It is three days short(as I write) of 50 years since I saw Queen at Preston Guild Hall, divide that figure by 2 and it is over 25 years since we played Wrexham in a league game 25/3/2000 won 1-0 at Deepdale, we played them 5 times that season. At the time the Welshman were on the slide into the Conference League were they stayed for far too many seasons, bad ownership etc, gates were down to about one and a half thousand.
In those days they were one of those clubs that you don't mind.
However, that's before they relocated to Hollywood, apparently it's a fairy tale rise through the leagues, does hel when you splurge millions on players and buy your way through the leagues. Fair enough the rise through the leagues has been good for the town especially the pub next to the ground, which must be the only viable pub in Britain.
They have had a decent start and will provide stern opposition tomorrow and no doubt the 25ft tall Keifer Moore will score.
Played them earlier this season in the league cup lost 3-2

https://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/

MANAGER

Philip John Parkinson (born 1 December 1967) is an English professional football manager and former midfielder. He is the manager of EFL Championship club Wrexham.

Parkinson acquired a Social Science degree early into his career as a manager[3] and is the only manager to take an English fourth-tier league club to the final of a major cup competition at Wembley Stadium, leading Bradford City of League Two to the 2013 League Cup final. During his career, he has achieved promotion six times: with Colchester to the Championship in 2006, with Bradford to League One in 2013, with Bolton Wanderers to the Championship in 2017, and with Wrexham to League Two in 2023, League One in 2024 and the Championship in 2025.

Actually a local lad born in Chorley



Picture attributed to Timmy96

WREXHAM FORM GUIDE
DWDWD

MYSTIC MACS FORM RATING

PNE 12 WREXHAM 11

SIGNINGS OF NOTE

BROADHURST 8.7 MILLION
SHEAF 7.5 MILLION

Both signings well above what our record signing

GOALS AND ASSISTS

MOORE 7 Goals

WINDASS 3 Assists

PNE TEAM NEWS

Paul Heckingbottom confirmed that Harrison Armstrong will be back available for the weekend, and Andrija Vukčević and Brad Potts are also back training with “no restrictions”.

For the latter, he’s been unavailable all season long to date and the midfielder, who’s made almost 250 appearances for PNE, has been steadily building up in fitness in training.

In Andy’s case, the Montenegrin picked up an injury in the home victory over Sheffield United, and he’s set to return ahead of schedule, perhaps on Saturday when North End take on Wrexham at Deepdale.

Hecky Provides Positive Team News UpdatePaul Heckingbottom confirmed that Harrison Armstrong will be back available for the weekend, and Andrija Vukčević and Brad Potts are also back training with “no restrictions”.


Hecky said: “He's been back on the training pitch a couple of weeks now. I'd say this last week he’s had no restrictions. We've seen him flying about everywhere.

“I think because he's come back a lot sooner than expected, we have been a bit wary and apprehensive. But now he's ticking the boxes, so he's under consideration. We'll use him now.

“He needs to be, in my opinion, and this is my intention, introducing him back in a similar way to Pol (Valentín), bit by bit because I think it's the correct way in lots of ways.

“It's good for safety and not just throwing them straight back in where you're going to re-injure them. But likewise the best way to get them up to speed is to play them and give them minutes because otherwise you're just training, training, training, then you might get thrown in, then it's a big jump. Pol’s had a good few minutes now and he'd be capable of doing more, and we've got to try and get that with Andy.”

The left wing-back was one of 12 summer signings, with Jamal Lewis – who will be sidelined for the weekend – recently adding to that number.

This new-look squad have had a great start to the Championship season and sit in the Play-Off places at this early stage. There’s been lots that the manager has been delighted with from his side, including the amount of goals scored at the top end of the pitch.

Hecky said: “It was important because last season I felt at times it was hard and frustrating because I felt we had to have so much control and be so dominant to get a win unless one or two things went our way.

“Whereas this season I wouldn't say we're having any more control with the ball than we did last season at all. We’re maybe similar without the ball but what we're doing is when we're getting moments we’ve recruited players with certain attributes which help us create which has been important and it's about then trying to make sure that we do create.

“We'll do it our way. I'm not bothered about being top of the stats, I'm bothered about creating those moments which win us games. That's it. And we've been able to do that.”

https://www.fotmob.com/matches/preston-vs-wrexham/2r6j4v#4825255:tab=lineup
Attendance: 17,842 (3,356 Wrexham fans).

Referee: Lewis Smith.

Copyright APM2025

A throwback to the 1970's only thing that was missing was a diamond shaped quagmire in the middle of the pitch, dreadful weather and two sides giving everything on a sodden pitch, add into the mixture an inept referee who in fairness let everything go and the result a full on wonderfuly entertaining game.
Should have won but happy with the point at the end.
ne dwn after 4 minutes, ball in from the attcking left from MacLean, might have got a touch from Lindsay on it's way to hitting the post were it dribbled out to the unmarked Moore who had the simple task of scoring.

Not the start we wanted but soon battled back, Dobbin almost scored the goal of the century, 80 yard run with the ball weaved his way past dfenders but got crowded out as he reached the visitors box. Got a lot of space behing MacLean who great going forward has lost a bit of pace, Pol exploited the space, pt some decent balls into the box which we couldn't capitalise in. Shot clleared from the line and then big Arthur in the Wrexham goal, began to save everythg, some TV saves but a double save on the stroke of half time wasn't bad. To be fair the visitors were not without their chances in a breathless first period, Moore through after Lindsay fell over, advanced on goal but sufficient numbers got back to stop the danger. Level at the break, just as the mid winter Monsoon hit Preston.
They started the better in the second period, Broadhurst dropping deeper was causing us more issues, Moore forced Iversen into a save, the ball squirmed clear to MacLean his header was punched away by the quickness of Iversen, a flicked header by Sheaf went narrowly wide.
We had one cleared off the line, Small hit a post and we had corner upon corner, two massive penalty appeals turned down,think we should have had one having seen the still of the incident afterwards. Big Arthur continued to deny us with a string of fine saves.
Pivotal moment introduction of Armstrong, on loan 18 year old from Everton is a talent got slightly fortunate with the goal, just dropped right for him, left foot low shot beat Arthur.
Both sides went for the winner, Wrexham thought they shouyld have had a last minute penalty but Mr Smith gave nothing.

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom felt his side created enough chances at Deepdale to beat Wrexham, in a game which ended 1-1.

Harrison Armstrong’s first goal for the club in the game’s late stages earned a point for Preston North End, although the Lilywhites could have levelled far earlier in the game.

Kieffer Moore put the visitors ahead just four minutes in and PNE created a plethora of chances after that opener, being denied on a number of occasions by goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

Hecky said: “We should have won the game, but I'm just pleased with how we played. I thought we were really positive.

“The only disappointing thing is the cheap goal that we conceded. Apart from that we defended the box really, really well. We know they can cause you problems with the balls in the box and the amount of crosses they can get in.

“We limited that and limited their first contacts in the box in terms of defending Kieffer [Moore], which was good, and then us going the other way, we’ll do well to create more chances than that in a game of football.

“As a staff, we're really, really pleased with the players and how they went about it because it can be difficult when you fall behind.”

After going behind early on, it was almost entirely North End as they pushed for a leveller, but the likes of Alfie Devine, Jordan Storey and Andrew Hughes just couldn’t beat Okonkwo, while Thierry Small struck the post.


Eventually the equaliser did arrive through Everton loanee Armstrong, as he fired a deflected effort past the goalkeeper to open his account.

Hecky said: “It's great for him. It's irrelevant for me in terms of we've just scored a goal, but for him it's good. His role is slightly different here in terms of his loan last season, how we want to play and the role we use him in, so he will find himself higher up the pitch more often, whether that's from us pressing high and him engaging.

“I would have been hugely disappointed if we didn't get that goal. I'm still disappointed we didn't take three points, but if I look back at the performance and how we want to play and as I keep saying, ‘Am I happy when I stand on the sideline and watch the team?’ Yeah, over the moon with what I saw.”

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson:

"I think it was a great advert for the Championship.

"We've got two really honest teams going for the win, committed but fair.

"It was a great game of football in difficult conditions and I think both teams deserve enormous credit today."