Wrexham start their 2019-20 Vanarama National League season with a home game against Barrow on Saturday, August 3.
“It’s pleasing to start at home,” said manager Bryan Hughes. “We’re generating good season ticket sales, we’ve brought some good players into the club and it’s nice to start with a home fixture.
“Personally, the home fixture against Barrow last season was one of the worst performances since I became manager so hopefully we can put that ghost to bed and get it right on the first game.
“The National League is a difficult league to get out of, games are often won by fine margins, and the first month will be a grind with eight fixtures.
“Our home form was critical to us – we had the best record in the division last season – and we want that to continue and we’ll be looking to picking up more points away from home.
“We wanted to keep the nucleus of last season’s squad together and add to certain areas that can be effective for us this season.
“We’ve brought attack-minded players to the club who can hopefully make a difference, because you could see where the problems were for us last season.”
Wrexham season ticket sales are heading quickly towards the 2,000 mark as they prepare for a new promotion push.
https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1146459453505622017
The Dragons’ first away trip takes them to Boreham Wood a few days later, on Tuesday, August 6, before a visit to Dover Athletic the following Saturday.
The first midweek fixture under the Racecourse floodlights comes when Wrexham welcome Halifax Town to North Wales on Tuesday, August 13.
Wrexham have been paired with Chorley for the festive fixtures, welcoming the newly-promoted Magpies to the Racecourse on Boxing Day before a trip to Victoria Park on New Year’s Day.
The final home game of the season is against Notts County on Saturday, April 18, while Wrexham’s Vanarama National League season concludes at Stockport County at Edgeley Park the following week.
Manager Hughes expects to have the majority of his first-team squad available by the time the team departs for Portugal, where they play Portimonense SC next Thursday.
The Dragons have already played one pre-season fixtures, beating Cefn Druids 4-0 away, and travel to face Fleetwood Town on Friday.
Long-term injury worry Manny Smith is yet to return to training ahead and Hughes says: “Manny is the major concern. The others are knocking on the door.
“Manny’s had a bit of a rough ride over the last year. He got an infection in his knee which has caused him so many problems.
“At the moment, he’s on really strong antibiotics and it’s going to be a long process because he’s lost so much muscle mass over the time as well.
“It’s been tough for him and if we get him back before Christmas that will be a bonus. When he does come back, he will be like a new signing really.
“Luke Summerfield, Jake Lawlor, Jason Oswell have been joining in training or part-training for most of the first week and they’ll step that up this week.
“Hopefully a couple of them will play some part in Portugal and certainly by the time we play Telford.”
Hughes is still looking to strengthen his squad and says: “I’m still looking for a couple of specific positions, so there’s still a little bit of movement I can do.
“We have got Dawid, the Polish goalkeeper in, so potentially another goalkeeper as the third choice. It’s about building the right squad.
“I have the majority of our squad contracted, but that’s not to say I won’t dive into the loan market, as we have with Mark Harris.”
More than 1,200 spectators watched Wrexham win 4-0 at Cefn Druids, three of those goals netted in the first half with trialists on target for all of them.
Both teams including players on trial and Wrexham had five in their squad. One of those was former Cardiff City youth defender Jazzi Barnum-Bobb.
Akil Wright scored Wrexham’s fourth goal.
Cefn Druids:
First Half: Nic Bulmer, Naim Arrsan, Josh Hughes, Ryan Kershaw, Aaron Simpson, Charlie Edge, John Owen, Neil Ashton, Trialist A, Dean Rittenburg, Iwan Cartwright
Second Half: Michael Jones, Trialist B, Nathan Peate, Matty Owen, Dean Rittenburg, Aaron Simpson, Iwan Cartwright, Charlie Edge, Morgan Daykin, Trialist C, Trialist D.
Wrexham:
First Half: Christian Dibble, Trialist A, James Jennings, Chaun Pearson (capt), Bobby Beaumont, Matt Sergent, Trialist B, Paul Rutherford, Mark Harris, Bobby Grant, Trialist C
Second Half: Trialist D, Mark Carrington (capt), Jack Thorn, Doug Tharme, Max Cleworth, Akil Wright, Luke Young, Noah Daily, Cameron McGregor, Trialist E, Leighton Mcintosh
Referee: Tom Owen
Attendance: 1,222
http://https://youtu.be/w-VlWIEfyEQ
Two Wrexham home matches will be broadcast live on BT Sport television over the first three months of next season.
TV cameras will be at the Racecourse for Wrexham v Sutton United on Saturday, September 15 (5.20pm) and Wrexham v Chesterfield on Saturday, October 12 (5.20pm)
All 24 Clubs in The National League will be shown live by the broadcaster within the first three months of the campaign (see list below).
Vanarama National League fixtures being shown live on BT Sport television over the first three months of the season
August
Saturday 3: Stockport County v Maidenhead United (12.30pm)
Saturday 10: Notts County v Barnet (5.20pm)
Saturday 17: Barrow v Yeovil Town (5.20pm)
Saturday 24: Torquay United v Aldershot Town (5.20pm)
Monday 26: Solihull Moors v Eastleigh (7.45pm)
Saturday 31: Chorley v Boreham Wood (5.20pm)
Saturday
Wednesday 4: Dagenham & Redbridge v Bromley (7.45pm)
Saturday 7: Hartlepool United v Woking (7.30pm)
Saturday 14: Wrexham v Sutton United (5.20pm)
Saturday 21: AFC Fylde v Eastleigh (5.20pm)
Saturday 28: Dover Athletic v FC Halifax Town (5.20pm)
October
Saturday 5: Harrogate Town v Ebbsfleet United (5.20pm)
Thursday 10: Stockport County v Hartlepool United (7.45pm)
Saturday 12: Wrexham v Chesterfield (5.20pm)
https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1146397738738868224
Wrexham’s full 2019/20 schedule
August
Sat 3 – Barrow H
Tues 6 – Boreham Wood A
Sat 10 – Dover Athletic A
Tues 13 – FC Halifax Town H
Sat 17 – Notts County A
Sat 24 – Barnet H
Mon 26 – Hartlepool United A
Sat 31 – Stockport County H
Saturday
Tues 3 – Maidenhead United H
Sat 7 – Solihull Moors A [Scottish Challenge Cup R3]
Sat 14 – Sutton United H
Sat 21 – Aldershot Town A
Tues 24 – AFC Fylde A
Sat 28 – Ebbsfleet United H
October
Sat 5 – Woking A
Tues 8 – Harrogate Town H
Sat 12 – Chesterfield H [Scottish Challenge Cup R4]
Sat 19 – Emirates FA Cup 4Q
Sat 26 – Dagenham & Redbridge A
Tues 29 – Torquay United A
November
Sat 2 – Bromley H
Sat 9 – Emirates FA Cup R1
Sat 16 – Eastleigh A [Scottish Challenge Cup QF]
Sat 23 – Yeovil Town H
Tues 26 – AFC Fylde H
Sat 30 – Ebbsfleet United A [Emirates FA Cup R2]
December
Sat 7 – Solihull Moors H
Sat 14 – Buildbase FA Trophy R1
Sat 21 – Sutton United A
Tues 26 – Chorley H
Sat 28 – Maidenhead United A
January
Wed 1 – Chorley A
Sat 4 – Aldershot Town H [Emirates FA Cup R3]
Sat 11 – Buildbase FA Trophy R2
Sat 18 – Woking H
Sat 25 – Harrogate Town A [Emirates FA Cup R4]
February
Sat 1 – Dagenham & Redbridge H
Sat 8 – Chesterfield A [Buildbase FA Trophy R3]
Sat 15 – Torquay United H [Scottish Challenge Cup SF]
Sat 22 – Bromley A
Sat 29 – Yeovil Town A [Buildbase FA Trophy R4]
March
Wed 4 – Emirates FA Cup R5
Sat 7 – Eastleigh H
Sat 14 – Barrow A
Sat 21 – Boreham Wood H [Emirates FA Cup QF/Buildbase FA Trophy SF1]
Sat 28 – FC Halifax Town A [FA Trophy SF2/Scottish Challenge Cup Final]
April
Sat 4 – Dover Athletic H
Fri 10 – Hartlepool United H
Mon 13 – Barnet A
Sat 18 – Notts County H [Emirates FA Cup SF]
Sat 25 – Stockport County A
May
Sun 17 – Buildbase FA Trophy Final
Sat 23 – Emirates FA Cup Final
Season tickets are on sale now and there are just five days left to take advantage of our early bird period. Find the full details here.