Club football is set to return this weekend after a two-week hiatus due to the international break, with Wrexham set to face Stoke City in the Championship.
The Red Dragons are currently enjoying an unbeaten run of four Championship matches between the last two international spells, kicking off with their 3-2 victory over Norwich City.
Phil Parkinson sent a defiant message following that game as pressure appeared to be growing around his job; however, the club’s fine form has dispelled any lingering worries about whether he was the man for the job.
The Welsh club learned that Stoke City will be without Bae Jun-ho for this weekend’s fixture due to an injury he collected on international duty, and the loss of their 2023-24 Player of the Year may help Wrexham end their terrible 26-year record against the Potters.
Wrexham looking for first win over Stoke City since February 1999
The Red Dragons have drawn their last three league fixtures, as they failed to collect maximum points against Leicester City, Derby County and Birmingham City, with each fixture ending 1-1.
Wrexham last had a longer run of draws in the Football League in November and December 1999, when the games finished honours even on six occasions. A win or defeat will mean they will not equal this record, with Phil Parkinson aiming to secure the club’s third away win of the campaign when they travel to Staffordshire this weekend.
While a continuation of their recent run of draws will not be an issue, unless Wrexham carry on their worrying trend of dropping points from winning positions, a win is required to improve their record against Stoke.
The Potters have only ever lost once to the Red Dragons, and this came in February 1999, when the Welsh side secured a 3-1 win away from the Racecourse Ground.
This was their only win against Stoke in their history, and so they will look to improve this at the weekend.
Wrexham’s head-to-head history with Stoke City
Wrexham have only ever managed to beat Stoke City on one occasion, with this coming in February 1999 in a league match, with the Red Dragons losing every other league match.
However, even more worryingly, the sides have faced off against each other on five more occasions, with the Potters winning every single one.
| Date | Fixture | Result | Competition |
| 9 October 1926 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 2-0 | Division Three (North) |
| 26 February 1927 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 2-6 | Division Three (North) |
| 10 January 1953 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 2-1 | FA Cup |
| 16 December 1978 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 3-0 | League Division Two |
| 21 April 1979 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 0-1 | League Division Two |
| 24 September 1985 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 0-1 | League Cup |
| 08 October 1985 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 1-0 | League Cup |
| 15 December 1992 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 0-2 | Autoglass Trophy |
| 19 September 1998 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 0-1 | League Division 2 |
| 27 Febuary 1999 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 1-3 | League Division 2 |
| 25 September 1999 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 2-3 | League Division 2 |
| 23 October 1999 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 2-0 | League Division 2 |
| 04 November 2000 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 1-2 | League Division 2 |
| 21 April 2001 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 3-1 | League Division 2 |
| 24 November 2001 | Wrexham v Stoke City | 0-1 | League Division 2 |
| 13 April 2002 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 1-0 | League Division 2 |
| 4 January 2015 | Stoke City v Wrexham | 3-1 | FA Cup |
This gives Stoke an impressive record of 16 wins in 17 fixtures against the Welsh club, something Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac will be desperate to bring an end to this weekend.
The last time the two teams faced each other was 10 years ago in the FA Cup, with Stoke emerging comfortable winners on a 3-1 scoreline.