The derby clash between Shrewsbury and Wrexham on Thursday night became a little heated, to say the least, and now, both clubs could be in trouble.
Wrexham went into the game against struggling Shrewsbury hoping to record a win that would keep the pressure on at the top of the table.
However, in an intense clash at Croud Meadow, Phil Parkinson’s men floundered to a 2-1 defeat to continue their poor run of form away from the Racecourse Ground.
Parkinson admitted Wrexham were sloppy against Shrewsbury, but aside from those issues in their gameplay, the Red Dragons may now have disciplinary problems to deal with, too.
Derby game leads to EFL investigation for both Shrewsbury and Wrexham
During the game, as James McClean went to take a throw-in near the Shrewsbury fans, trouble erupted with the supporters hurling abuse and objects at the Wrexham captain.
As a barricade formed, McClean reacted angrily and gave a little back to the crowd, causing the game to be paused temporarily. After the game, the skipper even posted a derogatory comment on Instagram about the Shrewsbury fans, but he has since deleted this.
Now, as per BBC Sport, the incident has led to both clubs facing an investigation from the EFL and the FA, to determine what course of action should be taken to reprimand those involved. It is unclear at this stage whether McClean himself is under investigation.
The Club released a statement reading: “Wrexham AFC are aware of the crowd incidents at Thursday’s match between Shrewsbury Town and Wrexham AFC, currently under investigation by the EFL. We will be making no further comment at this stage.”
Discussing the matter and McClean’s situation (via Sky Sports), Parkinson said: “He’s fine. James is used to it wherever he goes. Fans get on his back home and away and sometimes it can be tough and spill over but he is used to it.”
Wrexham can’t stop getting in trouble
If Wrexham are charged for this incident at all, it will be the second time within the last month that the Welsh outfit have suffered the wrath of the EFL and the FA.
A fracas between Wrexham and Bristol Rovers back in December led to both clubs being charged and fined for failing to control their players (as per the BBC).
Now, it has to be said that the Wrexham squad like to wind their opponents up and can get quite fiery at times, but it’s also worth remembering that plenty of clubs in the Football League look at Wrexham with envy due to the attention the club gets thanks to Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
Of course, this particular incident is largely down to the rivalry between Shrewsbury and Wrexham, and with tempers flaring on the night, something was always bound to happen. Now, we wait and see what the outcome will be.