3-5-2

1
Rob Lainton

GK
17
Bryce Hosannah

MF
6
Ben Tozer

DF
15
Tyler French

DF
26
Harry Lennon

DF
16
Cameron Green

MF
32
Max Cleworth

MF
7
Jordan Davies

MF
8
Luke Young (C)

MF
19
Jordan Ponticelli

FW
39
Kwame Thomas

GK

Substitutes

31
Dawid Szczepaniak

SUB
2
Reece Hall-Johnson

SUB
24
Charlie Trafford

SUB
30
James Jones

SUB
37
Kai Evans

SUB
27
Jake Bickerstaff

SUB
33
Dan Jones

SUB

Manager

-

Phil Parkinson

4-4-2

44
Marlin Brzozowski

GK
4
Tom Harrison

DF
24
Ben Nugent

DF
15
Tom Mehew

DF
7
Kelvin Dawson (C)

DF
16
Ryan Galvin

MF
18
Max Sheaf

MF
30
Joe Jeremiah

MF
41
Kian Gardiner

MF
8
Oliver Hulbert

FW
47
Lewis Derrick

FW

Substitutes

42
Elliott Jones

SUB
28
Ruari O'Boyle

SUB
23
Jack Hill

SUB
38
Jack Spark

SUB
34
Brad Bevan

SUB
37
Lee Cook

SUB

Manager

-

Lee Mansell

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Match Previews

PREVIEW | Wrexham vs Gloucester City

Our FA Trophy journey begins with a home tie.

17 December 2021

Phil Parkinson's side get a break from league action this weekend, but the stakes will still be high as Gloucester City visit The Racecourse for the first time.

Parkinson's pedigree in cup competitions is well known, of course, and he will have to balance getting a result against giving opportunities for players to remain match fit. With no game in the midweeks before and after the game, there should be no danger of overloading the first team before the hectic Christmas fixtures begin, but there are plenty of players who will want to stake a claim for a spot in the first eleven as the promotion race hots up.

Kwame Thomas (above) will be particularly keen to get some minutes under his belt as he returns from the training injury which put him out of action for 8 months.

Gloucester City have a chance to pull off a giant-killing this weekend, but their preparations have been severely hampered by COVID. Ten members of their first team squad have tested positive, and most importantly, the best wishes of all at Wrexham AFC go out to them and their families. City have taken the difficult, brave decision to go ahead with the game as they fear a postponement would merely be storing up further problems for later in the season.

This tie will offer some relief from the battle against relegation from the National League North. They are currently 5th from bottom, 4 points ahead of basement team Telford United, and have the worst defence in the division.

They have yet to win an away league game this season, but came close last Saturday against play-off contenders Alfreton Town. Tommy O'Sullivan gave The Tigers the lead with a fine free kick, but a familiar face denied them the victory when 37 year-old Matt Rhead hit the equaliser.

City's performance was not a surprise: despite the worrying statistics, they have rallied in recent weeks, winning 3 of their last 5 games and losing one, at home to Kidderminster Harriers. Leading the way as Gloucester's form improves is Ollie Hulbert. The 18 year-old, on loan from Bristol Rovers, scored in the 5 games before the draw at Alfreton, and also bagged two in the last round of the Trophy as Kettering were beaten 3-0.

It's a real frustration for The Tigers to be battling at the wrong end of the table, as they could easily have been visiting The Racecourse as league opponents this season. They started last season superbly, and although Chesterfield poached their manager James Rowe, they were still top of the National League North when the season was annulled.

Their squad was depleted after the end of the season, with Gold Omotayo and Keanu Marsh-Brown heading to Wrexham, of course. However, the squad features some interesting players: ex-Red Dragon Jordon Thompson was on the bench last Saturday; Tom Mehew, son of a former City manager, is in line to make his debut after arriving on loan from Bristol Rovers last week; while Fabian Robert, who has Ligue Un experience with Lorient, and Bernard Mensah were outstanding for Aldershot when they beat Wrexham in August 2016.

In September, manager Paul Groves paid the price for a poor start to the season, departing after a 3-0 loss at Gateshead completed a run of 5 consecutive losses, including a 9-0 defeat to Chorley. Lee Mansell was appointed as interim manager and steadied the ship, earning a contract until the end of the season.

HEAD TO HEAD

We’ve never played Gloucester City before. Indeed, despite its close proximity with the Welsh border, we’ve barely played against any teams from Gloucestershire.

Our first match against a side from that county was as recent as 1983, when we played Cheltenham Town in the Welsh Cup, coming from behind to beat them 3-2 through goals by Simon Hunt, Steve Buxton and Jake King. We’ve gone on to face them in the Football League in 2005, and subsequently when they were briefly relegated to the National League.

Surprisingly, the only other side from Gloucestershire we’ve ever faced in a competitive match is Forest Green Rovers.

We first faced them in 1991, when they were known as Stroud, and beat them in a Welsh Cup tie with Gareth Owen and Chris Armstrong scoring the goals. Of course, we renewed acquaintances with them when we joined the National League, as Forest Green became regular opponents.

LAST GAME

11/12/21 Wrexham 1 (Davies 30) Weymouth 0
Wrexham: Lainton, Hall-Johnson, Hayden, Tozer, Cleworth, Hosannah, J Jones, Young, Davies, Mullin, Hyde (Ponticelli 46). Subs: Dibble, French, Green, Thomas.

11/12/21 Alfreton Town 1 (Rhead 54) Gloucester City 1 (O'Sullivan 48)
Gloucester: Cole, Leadbitter, Harrison, Nugent, Galvin, Sheaf, O'Sullivan, Dawson, Tomlinson, Noel-Williams, Hulbert. Subs: Armstrong, Thompson, Young, Mensah, Robert.

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

David Jones' 425^th career appearance.

Harry Lennon's 100^th career appearance.

Jordan Ponticelli's 50^th Wrexham game.

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT | Wrexham 5-0 Gloucester City (Buildbase FA Trophy third round)

Davies scores twice in dominant win

18 December 2021

Jordan Davies ended a week of personal tragedy off the pitch with two goals on it, as Wrexham eased into the Buildbase FA Trophy fourth round with a home win against depleted Gloucester City.

Davies volleyed Wrexham in front, before doubling the tally with a sumptuous goal before the break.

Max Cleworth powered in his first Wrexham goal after the break, before Kwame Thomas marked his first start since March with a goal too and substitute James Jones capped a dominant win.

With several players absent for a combination of COVID-19, injury and suspension, it was a strong Wrexham side which faced a youthful Gloucester team.

Thomas was the most notable player to come into the team – the big striker starting for the first time since rupturing his Achilles before Easter.

Tyler French, Cameron Green, Jordan Ponticelli and Harry Lennon also came into the team, while Cleworth retained his place and was pushed into midfield.

Wrexham were patient in the early stages – the only chance of note falling to Cleworth on nine minutes, when his controlled volley dropped wide after Green’s cross was headed clear.

At the other end, Ryan Galvin strode forward from left-back on 21 minutes but his ambitious long-range drive was high and wide of Rob Lainton’s goal.

Davies should have scored a minute before he broke the deadlock, from a well-worked Luke Young corner which saw him peel off his man at the back post but somehow side-foot wide unmarked.

He volleyed Wrexham in front on 24 minutes though, making much better contact to meet Cleworth’s cross and hammer it in off the underside of the bar.

Davies was volleying goalward again in the 28^th minute, this time on his right foot from Bryce Hosannah’s cross, but Marlin Brzozowski saved low.

He did get his second on 32 minutes though, and in some style. The midfielder cut inside from left, into space created by Thomas’ run, and unleashed a stunning strike with the outside of his left foot into the top corner.

Thomas then went close himself on 34 minutes – his left-footed effort deflecting wide before his header missed the target when the resultant corner was not cleared.

Cleworth got his first Wrexham goal three minutes after restart – unleashing a thunderous left-footed shot from 20 yards that Brzozowski could only stand and watch fly high into the net.

Thomas made it four on 57 minutes, meanwhile – slotting in right-footed across goal after Ponticelli had been unable to get a shot away.

He thought he had a second on the hour, sliding in from Bryce Hosannah’s inch-perfect right-wing cross, but the offside flag was raised.

Davies could have completed a hat-trick on 70 minutes, spinning a tackle but shooting wide left-footed as space opened up before him.

That was Davies’ last action as he was replaced by James Jones, and Thomas by Bickerstaff moments later.

And less than a minute after coming on, Bickerstaff raced forward and, when his pull-back was deflected, Green squared for Jones to side-foot in.

Kai Evans came on for his Wrexham debut in the 79^th minute, replacing Ponticelli, but the game eased to its conclusion as the Red Dragons booked their fourth-round spot.

Wrexham: 3-5-2: Lainton, French, Tozer, Lennon, Hosannah, Cleworth, Young, Davies (J.Jones 70), Green, Ponticelli (Evans 79), Thomas (Bickerstaff 70)

Subs not used: Szczepaniak, Hall-Johnson, Trafford, Dan Jones

Gloucester City: 4-4-2: Brzozowski, Harrison (Spark 63), Nugent, Mehew, Dawson, Galvin, Sheaf, Jeremiah, Gardiner, Hulbert, Derrick (Hill 46)

Subs not used: Jones, O’Boyle, Bevan, Cook

Referee: Sam Mulhall

Attendance: 1,823

Yellow cards

Gloucester: Tom Mehew (5, foul)

Match Reports

Ticket News

SUPPORTER INFORMATION | Wrexham AFC vs Gloucester City

Everything you need to know about attending today's game

18 December 2021

Former winners Wrexham return to Buildbase FA Trophy action this afternoon, when they host Gloucester City in the third round at the Racecourse Ground. The 2013 champions take on the Tigers on Saturday December 18, and the match kicks off at 3pm.

The game is all-ticket, and tickets are still available to buy in store and online from our eTicketing website.

All tickets bought online must be collected ahead of the game from the ticket office at the Club Shop, and we urge all supporters to collect their tickets as far in advance as possible.

Please also read the important information below, and continue to be patient with staff and volunteers on the day.

For a full list of ground regulations, please see here.

Ticketing and entry

Season tickets are not valid for this game, and all supporters wishing to attend must buy an individual match ticket. These tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.

Tickets bought for collection for this game will be available to collect from the Club Shop, from 9am-2.45pm on match-day.

If you selected postage, and your tickets have not arrived, or if you have any other ticketing enquiries or issues, please report to the ticket office at the Club Shop.

Please note, collections will only be from the Club Shop for this game – tickets are not being made available to collect from the alternative ticket windows

To avoid the risk of long queues on match-day, and leading up to kick-off, we ask all supporters to collect their tickets as far in advance as possible.

Gates open for this game at 1.30pm. Please note, there will be no cash turnstiles in operation for this all-ticket game – tickets must be purchased from the Club Shop or via our eTicketing website.

Again, we ask all supporters to get to the Racecourse Ground early where possible, to reduce queuing times and ensure any enquiries can be dealt with promptly and well in advance of kick-off time.

Wrexham Lager Stand ticket holders should enter via turnstiles 5-10. Macron Stand ticket holders should use turnstiles 25-30. The WREXRENT Stand is shut for this game.

Please only sit in your specified seat, and keep hold of your ticket in case any issues arise. Supporters found inside the Racecourse Ground without a valid ticket may be ejected.

Please stay off the playing surface at all times, and abide by the ground regulations.

COVID-19 guidelines

Following recent changes to COVID-19 guidelines in England, we would like to reiterate that we continue to follow the existing Welsh Government guidance at the Racecourse Ground.

At present, you do not need a COVID-19 pass to enter matches at the Racecourse Ground.

We do, however, urge all supporters to continue to remain vigilant and respectful of your fellow fans and consider them when making decisions on match-day.

Masks are compulsory in indoor areas, including the Wrexham AFC Club Shop, unless you are exempt. Masks are optional in outdoor areas, and we ask all supporters to respect the decisions made by their fellow fans.

Where possible, when moving around the stadium, we ask supporters to be mindful of social distancing and to try to maintain it wherever they can.

Please also maintain good hand hygiene, use hand sanitisers where provided and avoid touching your face, handles or railings wherever possible.

You are responsible for deciding whether or not you should attend any match and, prior to attending each match, carry out a personal risk assessment based on your own age, health and susceptibility to infection and clinical vulnerability and of those in your household or support bubble (based on government guidelines).

You must not attend this game if you have been asked to self-isolate, and you should not attend if you or anyone in your household has developed any COVID-19 symptoms.

Please avoid unnecessary movement away from your seat, and wherever possible wait until gangways are clear to avoid queuing and crowded concourses as much as you can.

At this time of year especially, we are keen to minimise disruption, and ask all supporters to play their part for each other.

Supporter conduct

After a very small number of incidents at the Racecourse Ground this season, we urge all supporters to consider their conduct when watching Wrexham AFC, and how this impacts your fellow supporters’ safety and match-day experience.

As above, you must not enter the playing surface at any time. Furthermore, anybody found throwing objects or using pyrotechnics will be dealt with as strictly as possible. Pyrotechnics and smoke bombs, in particular, have no place in a football stadium.

Incidents at some of our matches this season has resulted in the Club being charged and hit with financial penalties.

Do not let your Club and your fellow supporters down with your behaviour, and please report any concerns to your nearest steward.

We are aware that this refers only to a very small number of isolated incidents, but we urge all supporters to work together to help us to stamp this out.

Should you encounter any trouble or unacceptable behaviour, you can report this to your nearest steward or, confidentially, by emailing info@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

Away supporters

Away supporters for this game will occupy the university end of the Wrexham Lager Stand. Entry is via turnstiles 1-4.

Parking

Parking is available in the Wrexham Glyndwr University car park, adjacent to the stadium, at a cost of £3 per car. Blue badge parking is also available.

Please do not park in the main club car park, and please also be respectful of our neighbours when choosing where to park. Cars must not be parked in permit-only areas around the ground.

We know all supporters are proud of our place in the community, and we ask everybody to respect that when parking their cars so as to avoid disruption to our neighbours.

Please also be mindful of our neighbours when leaving the Racecourse Ground, and take care when walking to and from the stadium.

Travel information

By car: The Racecourse Ground is located on Mold Road. The postcode is LL11 2AH. By car, take the A483 from Chester or Oswestry to Wrexham. Exit at the ‘Mold’ junction and then follow signs for ‘Town Centre’ and the Racecourse Ground will come quickly into view.

By train: The nearest train station is Wrexham General, which is located next to the ground. Please note, under Welsh Government guidelines you must wear a facemask when travelling on Transport for Wales services.

By bus: Wrexham bus station is located in the centre of town. From the bus station, head towards the prominent multi-storey car park and turn right along Mold Road. The ground will be located on the right-hand side, just after you cross the bridge over the railway tracks, about half a mile along this road.

Hospitality

The Centenary Club is open for this game, and doors open at 12pm. You can purchase tickets for this game from our eTicketing website – as with match tickets, season tickets do not include cup matches, and supporters will need to buy an individual pass. These cost £5.

For this game only, supporters in the Macron Stand can also purchase Centenary Club tickets, granting them access to the pre-match bar. Please note, however, supporters in the Macron Stand will be unable to access the Centenary Club at half-time to reduce movement around the stadium.

Kiosks

Refreshment kiosks will be open for this game, serving a range of hot and cold drinks, alcoholic drinks, hot food and confectionary.

We ask all supporters to use card payments where possible.

Match-day programmes

Printed match-day programmes will be available to buy from our sellers around the ground, at a cost of £2 each. Programme sellers will be situated within the concourse of the Macron Stand as well as on the club car park outside the Wrexham Lager Stand.

Programmes will also be available to buy in store. They will also be available online from the club shop at shop.wrexhamafc.co.uk for delivery only, from Monday December 20.

An audio programme will also be available via WrexhamPlayer on the club website. WrexhamPlayer subscribers can not only access exclusive content such as the audio programme, but also listen to live commentary of the game.

Bags/luggage

Please only bring necessary personal items with you, and only one small bag if essential. You can see a full list of prohibited items in our Ground Regulations.

Disabled supporters

Our accessible viewing platform in the Macron Stand will be open for this game. Supporters who have been contacted to use the Macron Stand platform, should enter via the Mold Road reception and use the lift.

Wheelchair supporters should enter via gate 12, to the left of the turnstiles on Mold Road, for the level entrance into the stadium. Our Disability Liaison Officer, Kerry Evans, will be at the entrance to welcome supporters and answer any queries you may have.

We ask that all wheelchair users stick to their allocated spaces, due to the high demand for places this season. Ticket-holders in the Autism Friendly section should also use gate 12 – our designated quiet entrance. The refurbished sensory room will be open for this game. Please note, we have fitted a radar lock to the sensory room – if you require entry, please see the friendly-face stewards or DLO Kerry Evans.

Our autism-friendly section is PG1 – a designated quiet area, with more space for supporters.

All of our accessible toilets at the Racecourse Ground have radar locks on – please ensure you bring your radar key, if you have one, to access these toilets. If you do not have a radar key, you can ask a steward or Kerry Evans.

Can’t make the game?

If you can’t join us at the Racecourse Ground for Saturday’s match, you can follow along wherever you are through the club website.

Live audio commentary will be hosted on WrexhamPlayer, for free – please register to access commentary.

A live text feed will also be available on the Live Match Centre, as well as updates on our social channels.

Ticket News

Wrexham AFC

Substitutes

Manager

Substitutes

Manager

PREVIEW | Wrexham vs Gloucester City

REPORT | Wrexham 5-0 Gloucester City (Buildbase FA Trophy third round)

SUPPORTER INFORMATION | Wrexham AFC vs Gloucester City

Ticketing and entry

COVID-19 guidelines

Supporter conduct

Away supporters

Parking

Travel information

Hospitality

Kiosks

Match-day programmes

Bags/luggage

Disabled supporters

Other frequently asked questions

Can’t make the game?

TICKET DETAILS | Wrexham AFC vs Gloucester City (FA Trophy)