A TIMELINE OF WREXHAM FOOTBALL CLUB AND THE RACECOURSE GROUND LLINELL-AMSER O GLWB PÊL-DROED WRECSAM A’R CAE RAS 01 Wrexham Football Club is no ordinary football club. Founded in 1864, just one year after the Football Association first met and the Laws of the Game were first written, Wrexham is the third oldest professional football club in the world. Over the years the team and its ever-loyal supporters have experienced together the joy of victory, the frustration of near success and the despair that follows defeat. The fans have cheered each time a goal has hit the back of the opposing team’s net. When Wrexham have been ahead, they have anxiously counted down those final, seemingly endless minutes of injury time before exploding with joy as the final whistle blows. They have never given up; even when all hope of victory has slipped away. Wrexham fans have witnessed the highs and the lows that are the milestones in the story of every football club. This booklet details those milestones and includes additional information about those events in the history of the club and the Racecourse which we had to exclude from the exhibition timeline for reasons of space. If you feel we have overlooked a vital match, a telling statistic, a pivotal moment or a memorable story then please use the memories board or email your contribution to the story of Wrexham Football Club to: [email protected] 02 Mae Tîm Pêl-droed Wrecsam yn fwy na dim ond tîm pêl-droed cyffredin. Cafodd ei sefydlu ym 1864, prin flwyddyn ar ôl i’r Gymdeithas Bêl-droed gyfarfod am y tro cyntaf a dyna pryd yr ysgrifennwyd Rheolau Swyddogol Pêl-droed gyntaf. Wrecsam yw’r clwb pêl-droed proffesiynol trydydd hynaf yn y byd. Dros y blynyddoedd mae’r tîm a’i gefnogwyr bythol ffyddlon wedi profi’r ing a’r gorfoledd fel ei gilydd - buddugoliaeth, boddi yn ymyl y lan, a cholli gemau hefyd. Mae’r cefnogwyr wedi bloeddio cymeradwyaeth bob tro y mae gôl wedi cael ei sgorio yn erbyn y gwrthwynebwyr. Pan mae Wrecsam wedi bod ar y blaen maent wedi bod ar bigau’r drain wrth i’r amser anafiadau lusgo ymlaen yn ddiddiwedd, i bob golwg - ac yna wedi gweiddi hwrê ar ôl i’r chwiban olaf gael ei chwythu. Nid ydynt erioed wedi rhoi’r ffidil yn y to, hyd yn oed pan mae pob gobaith o ennill wedi hen fynd heibio. Mae cefnogwyr Wrecsam wedi profi’r uchafbwyntiau a’r isafbwyntiau, sef y digwyddiadau o bwys yn hanes pob clwb pêl-droed. Yn y llyfryn hwn mae gwybodaeth ychwanegol am yr achlysuron hynny yn hanes y clwb a’r Cae Ras, gwybodaeth nad oedd gennym ddigon o le i’w chynnwys yn llinell-amser yr arddangosfa. Os ydych chi o’r farn ein bod wedi methu rhoi sylw i gêm hollbwysig, ystad- egyn trawiadol, eiliad dyngedfennol neu stori gofiadwy yna mae croeso ichi ddefnyddio’r bwrdd atgofion. Fel arall, gallwch anfon eich cyfraniad at hanes Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam trwy ei e-bostio at [email protected] 03 1864 1864 At the end of season dinner of Denbighshire Wrth i ginio diwedd tymor Clwb Criced Sir County Cricket Club on 4th October 1864, the Ddinbych ddirwyn i ben ar y pedwerydd o Hydref Secretary Edward Manners states: “There is one 1864, cododd yr ysgrifennydd, Edward thing Gentlemen I wish to name - the great want Manners, ar ei draed a dweud: “Boneddigion, of amusement in this town in winter time. It is my rwy’n awyddus i dynnu eich sylw at y prinder intention to purchase a football in the course of mawr o bethau i’w wneud yn y dref hon yn ystod this week, and I shall expect a good many down y gaeaf. Fy mwriad yw prynu pêl-droed yn to the field next Saturday.” ystod yr wythnos hon, ac rwy’n edrych ymlaen at gwmni nifer anrhydeddus ohonoch ddydd Wrexham Football Club play their first ever Sadwrn nesaf.” match on 15th October 1864 against the local Prince of Wales Fire Brigade. The volunteer fire- Chwaraeodd Clwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam ei gêm men win 2-1 in the 10-a-side match. gyntaf ar y pymthegfed o Hydref 1864, yn erbyn Brigâd Dân Tywysog Cymru lleol. Roedd gan y 1871 timoedd ddeg chwaraewr yr un. Y dynion tân - FA Cup competition starts gwirfoddolwyr pob un - aeth â hi 2-1. 1873 1871 Chester start local rivalry by describing Wrexham Cystadleuaeth Cwpan yr F.A. yn dechrau as ‘a non-descript outfit’! 1873 1874 Caer yn dechrau’r ymrysona sy’n para hyd The FA gives referees the power to send players heddiw drwy ddweud bod clwb Wrecsam yn un off for certain offences, and makes a rule requir- ‘di-nod’! ing teams to change ends at half-time. 1874 The first shin pads are introduced Dyfarnwyr yn ennill yr hawl i anfon chwaraewr o’r cae am rai troseddau. 1875 Rheol newydd - cyfnewid pen ar yr egwyl. Crossbar introduced (replacing tape). Gorchuddion crimogau’n ymddangos am y tro 1876 cyntaf Wrexham players, Edwin Cross and Alfred Davies, make the team for Wales’s first international 1875 football match. Y croesfar gyntaf - llinyn oedd rhwng y pyst cyn hynny The Football Association of Wales is formed at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel, Wrexham, after a 1876 series of meetings in the town and nearby Edwin Cross ac Alfred Davies yw cynrychiolwyr Ruabon. Wrecsam yng ngêm ryngwladol gyntaf Cymru 1877 1877 The Racecourse is the venue for the Wales’s first I’r Cae Ras daw’r anrhydedd o gynnal gêm home game. Wales lose 2-0 to Scotland. gartref gyntaf Cymru, colled o 2-0 i’r Alban The length of a match is set at 90 minutes. Cysoni hyd pob gêm ar 90 munud 04 1878 1878 First Welsh Cup Final - Wrexham beat the Druids Gêm derfynol gyntaf Cwpan Cymru – Wrecsam 1-0 at Acton Park, Wrexham. yn curo’r Derwyddon 1-0 ym Mharc Acton, Wrecsam Referee’s whistle introduced Y dyfarnwyr yn cael chwibanu am y tro cyntaf 1879 Wrexham lose 1-0 to White Stars, Newtown, in 1879 only the second ever Welsh Cup final. Wrecsam yn colli 1-0 i White Stars Y Drenewydd yn yr ail gêm derfynol Cwpan Cymru erioed. 1881 Wrexham move to Rhosddu Road recreation 1881 ground after cricket club increase rent by £10. Wedi i’r clwb criced gynyddu’r rhent o £10, mae’r Return to the Racecourse in 1883. clwb pêl-droed yn hel eu traed i faes hamdden Ffordd Rhosddu, cyn dychwelyd i’r Cae Ras yn 1883 1883. Wrexham beat Druids 1-0 on the Racecourse to become the first club to win the Welsh Cup for a 1883 second time. Wrecsam yw’r tîm cyntaf i ennill Cwpan Cymru am yr eildro, trwy guro’r Derwyddon 1-0, yn ôl ar Two-handed throw-in introduced y Cae Ras. Wrexham play their first ever English FA Cup Yr hawl i daflu’r bêl i mewn gyda dwy law. match v. Oswestry on the Racecourse. However, the game is marred by crowd trouble. Gêm gyntaf Wrecsam yng Nghwpan F.A. Lloegr, yn erbyn Croesoswallt ar y Cae Ras. Ymladd oddi 1884 ar y cae’n taflu cysgod dros yr achlysur. Football Association expels Wrexham for crowd trouble. A month later fans re-form the club as 1884 Wrexham Olympic. Y Gymdeithas Bêl-droed yn taflu Wrecsam allan am fethu â rhwystro helynt yn y dorf. Ymhen On 1st September Wrexham Olympic play their y mis mae dilynwyr wedi ail-ffurfio’r clwb fel first game ‘under electric lights’ against Wrexham Olympic. Oswestry. The game was described as “illuminated by the electric light that proved Gêm gyntaf Wrexham Olympic o dan “oleuadau satisfactory.” trydan” ar Fedi’r cyntaf, yn erbyn Croesoswallt. Yn ôl pob son, “roedd y golau’n foddhaol.” 1885 The Football Association legalises professional- 1885 ism. Y Gymdeithas Bêl-droed yn caniatáu talu chwaraewyr; mae proffesiynoldeb wedi cyrraedd. 1888 Football League established 1888 Sefydlu’r Gynghrair Pêl-droed Wrexham drop the ‘Olympic’ from the club’s title. Club enjoy best run in the English FA Cup since Wrecsam yn gollwng yr Olympic o’i enw. Y first entering the competition. They reach the flwyddyn orau erioed i’r clwb yng Nghwpan F.A. first round where they lose 1-0 to London Swifts. Lloegr. Maen nhw’n colli 1-0 yn erbyn London Swifts yn y rownd gyntaf. 05 1890 1890 Wrexham lose 1-0 to Chirk in the Welsh Cup final. Wrecsam yn colli 1-0 i’r Waun yng ngêm derfynol Cwpan Cymru Wrexham join the Football Combination League. Arthur Lea, a one-armed player, scores the only Wrecsam yn ymuno â’r Cynghrair Cyfun Pêl- goal in Wrexham’s first match. droed. Arthur Lea – dyn ag un fraich – yn sgorio’r unig gôl wrth i Wrecsam ennill ei gêm 1891 gyntaf. The penalty kick and goal nets are introduced. 1891 1892 Y gic gosb a rhwydi’n cael eu cyflwyno. Football League establish the Second Division. 1892 1894 Y Cynghrair Pêl-droed yn sefydlu ail adran. Wrexham leave the Combination League to join the Welsh League to save money. They win 1894 the competition twice, but gate receipts drop Wrecsam yn gadael y Cynghrair Cyfun, ac yn because of the lesser competition. Rejoin the ymuno â Chynghrair Cymru i arbed arian. Maen Combination League in 1896. nhw’n ennill ddwywaith, ond mae llai’n dod i’w gwylio gan nad yw’r gwrthwynebwyr cystal ac 1895 maen nhw’n ail-ymuno â’r Cynghrair Cyfun yn Wrexham lose 3-2 to Newtown in Welsh Cup final 1896.