Wrexham are back in League One for the first time since 2005 having smashed Forest Green Rovers 6-0 at the STōK Cae Ras on Saturday afternoon.
For the second time in less than a year, Wrexham fans are celebrating a promotion.
Back-to-back promotions to make it into League One would have been a mere pipe dream for many supporters even five years ago.
The arrival of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds has completely changed the direction of the club and Saturday was another success story.
Wrexham blew Forest Green Rovers aside and waited for news from Mansfield Town’s trip to MK Dons.
Mansfield’s 4-1 victory sent Wrexham up and sparked wild celebrations with fans flooding the pitch at the final whistle.
Wrexham now return to League One for the first time since 2005.
The final game of that 2004-05 season saw Wrexham lose 1-0 at home to Huddersfield Town before spending nearly 20 years out of the third tier.
Wrexham are back but let’s take a look at the last League One lineup we saw at the STōK Cae Ras…
Wrexham’s last League One lineup
Ben Foster
Foster started in goal for Wrexham in his final game on loan from Stoke City. Foster turned out 21 times during that spell before becoming a Premier League regular and England international. Now 41, Foster has retired from the game for the second time having briefly re-joined Wrexham in 2023.
Carlos Edwards
An absolute fan favourite, Edwards was one of three Trinidad and Tobago talents to join Wrexham, alongside Dennis Lawrence and Hector Sam. Edwards racked up more than 150 appearances for Wrexham but this was also his final game having come to the end of his contract. Edwards went on to play for Luton Town, Sunderland and Ipswich Town among others, but is remarkably still playing at the age of 45 with non-league side Hadleigh United.
Shaun Pejic
Pejic came up in the Wrexham ranks and racked up just shy of 200 first-team appearances for the club before heading on to York City, Vancouver Whitecaps, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Barrow and Bangor City. The centre back played for the Wales Under-21’s in his early days at Wrexham and has taken an interesting step since hanging up his boots. Pejic became a gameplay producer for EA Sports, working on the famed FIFA video game titles before leaving to join Playground Games earlier this year, working on the Forza game series.
Craig Morgan
Centre back Morgan was another product of the club’s youth setup having been born in Flint. Morgan emerged as a promising young talent and played 70 games for Wrexham before heading to Milton Keynes Dons after relegation in 2005. The former Wales international briefly returned to Wrexham on loan before becoming an EFL regular with Peterborough United, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Wigan Athletic and Fleetwood Town and has been retired since 2019.
Dennis Lawrence
Giant centre back Lawrence was another part of the Trinidadian trio and became a hero in five years at Wrexham after joining in 2001. Lawrence even stayed after relegation to League Two and became the first Wrexham player to feature at a World Cup, lining up for Trinidad and Tobago in Germany. Lawrence moved on to Swansea City in 2006 before finishing up with San Juan Jabloteh back in Trinidad and Tobago. Lawrence was named as the manager of his country back in 2017 but returned to the EFL as a coach at Coventry City in 2021. The 49-year-old recently left Coventry, becoming an assistant coach to new Minnesota United boss Eric Ramsay.
Andy Holt
Holt had turned out for Oldham Athletic, Hull City, Barnsley and Shrewsbury Town before joining Wrexham in 2004. Holt only spent two years at Wrexham but scored 10 times in 86 games to earn himself a move to Northampton Town in 2006. That move made Holt a Cobblers hero as he spent the next six years at the club before retiring in 2012.
Danny Williams
Williams featured in midfield and was actually born in Wrexham but started his career in the Liverpool youth ranks, where he couldn’t quite break through. Wrexham pounced to sign him in 1999 but he spent just two years at the club before heading to Kidderminster Harriers. After spells at Chester City and Bristol Rovers, Williams found his way back to Wrexham again in 2004 – and this spell was much more of a success. Williams racked up more than 100 appearances in four years at Wrexham before finishing up with Rhyl, Droylsden, Bala Town, Denbigh Town and Rhos Aelwyd.
Darren Ferguson
Possibly the biggest name from the team, Ferguson joined Wrexham from Sparta Rotterdam in 1999, having previously turned out for Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Ferguson was a midfield maestro for Wrexham, tallying up more than 300 appearances for the club – and he even stayed for two years after the relegation. Ferguson – the son of Sir Alex Ferguson – has since become a manager and is now in his fourth spell as Peterborough United boss, chasing promotion from League One. A Wrexham hero, Ferguson could manage against the club next season.
Matt Cowell
Midfielder Crowell was at the centre of controversy as a teenager with Southampton plucking him from the Swansea City ranks, only for the Swans to appeal the move in a rather ugly transfer saga. Crowell never made an appearance for the Saints but earned a 2003 move to Wrexham, where he played more than 100 times. Crowell then moved here, there and everywhere; Northwich Victoria, Altrincham, Central Coast Mariners, Farnborough, Port Talbot Town, CD Ourense… Crowell went on quite the journey before retiring in 2019.
Chris Llewellyn
Llewellyn came up in the Norwich City ranks and played more than 150 times for the Canaries before joining Wrexham in 2003. The Merthyr Tydfil-born ace turned out more than 90 times for Wrexham but left the club after relegation, moving to Hartlepool United. Llewellyn only spent one year away from Wrexham though, returning to the club in 2006 and spending two more years at the club before joining Grimsby Town, Neath, Llanelli, Aberystwyth Town and West End to finish his career. Now 44, Llewellyn – who earned six Wales caps – has turned to coaching with Swansea City, Swansea City Ladies, Colchester United, Carmarthen Town and now Briton Ferry Llansawel.
Juan Ugarte
Some players hit a purple patch and can’t quite make it last and Spaniard Ugarte maybe fits that bill. Ugarte spent the early stages of his career in the Basque Country with Real Sociedad, Eibar, Real Union and Barakaldo before catching the eye with Dorchester Town. Wrexham snapped him up in 2004 and Ugarte became a sensation with 16 goals in 30 games. Ugarte chose to leave after relegation but a move to Crewe Alexandra didn’t work out, and neither did two return spells at Wrexham as injuries forced him to retire at just 27.
Mark Jones
Wrexham born and bred, midfielder Jones came up in the club’s ranks and made more than 100 first-team appearances before leaving for Rochdale in 2008. That move only lasted a year though as Wrexham returned for another season at Wrexham before joining Bala Town and Airbus UK. Jones managed two Wales caps during his time at Wrexham and came off the bench in that defeat to Huddersfield.
Hector Sam
The third of the Trinidadian stars, Sam was also a substitute against Huddersfield in what proved to be his final game for Wrexham. Sam hit 24 goals in his final two seasons at Wrexham and played more than 170 games for the club before heading to Port Vale in 2005. Walsall and Notts County were Sam’s last clubs in England before heading back to Trinidad and Tobago with a host of clubs.