Ted Robinson <players/hall_of_fame/ted_robinson>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1894-1907
Position:Centre back
Games:302
Goals:21
Secretary/Manager: 1905-29
Financial Secretary: 1931-43
Readers of Peter Jones and Gareth Davies' excellent histories of Wrexham Football Club can hardly have failed to have noticed an easily-recognisable figure cropping up in team pictures throughout the first half of the Twentieth Century. In trademark macintosh and flat cap, Ted Robinson was always pictured in the background. He was a stalwart at The Racecourse from the years before Football League status was earned and worked tirelessly to maintain that position.
Robinson was well thought of as a centre back in thirteen years of service on the pitch for Wrexham, starting in the late Nineteenth Century. Three Welsh Cup winners' medals, and five unsuccessful appearances in the final were augmented by four Combination League titles, but his contribution to the club was only just beginning. When he finally hung up his boots he continued to devote himself to Wrexham FC, working as Secretary and then Financial Secretary as the club entered the Third Division North. Robinson became synonymous with the fortunes of the North Walian side to the extent that it is widely regarded to be in his honour that the club nickname, for so many years, was "The Robins".
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/ted_robinson>
Alf Jones <players/hall_of_fame/alf_jones>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1923-1936
Position:Right back
Games:575
Goals:6
Alf Jones was a redoubtable figure at right back for Wrexham between the wars - a man who was accepted wholeheartedly by The Racecourse faithful despite coming from Chester! Indeed, Jones was variously known as "Our Alf" and "The Pride of Wrexham" as the North Walians took him to their hearts!
Jones' contribution to the club can be best summed up by the sort of longevity that modern managers can only dream of! When his career ended he held the record for the most senior appearances for the club, a figure only surpassed by Arfon Griffiths and Gareth Davies in the intervening sixty-six years. Indeed, the fourth-placed player in the list, Phil Hardy, stands exactly ninety matches behind him! Also, his 575 appearance were thought to be a record for the Third Division North at the time.
He racked up that number of appearances through a determination to be on the pitch whenever he could. He didn't miss a game from 1925 to 1929, a run of 159 games which is the sixth longest run of consecutive appearances in the club's history. That was just a preamble though, as he set off on another streak of games between 1930 and 1935, not missing a game for five years: a total of 236 games. This club record was only beaten by Brian Lloyd in the mid-1970s. What would "Our Alf" have made of the modern practice of squad rotation, I wonder?
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/alf_jones>
Mel Sutton <players/hall_of_fame/mel_sutton>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1972-81
Position:Midfield
Games:455
Goals:24
Manager: 1981-82
Mel Sutton's tireless effort in midfield made him one of the unsung heroes of Wrexham's golden era, as he put in the miles without seeking the limelight. A player who was universally appreciated by his team mates, Sutton arrived for £15,000 in 1972, which at the time was a record fee for Wrexham. He arrived in time to provide backbone for a side about to embark on a memorable adventure.
Sutton was part of both runs to the last eight of the F.A. Cup, as well as the quarter finals of the League Cup and European Cup Winners Cup. Indeed, no-one played more games in Europe for Wrexham than Sutton, who has made the tenth highest number of appearances for the club. Throw in a Third Division Championship medal for good measure, and you have a list of honours which few players in Wrexham's history can approach.
Sadly, his spell at The Racecourse was to end in unfortunate circumstances. The departure of Arfon Griffiths led to Sutton taking over as manager in 1981, but financial reality was beginning to catch up with the club, and he was unable to prevent a slide to relegation, although he did steer the side to a memorable FA Cup victory over Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest. Sutton was dismissed once relegation was assured, ending ten years of loyal service to the club.
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/mel_sutton>
Dixie McNeil <players/hall_of_fame/dixie_mcneil>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1977-83; 1985-6.
Position:Centre forward
Games:210 (2)
Goals:88
Manager: 1985-89.
Many players made a huge contribution to the golden era of Wrexham Football Club in the late 1970s, but it could be argued that, without the contribution of Dixie McNeil, it might have turned out to be a near miss rather than a direct hit.
McNeil's arrival at the start of that landmark 1977-8 season saw Arfon Griffiths snag a prolific goalscorer whose feats in front of goal would propel the side to the Third Division championship, the Welsh Cup and the quarter finals of both the F.A. and League Cups.
Thirteen goals in twenty-three league games were crucial that season, but his remarkable performances in the F.A. Cup were what caught the nation's imagination. McNeil scored in all nine games from rounds one to six - a total of eleven strikes in nine games - and established himself as the top F.A. Cup scorer in Wrexham's history.
McNeil continued his predatory ways in the Second Division, maintaining a strike rate of a goal every three games, on the way to becoming the tenth highest goalscorer in the club's history. He departed for Hereford after relegation in 1982, ending his playing career within six months: or so he thought! His commitment to the Wrexham cause was confirmed when he returned as manager, and pulled his boots on again at the age of thirty-eight in an F.A. Cup tie against Notts County when injuries depleted his squad!
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/dixie_mcneil>
Horace Blew <players/hall_of_fame/horace_blew>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1897-1991
Games:287
Goals:3
Director: 1913-1927, 1932-36
Gareth Davies and Peter Jones' excellent book: "Wrexham Football Club 1872-1950" features an intriguing still from what is thought to be the oldest surviving film of football in Wales. Filmed on April 2nd 1906, it features the Welsh team taking to The Racecourse pitch before a 4-4 draw with Ireland. As the players clamber over the pitchside bar in front of their changing room in The Turf, they are led out by Horace Blew, a man who stood out for Wrexham in the time before our acceptance into the Football League.
Blew was a Wrexham man through and through, from his birth in the town, through his role as mayor in the 1920s, to his receiving the freedom of the borough in 1948. Throw in fourteen years playing for the club and another eighteen serving as director, and you have a man who clearly had to be included in the Hall of Fame!
Blew won three Welsh Cup winner's medals, three runners-up medals and four Combination Leagues with Wrexham as a rugged full back. He was also a key player for his country, winning twenty-two Welsh caps. For such a major figure in pre-Great War football, he surprisingly only played two games in the Football League. One of those games was for Manchester United as he helped them to gain promotion to the First Division - after which a special gold medal was presented to him by the club in recognition of his efforts.
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/horace_blew>
Albert Kinsey <players/hall_of_fame/albert_kinsey>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1966-73
Position:Centre forward
Games:289 (8)
Goals:98
The sight of Albert Kinsey receiving his Hall of Fame certificate will have been a welcome sight for supporters who recall his contribution to the club. Kinsey was a cult hero in that era, and made a huge contribution as the foundations for the success of the 1970s were laid.
Kinsey was a powerful centre forward with an eye for the spectacular, and his charismatic leading of the line endeared him to team-mates and terrified opponents alike. His zenith came in the 1969-70 season, when he finished top scorer in the Fourth Division as Wrexham were promoted. Furthermore, twelve goals in the last sixteen games gave the side the impetus required to force their way into the Third Division.
The step up in class did not diminish his threat in the penalty area either, as he notched seventeen goals in thirty-two games in the following campaign, and the season after that he scored in both legs of the Welsh Cup Final, including the winning goal to overcome Cardiff.
This salvo earned Wrexham their first tilt at the European Cup Winners Cup. And who scored the Robins' first goal in Europe? Silly question really! Kinsey now lives in Australia, but his heroics for the club, with only six men having scored more goals in its history, ensure that he will never be forgotten in this corner of the Northern Hemisphere!
Ally McGowan <players/hall_of_fame/ally_mcgowan>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1953-65
Position:Full back
Games:478
Goals:2
Ally McGowan's years of service to the club were characterised by a redoubtable committment to the cause of Wrexham Football Club. Wrexham certainly profited from the decision of Saint Johnstone to give twenty five players free transfers in 1953!
McGowan was working down the mines when he signed for Wrexham, and gave sterling service to the club as a tough-tackling full back, totting up the fifth highest number of appearances in the club's history.
In the process, he earned three Welsh Cup winners medals, was part of the side which got to the last sixteen of the inaugural League Cup, beating First Division Blackburn in the process, and lined up in the legendary F.A. Cup game against the Busby Babes which attracted Wrexham's record attendance to The Racecourse. He even managed a couple of goals on the rare occasions that he was allowed over the half way line!
After a leg break prematurely ended his career, McGowan continued to give sterling service to the club as a groundsman and coach and was handed the tricky job of making the young Joey Jones and Mickey Thomas toe the line!
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/ally_mcgowan>
George Showell <players/hall_of_fame/george_showell>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1966-68
Position:Full back
Games:54
Goals:1
Caretaker Manager: 1985
Assistant manager: 1985-1990
Few clubs can survive without the good fortune of attracting loyal servants like George Showell, whose years at the club were characterised by his willingness to take on a number of roles with a good-natured professionalism. Arriving in 1966 as a full back of some repute who had played for Wolves in their 1960 F.A. Cup final victory, his opportunities to make an impression on the pitch were limited by injury, and he had to retire when a persistent knee injury finally got the better of him.
Ironically, that was when Wrexham got the best out of him! Showell took on the role of assistant to manager Alvan Williams, and when he left at the end of the season Showell became John Neal's right hand man as well as physio. Showell's calming influence was an essential component behind the scenes as Wrexham enjoyed the greatest period in the club's history. Runs to the quarter finals of the European Cup Winners Cup, F.A. Cup and the League Cup, as well as promotion from the Fourth to the Second Division followed, with Showell continuing his role as lieutenant to Arfon Griffiths.
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/george_showell>
Alan Fox <players/hall_of_fame/alan_fox>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1953-64
Position:Centre-half
Games:414 games
Goals:3 goals
Alan Fox's promise was apparent from an early age, as he made his debut aged just seventeen at Crewe Alexandra. The difference between the game in those days and the modern players' lot was illustrated when he was dropped off at The Racecourse on the team's return from the night match and left to find his way home to Holywell despite the last train having already gone!
Fox was already a Welsh youth international and went on to win Under-23 caps, before getting to the fringe of the full squad. Indeed, he was named in the preliminary squad for the 1958 World Cup Finals which saw Wales get to the quarter finals.
Fox was a cultured centre half who attracted the interest of Arsenal, but showed commendable loyalty to Wrexham, for whom he stands in eleventh place in the list of all-time appearances. Another significant change in the game since Fox's time is the fact that he did not miss a game from 1958 to 1963, a stretch of 198 consecutive games. In this time he was a key part of the side which gained promotion in 1962, and also picked up three Welsh Cup winners' medals.
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/alan_fox>
Dai Davies <players/hall_of_fame/dai_davies>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1977-81, 1985-87
Position:Goalkeeper
Games:199
After the near miss of the 1976-77 season, when the first promotion in the club's history dissolved in an agonising fashion in the closing matches of the season, Arfon Griffiths faced a difficult task. First he had to succeed John Neal, then he had to lift a side which suffered a stuttering start to the season. The purchase of Dai Davies and Dixie McNeil proved to be an incredibly successful reaction to the crisis!
Davies' contribution to the greatest season in the club's history was immense. His commanding presence helped the club to win the Third Division Championship and the Welsh Cup, and reach the last eight of the League and F.A. Cups, although he missed out on the latter match against Arsenal. His single-minded pursuit of success was graphically illustrated when he refused to join the lap of honour after promotion had been secured, because no trophy had actually been won yet; he celebrated with his team-mates when the title was clinched, a vindication of his demanding standards.
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/dai_davies>
Cliff Lloyd <players/hall_of_fame/cliff_lloyd>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1938-39 and war time
Games:12
Goals:2 goals
Secretary: 1949-73.
Manager: 1955-57.
Caretaker Manager: 1950, 1959, 1965, 1967.
Few people could claim to have given such incredible devotion to any football club as Cliff Lloyd did to Wrexham. A glance at the stats offers the evidence, as he fulfilled a number of roles at the club over thirty-five years of service.
His playing career with the club was brief, curtailed as it was by the Second World War, although he was at least able to keep his hand in with sporadic appearances in the wartime league. He returned to the club after the hostilities ceased as assistant manager to Tom Williams, before becoming secretary, a post he filled for twenty-four years.
However, that period was punctuated by a variety of other roles: from 1955 to 1957 he was manager of the side, taking over when the team was struggling at the foot of the Third Division North and pulling them up the table. Furthermore, he was caretaker manager another four times, and even returned to the pitch at the age of thirty-seven to turn out for the reserves when injuries led to an acute player shortage!
» read more <players/hall_of_fame/cliff_lloyd>
Billy Tunnicliffe <players/hall_of_fame/billy_tunnicliffe>
Hall of Fame <hall_of_fame/view>
Years played:1947-53
Position:Left wing
Games:264
Goals:90
I've been fortunate enough to speak to some of Wrexham's past players in recent months, and when I chat to players from the 1950s, they all speak with awe about one particular man: Bill Tunnicliffe. A cursory glance at the statistics above reveals just why he was held in such high esteem: a record of better than a goal in every three matches is nothing to be sneezed at, and yet that's not half the story.
Tunnicliffe was not a centre forward; he maintained that fine strike rate from the flanks. A wiry left winger, he was the highest scoring wide player in the entire Football League in his first season at The Racecourse, having arrived from Bournemouth. His style delighted Wrexham supporters, and his powerful shot was legendary. Tales of long distance screamers are recalled whenever Tunnicliffe's name is mentioned, and remember that those were the days when the balls weighed a ton!! The velocity he might have achieved with the modern balls doesn't bear thinking about!
