Boxing Day football is one of the great traditions in UK sport, where fans can unwind from the previous day’s festivities and tuck in to the games.
For Wrexham, the Racecouse Ground will be the venue for their Boxing Day clash with Blackpool, a side who will be looking to join the Red Dragons in the League One promotion picture.
Boxing Day is also a significant checkpoint in the season, signalling the start of a four-game period across Christmas and New Year that could set Phil Parkinson’s side up for a busy January transfer window.
Wrexham have been linked with strikers already, with Boxing Day one of the few chances for players to prove their worth before the transfer window opens.
Given it’s importance, then, let’s look back at Wrexham’s last five Boxing Day results.
Swindon Town 0-1 Wrexham – 2023/24 season
With Wrexham sat just outside the League Two automatic promotion places, they travelled to Swindon knowing that a win would keep them close to the three teams ahead of them.
In what was an evenly matched encounter, James Mcclean was able to fire home his first league goal dor Wrexham after 13 minutes, leaving his side just a point behind third-placed Mansfield Town who would join the Red Dragons in being promoted from League Two at the end of the season.
Wrexham 5-0 Solihull Moors – 2022/23 season
Unlike the Swindon game, Wrexham turned on the style to beat Solihull Moors on Boxing Day in the National League.
Despite the big scoreline, Parkinson’s side had to wait for their opener, eventually coming through Ollie Palmer in the 42nd minute. The floodgates would open in the second half, though, as a 28-minute hattrick from Paul Mullin and a goal from Aaron Hayden sent the Wrexham fans home delighted.
Wrexham won the National League title that season, with performances like the one seen on Boxing Day playing a key role in their rise back into the Football League.
Wrexham 3-1 Chorley – 2019/20 season
Before the remarkable transformation under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham were struggling in the National League, sitting just above the relegation zone on Boxing Day.
They hosted bottom-placed Chorley and showed their survival credentials with a comfortable win, thanks to a JJ Hooper brace and an Omari Patrick strike.
Wrexham wouldn’t need to worry about survival in the end, with the National League season suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wrexham 5-1 Salford City – 2018/19 season
Wrexham’s eye for goals on Boxing Day was evident to see as they demolished Salford City in the 2018/19 National League season.
Owned by Manchester United’s ‘Class of 92’, Salford were a major scalp in the league that season and came to Wrexham in fourth place, a point behind their hosts in 2nd.
However, an early goal from captain Shaun Pearson set the tone for a dominant Wrexham performance. Further goals from Akil Wright, Brad Walker, Ben Tollit and Chris Holroyd secured the win, but Salford would have the last laugh as they were promoted from the play offs at the end of the season.
Barrow 1-1 Wrexham – 2017/18 season
Much like the Salford match, Wrexham came into the Boxing Day clash in the promotion picture, sitting just four points behind the league leaders, Macclesfield.
However, the Red Dragons flattered to deceive against relegation-threatened Barrow, falling behind to an early Moussa Diarra strike before Pearson headed home an equaliser.
Flattering to deceive became a theme of Dean Keates’ side after this result, with Wrexham eventually missing out on the play off entirely.