It’s been six years since the Red Dragons took on Tranmere at Prenton Park, however tomorrow will be a very different spectacle.
Both Clubs were in the National League when they last faced off, and ahead of tomorrow’s blockbuster clash, the man who won it for Wrexham in that fixture believes it’s got the hallmarks of a special occasion once again.
Chris Holroyd scored his first-ever Wrexham goal on that afternoon in Birkenhead, finishing with aplomb into the top corner, past the outstretched goalkeeper.
With the fixture taking place tomorrow lunchtime live on WrexhamPlayer via the iFollow platform, Holroyd believes it will be another tremendous occasion.
“They’re always eventful these derbies, the one I was involved in had everything and all the ingredients that make these games special,” he said.
“I don’t doubt that this game at the weekend will deliver once again.”
The wide forward made just shy of 50 appearances in a Wrexham shirt and was part of the squad that reached the Play-Offs in 2019.
Former manager and captain Dean Keates brought him in in the summer of 2017, and the fixture at Prenton Park was his first real taste of the fans' support.
Reflecting on the game, he said: “It was a special atmosphere and the game had everything. There was a sending-off, I got the goal and Luke Coddington made some really important saves at the end.
“Our mindset was with that kind of atmosphere unless you change something and try to solidify you can get run over.
“For a lot of us, it was the first experience we had of what the Wrexham fans were really about and the passion they brought.
“It was a great moment for the squad with that battling spirit and at that time provided a great memory for the Club.”
The Red Dragons went down to ten men inside the opening fifteen minutes of the game, with Sam Wedgbury receiving his second yellow card for a late tackle.
Luke Coddington was forced into making crucial saves to blunt the Tranmere attack, and Holroyd opened the scoring with what turned out to be the game's only goal.
In his own words, what felt like an “eternity”, the striker described the goal as an unbelievable feeling.
He said: “I don’t know how it came to me, but I took a punt and caught it sweet and sometimes you know it’s heading in.
“It felt like an eternity until it hit the back of the net and it was a special feeling for me because it was my first goal for the Club.
“A lot has changed since I left, but the passion of the fanbase was a large draw for a lot of people to join the Club.
“I look back on my time at the Club fondly and I was delighted to see the Club get promoted last season.”
It’s been four years since the 36-year-old left the Club and he has since retired and moved into a new industry.
After short part-time spells at Chorley and Warrington Town, he changed his career path, forming a life away from the sport.
He added: “I wanted a bit of a different career path and try my hand at something different. I’ve been out of the game for three years and I now work in finance.
“It’s a different working day to that of a footballer, and it took a while to get into that rhythm.
“My football now consists of half an hour a week for five a side, but it’s good to play just for fun.”
You can tune into tomorrow’s derby live on WrexhamPlayer, and purchase your match pass here.