsh Senior League, Birmingham & District League, English Football League, National League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Welsh Cup, FA Trophy, EFL Trophy, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and Scottish Challenge Cup. Matches in wartime competitions are excluded.

Players

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Gordon Gunson made 149 appearances across two spells with Wrexham in the 1920s and 1930s.
 
Billy Rogers played 197 times for Wrexham during a six-season tenure.
 
Alan Hill appeared 267 times for Wrexham between 1975 and 1983, winning the Third Division title in 1978.
 
John Lyons started his career at Wrexham in 1975 and played for the club 115 times.
 
Andy Marriott is the goalkeeper with the second-most appearances at Wrexham, with 269 appearances in the 1990s.
 
Deryn Brace played 118 times for Wrexham.
 
Peter Ward ended his playing career with Wrexham, appearing 161 times for the club.
 
Andy Morrell is Wrexham's 11th highest goalscorer of all time, with 96 goals.
 
Darren Ferguson was captain when Wrexham won the EFL Trophy for the first time in 2005.
 
Lee Trundle was a mainstay during the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons, making a total of 111 appearances for the club.
 
Dennis Lawrence has the most appearances of any non-European player for Wrexham.
 
Connor Jennings played over 100 times for Wrexham over the course of just two seasons.
 
Akil Wright played 102 times during three years at Wrexham, initially as a loanee.
 
Goalkeeper Rob Lainton made 143 appearances between 2018 and 2023.
 
Ben Tozer made 141 appearances for Wrexham over a three-year period.
 
Ollie Palmer has played 124 games to date, scoring 41 times in all competitions.

Players highlighted in bold are still actively playing at Wrexham.

List of Wrexham A.F.C. players with 100 or more appearances
Player Nationality Pos Club career Starts Subs Total Goals
Appearances
Horace Blew   Wales FB 1899–1811 142 142 0
Llewelyn Griffiths   Wales FW 1899–1808 106 106 49
Llewelyn Davies   Wales FB 1901–1919 309 309 11
Ernie Huffadine   Wales HB 1906–1915 370 370 7
Pryce Williams   Wales HB 1907–1909
1910–1915
264 264 17
Fred Cook   England FW 1908–1915 214 214 20
George Devaney   England GK 1910–1915 195 195 0
Bertram Goode   England FW 1910–1926 275 275 148
Tommy Matthias   Wales HB 1912–1928 389 389 26
Edward Roberts   Wales HB 1919–1923 130 130 9
Noel Edwards   Wales FB/FW 1919–1926 174 174 43
George Godding   Wales GK 1919
1921–1926
188 188 0
Bobby Simpson   England FB 1919–1922 104 104 0
Billy Cotton   England FW 1921–1924 106 106 47
Ted Regan   Wales HB 1921–1928 216 216 15
George Savage   England HB 1922–1925 127 127 2
Dick Finnigan   Wales GK 1923–1924
1929–1932
118 118 0
Alfred Jones   England FB 1923–1936 581 581 6
Archie Longmuir   Scotland FW 1924–1930 254 254 39
Bert Lumberg   Wales FB 1925–1930 190 190 0
Bob Graham   England HB 1926–1930 146 146 3
Gordon Gunson   England FW 1926–1929
1935–1936
149 149 45
Billy Rogers   Wales HB 1926–1932 197 197 29
Roland Woodhouse   England FW 1927–1930 129 129 27
Tommy Bamford   Wales FW 1929–1934 241 241 209
Jack Hughes   England FW 1930–1939 103 103 19
Tommy Lewis   England FW 1930–1933 121 121 45
Jack Mustard   England FW 1930–1932
1935–1936
103 103 22
Matt Lawrence   Wales HB 1930–1937 152 152 4
Jim Bulling   England HB 1932–1935 138 138 4
George Frewin   England FW 1932–1936 102 102 34
Harry Waller   England FW 1932–1935 108 108 37
Hugh McMahon   Scotland HB 1932–1936 165 165 7
George Snow   England FW 1933–1939 235 235 47
Jimmy Hamilton   Scotland FB 1933–1937 185 185 1
Jack Lewis   Wales HB 1933–1938 111 111 2
Pat McMahon   Scotland GK 1935–1939 126 126 0
Archie Burgon   England FW 1935–1939 160 160 43
Eddie Tunney   England FB 1937–1951 256 256 0
Gib Bellis   Wales HB 1938–1939
1946–1949
104 104 1
Ron Jackson   England FB 1945–1949 122 122 0
Norman Sharp   England FW 1946–1949 133 133 18
Jack Boothway   England FW 1946–1950 112 112 67
Les Speed   Wales FB 1947–1955 242 242 1
Billy Tunnicliffe   England FW 1947–1953 265 265 88
Bev Wilson   England HB 1947–1950 109 109 0
Dennis Grainger   England FW 1947–1951 111 111 13
Ron Wynn   Wales HB 1948–1956 203 203 17
Archie Ferguson   Scotland GK 1948–1953 140 140 0
George Spruce   England HB 1948–1952 158 158 3
Johnny Tapscott   England HB 1950–1956 192 192 5
George Jones   Wales HB 1950–1953 128 128 8
Tommy Bannan   Scotland FW 1951–1959 260 260 104
Ron Hewitt   Wales FW 1951–1957
1959–1960
267 267 109
Albert Parker   England FB 1951–1959 247 247 1
Glyn Hughes   Wales FW 1952–1955 107 107 24
Gordon Richards   Wales FW 1952–1958 107 107 28
Ally McGowan   Scotland FB 1953–1965 478 478 2
Alan Fox   Wales HB 1954–1964 412 412 3
Bernard Evans   England FW 1954–1960 126 126 58
Fred Davis   England HB 1955–1961 263 263 14
Gren Jones   England FW 1955–1961 281 281 43
Billy Waters   Wales GK 1955–1960 119 119 0
John Anderson   Scotland FW 1956–1959
1961
116 116 30
George Evans   Wales HB 1957–1963 208 208 10
Mike Metcalf   England FW 1957–1963 144 144 73
Arfon Griffiths   Wales MF 1959–1961
1962–1979
713 8 721 143
Reg Holland   England FB 1960–1965 144 144 0
Peter Jones   England DF 1960–1966 271 0 271 8
Ken Barnes   England HB 1961–1965 156 156 30
Ron Barnes   England FW 1961–1963 102 102 29
Clive Colbridge   England FW 1962–1965 133 133 35
Ernie Phythian   England FW 1962–1965 161 161 48
David Powell   Wales DF 1963–1968 152 2 154 5
Sammy McMillan   Northern Ireland FW 1963–1967 170 0 170 61
Stuart Mason   England DF 1966–1973 200 17 217 4
Steve Stacey   England DF 1966–1968 115 4 119 6
Albert Kinsey   England FW 1966–1973 292 8 300 100
Mickey Evans   Wales DF 1966–1978 463 17 480 25
Steve Ingle   England DF 1967–1972 172 6 178 8
Ray Smith   England FW 1967–1972 193 15 208 71
Alan Bermingham   England DF 1967–1970 134 3 137 2
Ian Moir   Scotland MF 1968–1972
1973–1975
189 11 200 25
Gareth Davies   Wales DF 1968–1982 604 8 612 21
Eddie May   England DF 1968–1976 406 4 410 43
Brian Tinnion   England MF/FW 1969–1976 317 19 336 66
David Gaskell   England GK 1969–1972 117 0 117 1
Bobby Park   Scotland MF 1969–1972 121 4 125 9
Tom Vansittart   England DF 1970–1975 99 2 101 2
Billy Ashcroft   England FW 1970–1977 246 27 273 95
David Fogg   England DF 1971–1976 198 4 202 1
Graham Whittle   England FW 1971–1980 372 24 396 118
Brian Lloyd   Wales GK 1971–1977 333 0 333 0
Mickey Thomas   Wales MF 1972–1978
1991–1993
331 18 349 43
Mel Sutton   England MF 1972–1981 463 8 471 26
David Smallman   Wales FW 1972–1975 122 3 125 51
Joey Jones   Wales DF 1973–1975
1978–1982
1987–1992
476 3 479 22
Alan Dwyer   England DF 1974–1981 227 13 240 7
Alan Hill   England DF 1975–1983 236 31 267 8
John Lyons   Wales FW 1975–1979 86 29 115 34
John Roberts   Wales DF 1976–1980 191 2 193 5
Bobby Shinton   England FW 1976–1979 177 0 177 58
Wayne Cegielski   Wales DF 1976–1982 151 15 166 1
Les Cartwright   Wales MF 1977–1981 150 4 154 14
Eddie Niedzwiecki   Wales GK 1977–1983 143 0 143 0
Dai Davies   Wales GK 1977–1981
1985–1987
199 0 199 0
Dixie McNeil   England FW 1977–1983
1985
220 2 222 88
Steve Buxton   England FW 1978–1984
1986–1990
230 74 304 67
Steve Fox   England MF 1978–1982 173 8 181 19
Mick Vinter   England FW 1979–1982 117 15 132 42
Frank Carrodus   England MF 1979–1982 116 1 117 8
Ian Arkwright   England MF 1980–1984 132 3 135 11
Neil Salathiel   Wales DF 1980
1983–1990
324 1 325 3
Steve Dowman   England DF 1981–1983 109 0 109 6
Simon Hunt   England MF 1981–1984 133 9 142 24
David Gregory   England FW 1982–1986 183 12 195 45
Andy Edwards   Wales FW/MF 1982–1986 125 29 154 35
Jack Keay   Scotland DF 1982–1986 199 0 199 11
Jake King   Scotland DF 1982–1984 121 1 122 11
John Muldoon   England MF/FW 1982–1985 91 28 119 16
Shaun Cunnington   England MF/DF 1982–1988 267 3 270 17
Jim Steel   Scotland FW 1983
1984–1987
230 0 230 73
Barry Horne   Wales MF 1984–1987 184 0 184 28
Mike Williams   Wales DF 1984–1990 232 6 238 5
Steve Charles   England MF 1984–1987 146 5 151 44
Paul Comstive   England MF/DF 1984–1987 126 7 133 11
Mark Morris   England GK 1986–1993 138 0 138 0
Roger Preece   England MF/DF 1986–1990 116 26 142 15
Darren Wright   England DF 1986–1990 140 10 150 9
Mike Salmon   England GK 1987–1989 126 0 126 0
Geoff Hunter   England MF 1987–1991 146 11 157 15
Kevin Russell   England FW 1987–1989
1995–2003
336 37 373 80
Jon Bowden   England MF 1987–1991 185 12 197 26
Brian Flynn   Wales MF 1988–1992 121 10 131 6
Nigel Beaumont   England DF 1988–1991 150 5 155 4
Andy Thackeray   England DF 1988–1992 183 17 200 18
Vince O'Keefe   England GK 1989–1992 108 0 108 0
Chris Armstrong   England FW 1989–1991
2003–2005
94 54 148 35
Gareth Owen   Wales MF 1989–2001 408 68 476 45
Waynne Phillips   Wales MF 1990–1998
1999–2002
286 35 321 23
Mark Sertori   England DF/FW 1990–1994 140 7 147 2
Phil Hardy   Republic of Ireland DF 1990–2001 481 4 485 1
Steve Watkin   Wales FW 1990–1997 221 45 266 80
Lee Jones   Wales FW 1990–1992
1996
1997
2002–2004
87 53 140 43
Brian Carey   Republic of Ireland DF 1991–1992
1996–2004
2006
381 10 391 20
Karl Connolly   England FW/MF 1991–2000 451 25 476 122
Jonathan Cross   England DF 1991–1997 115 37 152 17
Mel Pejic   England DF 1992–1995 127 3 130 5
Tony Humes   England DF 1992–1999 247 8 255 10
Barry Jones   England DF 1992–1997 237 15 252 7
Gary Bennett   England FW 1992–1995
1997
174 2 176 114
Dave Brammer   England MF 1992–1999 158 25 183 16
Barry Hunter   Northern Ireland DF 1993–1996 118 4 122 7
Andy Marriott   Wales GK 1993–1998 269 0 269 0
Bryan Hughes   England MF 1994–1997 100 27 127 21
Deryn Brace   Wales DF 1994–2000 107 11 118 2
Mark McGregor   England DF 1995–2001 309 9 318 14
Craig Skinner   England MF 1995–1998 87 25 112 11
Peter Ward   England MF 1995–1999 157 4 161 18
Martyn Chalk   England MF 1996–2002 181 61 242 15
David Ridler   England DF 1997–2001 151 19 170 2
Dean Spink   England FW/DF 1997–2000 105 20 125 12
Steve Thomas   Wales MF 1997–2004 105 41 146 15
Neil Roberts   Wales FW 1997–2000
2006–2008
138 28 166 40
Stephen Roberts   Wales DF 1998–2005 178 9 187 9
Robin Gibson   England MF 1999–2002 65 39 104 9
Andy Morrell   England FW 1999–2003
2010–2013
189 80 269 96
Paul Barrett   England MF 1999–2004 121 29 150 9
Kevin Dearden   England GK 1999–2001 100 0 100 0
Craig Faulconbridge   England FW 1999–2002 116 25 141 44
Danny Williams   Wales MF 1999–2001
2004–2008
192 6 198 13
Darren Ferguson   Scotland MF 1999–2007 349 7 356 34
Lee Roche   England DF 2000–2001
2005–2007
101 3 104 0
Hector Sam   Trinidad and Tobago FW 2000–2005 102 87 189 47
Carlos Edwards   Trinidad and Tobago MF/DF 2000–2005 169 28 197 28
Lee Trundle   England FW 2001–2003 85 26 111 34
Dennis Lawrence   Trinidad and Tobago DF 2001–2006 219 10 229 19
Shaun Pejic   Wales DF 2001–2008 191 18 209 2
Jim Whitley   Northern Ireland MF 2001–2006 155 7 162 2
Mark Jones   Wales MF 2002–2008
2009–2010
156 40 196 34
Matt Crowell   Wales MF 2003–2007 87 27 114 5
Chris Llewellyn   Wales MF/FW 2003–2005
2006–2008
195 4 199 37
Simon Spender   Wales DF 2004–2009 105 23 128 6
Mike Williams   Wales DF 2005–2010 112 27 139 6
Marc Williams   Wales FW 2006–2011 65 35 100 21
Chris Maxwell   Wales GK 2009–2012
2013
108 0 108 0
Adrian Cieślewicz   Poland MF/FW 2009–2014 64 109 173 21
Curtis Obeng   England DF 2009–2012 102 8 110 2
Johnny Hunt   England DF 2010–2015 104 31 135 16
Neil Ashton   England DF 2010–2015 243 1 244 16
Jay Harris   England MF 2010–2015
2020–2021
239 17 256 20
Dean Keates   England MF 2010–2015 168 16 184 15
Joe Clarke   England MF 2011–2015 157 24 181 19
Rob Evans   Wales MF 2011–2017 97 39 136 7
Mark Carrington   England MF 2013–2021 245 29 274 6
Connor Jennings   England FW 2014–2016 95 7 102 23
Manny Smith   England DF 2014–2016
2017–2018
161 0 161 7
Paul Rutherford   England MF 2016–2021 154 45 199 8
James Jennings   England DF 2017–2020 130 4 134 10
Shaun Pearson   England DF 2017–2021 140 1 141 12
Akil Wright   England DF 2017–2020 78 24 102 8
Rob Lainton   England GK 2018–2023 143 0 143 0
Luke Young   England MF 2018–2024 223 36 259 22
Max Cleworth   England DF 2019– 104 9 113 6
Jordan Davies   Wales MF 2020– 102 47 149 37
Paul Mullin   England FW 2021– 141 16 157 108
James Jones   Scotland MF 2021– 107 30 137 16
Ben Tozer   England DF 2021–2024 137 4 141 7
Ollie Palmer   England FW 2022– 106 35 141 43
Thomas O'Connor   Republic of Ireland DF/MF 2022– 77 23 100 8
Elliot Lee   England MF 2022– 100 22 122 35

References

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General

  • "Player Appearance Totals". Wrexham Archive. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

Specific

  1. ^ Jones, Peter. "Wrexham AFC History". Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  2. ^ King, Ian (10 January 2023). "Welcome to Wrexham, where celebrity ownership follows years of decline and false hope". Football365. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  3. ^ "National League: Wrexham's 33-year play-off hoodoo". BBC Sport. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Wrexham secure promotion to League One". Sky Sports. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Find out which Wrexham FC legend scored his first ever goal for the club at Coventry City on Christmas Day 1959". The Leader. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Player Appearance Totals". Wrexham Archive. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Wrexham AFC's Paul Mullin and his love affair with Reds fans". The Leader. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  8. ^ "All Time Records". Wrexham AFC Archive. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Player Goals per Game". Wrexham AFC Archive. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Wrexham Manager History: Past & Present". Soccerbase. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  11. ^ Watts, Nick. "1963 to 1988". English Football League. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
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