Is promotion written in the stars for Wrexham AFC? – The Leader

THREE is the magic number if history only tells the story for Wrexhams last two promotion campaigns.

Its 20 years since Wrexham had a promotion party as Denis Smith, relegated in his first season as Reds boss, took the club straight back up in the 2002/03 season.

Ten years earlier, it was Brian Flynns Reds who tasted glory in the 1992/93 campaign.

So are these omens looking good as fans - and theres a lot more wearing red and white shirts now - crave for a return to the Football League by winning the 2022/23 National League title.

How the football Gods play out Wrexhams hand over the next six months remains to be seen but theyve made a good start under Phil Parkinson this season - better than that of the last two promotion campaigns and the clubs greatest ever triumph of reaching the old Second Division in 1977/78.

Wrexham won seven, drawn two and lost only one - a 2-0 defeat at high-flying Chesterfield - and smacked in an amazing 29 goals in the opening 10 matches this season.

Going back to that season first with Arfon Griffiths - dubbed the Prince of Wales - at the helm and with arguably the clubs best side, it wasnt all hunky-dory in the first 10 games where they only won three.

The season kicked off in the worst possible way - a 2-1 defeat at Shrewsbury Town where Billy Ashcroft scored his last ever Wrexham goal before a big money move to Middlesbrough where ex-Reds boss John Neal had taken charge.

Being tamed by The Shrews is just as bad as being beaten by the Blues at Chester and Wrexham fans were already showing dissent before breathing a sigh of relief with a first win, five games in, at home to Portsmouth when Bobby Shinton and captain Gareth Davies secured a crucial 2-0 win.

Dixie McNeil marked his debut in front of an 8,002 crowd with the first of 88 goals for the club as Wrexham edged out Swindon 2-1 in the battle of The Robins.

Shinton scored the winner at home to Lincoln City on October 1 giving them a pretty average return of three wins, four draws and three losses from their first 10 games.

The other defeats came at Tranmere and Chesterfield while there was also a 1-1 draw at Sealand Road where the notorious Chester versus Wrexham derby attracted a 9,514 gate.

Fast forward to 1992 and Wrexham were back down in Division Four.

Theyd escaped relegation the year before as despite finishing in 92nd place in the Football League, there was no relegation that season.

Spurred on by a famous FA Cup win over champions Arsenal in January 1992, Flynns fledglings sealed promotion the season after.

It kicked off with a 3-1 win over Rochdale at The Racecourse where Gareth Owen, Barry Jones and Jonathan Cross scored in front of only 2,661 fans.

But the wheels fell off with 4-0 and 4-1 defeats at York City and Gillingham respectively.

They also conceded four in a 4-3 League Cup defeat at Bury where new signing from Chester, Gary Bennett, was booed by Reds fans despite bagging a double.

A John Paskin double gave the Reds a 2-0 derby home win over Shrewsbury while there no jeers, only cheers as now goal-den boy Bennett hit a hat-trick in a 4-2 win against Bury.

Paskin was at the double again to seal a fourth win in 10 games as Carlisle United on October 17.

That gave Flynns men a record of four wins, three defeats and three losses which included a 3-2 reverse at home to Barnet, who were also promoted.

And now to the clubs last promotion run that saw Smiths attack-minded team win five, draw three and lose only two of their first 10 games.

There were 1-0 wins at home to Oxford United and at Macclesfield Town where Hector Sam was the match-winner on both occasions.

A 5-2 home defeat to Rochdale on August Bank Holiday Monday ended Wrexhams four-match unbeaten start that was followed up by a 2-1 defeat at Torquay.

The Reds bounced back in fine fashion with two 4-0 Racecourse victories.

Andy Morrell, who went on to net 39 goals that season, scored twice against Swansea where Sam and his Trinidad and Tobago team-mate Carlos Edwards also scored.

Morrell went one better against Exeter with a hat-trick while captain Darren Ferguson was also on target.

And goal-machine Morrell scored in a 1-0 win at Darlington on September 24 to keep the promotion dream alive.

Twenty years on and Wrexham supporters would love to live through that experience again.

The way things are going, it may just happen...

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Is promotion written in the stars for Wrexham AFC? - The Leader