Wrexham

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As has been the case throughout the course of Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds' ownership of Wrexham to date, icons have come and gone from the club.

The latest high-profile departure was that of Paul Mullin - who departed Stok Cae Ras this month by mutual consent.

The striker netted 110 goals for the Red Dragons and played a part in each of the club's back-to-back-to-back promotions from the National League through to the Championship.

But where does Mullin rank in the pantheon of Wrexham greats, and are the club right to let him move on?

Give us your views here.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Former captain Ben Tozer believes Wrexham should be "aiming high" as they prepare for a demanding start to the 2026-27 season.

The Red Dragons will look for progress in the upcoming Championship campaign after missing out on a play-off place on the final day of last term.

Phil Parkinson's men face two Welsh derbies, two meetings with relegated Premier League clubs and two games against sides who finished in the top four last season in their first nine games of the new season.

But Tozer says his old club should see the opening run as a chance to make an early impression.

"It looks like a really tough start, you've got Millwall and Southampton who were both in the play-offs last season," he said.

"Last season also looked like a tough start, and it was a bit sticky for Wrexham in the first few games.

"But they got to grips with the division and, with players coming through the door this summer, you've got to be aiming high and looking to take those teams down. It's a good one to get your teeth into."

Wrexham's first league game of the new season is an all-Welsh contest at Cardiff City.

Parkinson's side will head south looking to avenge a 2-1 loss to the Bluebirds in last season's Carabao Cup.

"It's a phenomenal game to start the season but it's a tough one," added Tozer.

"With them coming up from League One, the cup game last season, their home form, the way they like to play football - it won't be easy."

"It's a Welsh derby, north v south. It's a tasty one to start with."

Former Wrexham captain Ben Tozer reacts to the news that cult hero Paul Mullin has left the club.

Mullin has departed by mutual consent after scoring 110 goals in 172 games in all competitions during his five years with the north Wales club.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Former Wales international striker Nathan Blake says Wrexham and Cardiff "couldn't ask for a bigger game" as they face each other on the opening weekend of the new Championship season.

The Bluebirds welcome the Red Dragons to the Cardiff City Stadium on the 17 August, the first Welsh derby of the 2026-27 campaign.

The sides met last in last season's Carabao Cup fourth round at the Stok Cae Ras, with Cardiff claiming a 2-1 win.

Ex-Cardiff player Blake says there will the pressure will be on his old club to deliver as they return to the second tier following promotion last term.

"You couldn't ask for a bigger fixture if you're Cardiff or Wrexham," said Blake.

"But it's a tough game for Cardiff I think more than Wrexham. You want to start the season positively, you want to start it with a win, but there is more pressure on if you're at home.

"With Wrexham travelling away from home, there's less pressure."

The encounter will be the first in the league between both sides since a third-tier meeting in 2002, when Cardiff ran out 3-2 winners.

Wrexham will be aiming to dust themselves off after missing out on the play-offs on the final day of last season, while Cardiff will aim to maintain momentum following promotion.

"It's a derby so everything goes out of the window," added Blake.

"Wrexham are the more experienced side and they should finish higher than Cardiff this year.

"But we are yet to see what both teams are going to end up with next season when the transfer window closes. It's really interesting and it's a great fixture to open the season with."

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Wrexham will take on Championship rivals Middlesbrough in the opening round of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup.

Phil Parkinson's men - who reached the fourth round of the competition last term - will make the trip to the Riverside Stadium over the weekend of 7-9 August.

Wrexham drew 1-1 with Boro in the north east of England in the first league meeting between the sides last season before drawing the reverse fixture at Stok Cae Ras 2-2 in May.

The Red Dragons will face Cardiff City in the Welsh capital on Monday, 17 August in their Championship opener.

Gareth Vincent
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Getty Images

The 2026-27 season will be just their sixth as a second-tier club, yet Wrexham will begin in familiar territory.

The Red Dragons, after all, will be in the spotlight.

Wrexham have become used to having cameras rolling all around since Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac – formerly McElhenney – completed their takeover of the club in 2021.

So it is no surprise that their first game of the new Championship campaign, at Cardiff City, has been switched to Monday, 17 August as a result of television coverage.

This will be the first of many Wrexham games, no doubt, selected for one of the Championship's prime TV slots.

The fact that Wrexham are taking on Welsh opponents makes the fixture all the more appealing of course, but Phil Parkinson's men are a story in their own right these days.

Wrexham's run of three successive promotions came to an end last season as they missed out on the play-offs on the final day of the campaign.

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Such is the financial clout of the club these days that the expectation for many will be that Wrexham will do better in 2026-27, particularly with the play-off spots stretching down to eighth place for the first time.

Parkinson's team should get a decent idea of what they are up against in the opening weeks of the new season.

The trip to take on a Cardiff side buoyed by promotion from League One represents a tricky start, while Wrexham must also go to Millwall – who finished third last season – and the Championship's other Welsh team, Swansea City, in their first five league outings.

Wrexham will also meet two of the clubs relegated from the Premier League last season – Burnley, at home, and West Ham, away – as well as a Southampton side who romped to victory at the Stok Cae Ras in April before the season's first international break.

Certainly, it looks a challenging opening for Wrexham – and there will be cameras watching on to see how they cope.

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The Stok Cae Ras has been selected to host first qualifying round games in the Uefa Women's Champions League which will feature Wrexham for the first time.

Wrexham will face Pryunik of Armenia while Northern Ireland's Glentoran play Riga FC of Latvia in the mini tournament semi-final, with both games on Wednesday 22 July.

The semi-final winners will meet in the final on 25 July following a third place match between the beaten semi-finalists.

Ticket details along with kick-off times have yet to be announced.

Wrexham won the Genero Adran Premier for the first time in their history last season to secure their place in Europe.

The EFL will reveal its fixture list for the 2026-27 season on Thursday.

Want to know who your team will face on opening day? The fixtures will be announced at 12:00 BST - but that is not all.

The draws for the group stage of the Vertu Trophy and the first round of the Carabao Cup will also take place.

So check back on 25 June to see who your team faces first, last and everything in between.

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Gareth Bale hopes Wrexham "keep doing Wales proud" as they continue to build towards their aim of reaching the Premier League.

The Red Dragons missed out on a play-off spot in the Championship on the final day of the 2025-26 season as they were pipped to sixth spot by Hull City, who went on to gain promotion to the top-flight.

And former Wales international Bale hailed the Stok Cae Ras club's ownership model - led by Hollywood stars Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds - as "incredible".

"I don't think it's the model (to follow), but obviously it's a model and what they've done is absolutely incredible," the former Real Madrid star told US media outlet Front Office Sports.

"I think I've spoken about it a number of times from taking Wrexham from where they were to where they are now and investing in the right way.

"Again, bringing the community together, bringing the club together, kind of reviving them is amazing what they've done.

"To get three promotions in a row and actually on the last day of the season miss out on a play-off to get to the Premier League by two points is extraordinary, but very unlucky at the same time, because it would have been cool to have that fairy tale keep going."

It comes as Bale reiterated his desire to buy a football club - with his hometown side Cardiff City sitting at the top of his wish list.

And while insisting that Wrexham's current model should not necessarily be the blueprint for prospective owners at present, Bale stated the Red Dragons' progress since the club was taken over in February 2021 has been "extraordinary".

"In sport, it's not always if you have the right investment, you get the right players, everything's in line... you still need them to perform on the pitch, which is out of your hands in a way," he added.

"You can do as much as you can to prepare them, but you still need that luck to perform, get the promotion, get the ball to bounce your way a couple of times, which unfortunately didn't happen this year in terms of the last game of the season.

"They could easily have got one bounce of the ball, they get to the play-offs and they might make the Premier League.

"But what they're doing is extraordinary and a model definitely to be looked at seriously - hopefully they keep pushing that club forward and keep doing Wales proud."