Former Wrexham and Wales striker Wyn Davies has passed away
Caernarfon-born Davies scored six goals in 34 appearances for his country between 1963 and 1973.
He began his professional career at the Racecourse between 1960 and 1962, scoring 21 goals in his 55 appearances.
Notably, he was a major part of Wrexham's biggest ever win.
Back on March 3, 1962, Davies was one of three hat-trick scorers in the 10-1 thrashing of Hartlepool United, joining Ron Barnes and Roy Ambler in grabbing a treble.
He made over 550 appearances in the English Football League after beginning his senior career at Locomotive Llanberis and his hometown club, Caernarfon Town.
After departing Wrexham, Davies also played for Manchester United, Manchester City and Newcastle United, where he won the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup - later known as the UEFA Cup.
For Wales, Davies made his debut against England at Ninian Park in Cardiff.
His first goal came in 1964 against Scotland in a 3-2 victory.
A Football Association of Wales statement said: "The thoughts of everyone at the FAW are with the family and friends of Wyn Davies during this difficult time."
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BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Wrexham's Palmer digs deep on 'emotional night'
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Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Telegraph
Revealed: How Wrexham tore up the script for Championship challenge
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Take Paul Mullin, modern Wrexham's original poster boy. Coaxed down to the National League having just top-scored in League Two, when he and Elliot Lee signed new long-term contracts in January 2024 pints were raised town wide. But 18 months later, Mullin, after 90 goals and seven assists in 148 league games, is out on loan and Lee was a substitute at Southampton. To date, eight new faces have arrived for an estimated £11m, plus both Ryan Longman and Sam Smith joined in January. More incomings are anticipated, with Liverpool's Lewis Koumas a reported loan target. His family run a chippie in town. Wrexham's transfer model is refreshingly traditional. The club helps identify potential options, but the manager and coaching staff are pivotal. Conversations centre on value and Parkinson's 'no d---head' policy is firmly adhered to. Ultimately, he has the final say, with senior figures strongly believing that forcing a player upon a manager is unworkable. 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In Australia, he was pouring pints in a pop-up Turf and attending signing sessions alongside Williamson, another who would not usually be so easily recognisable. He was previously with Miami FC and spent four-and-a-half years performing various key roles at Inter Milan. When first approached, he broadly knew the Wrexham story but had heard of neither Reynolds nor McElhenney. Commercially the tour was a hit, and by the time they left Sydney for New Zealand every Macron-made Wrexham product shipped to the country had been sold. 'The number of people that came up to me and said, 'thank you for bringing Wrexham here', caught me off guard,' Williamson tells Telegraph Sport. 'I'm thinking, 'I should be thanking you for coming out. Thank you for supporting us from this far away'. Yet it was them thanking us for coming there.' Back in north Wales, life did not stop, nor did the transfer market. A skeleton staff on the ground kept things ticking over, including several medicals, and there was the installation of undersoil heating and a new hybrid pitch. Financial clout Like it or loathe it, modern football is dominated by spreadsheets and figures and Wrexham's post-takeover balance sheets have made for happy reading. The latest published accounts are from their League Two season in 2023/24. True, the club lost £2.7m and had comfortably the highest wage bill in League Two (£11.043m), but that equated to just 41 per cent of turnover. Revenue of £26.725m was three times the previous League Two record and just short of the Championship average of £30m. Wrexham's £20m commercial revenue would have put them behind only Leeds, Leicester City, Norwich City and Bristol City in the second tier that season. Recent reports estimated a revenue of £30-35m last season, with an anticipated £50m expected during their Championship campaign. TV deals, both domestic and international, plus solidarity payments from the Premier League, will bring in approximately £9–£12.5m of revenue, up an estimated £7m-plus from last season. Naturally, though, a higher calibre of player brings a higher wage bill. Sponsorship is key. The success of Welcome to Wrexham, for which the club does not receive any money directly, and the fame of McElhenney and Reynolds has brought in blue-chip sponsors like Aviation Gin, Meta Quest, United Airlines and Gatorade. There has also been a conscious effort to retain involvement from local businesses like Ifor Williams Trailers and Barlows electricals. The aim now is to bring in mid-tier sponsorship at a level Championship clubs might ordinarily expect. Ambitions for the season Can Wrexham really make it four promotions in a row? Their hopes are aided by the Championship's intriguing make-up this year. With Luton Town relegated and Burnley promoted, just four sides are receiving Premier League parachute payments (out of a theoretical maximum of nine). However, while it is possible for clubs to effectively buy their way out of League Two and League One, differing cost-control rules apply in the Championship. McElhenney has always said that he does not do consolidation. In a meeting last summer, Williamson presented the owners with several options: mid-table, play-offs, and, essentially, 'go for it'. There was an awkward silence, a real one, not one staged for the cameras, when he cited the numbers involved. Then McElhenney re-iterated his belief in the people at Wrexham and pointed to past success. For him, it wasn't even a debate. Reynolds agreed. Their decision paid off handsomely. At a similar summit this summer, Williamson presented budgets for Championship survival, a mid-table finish and to be competitive. Reynolds and McElhenney immediately asked what it would take to reach the top two. Williamson had that slide prepared but had deliberately omitted it from the deck. Ultimately, they landed on 'let's be competitive and see where we end up', Williamson explains. 'If we can find ourselves in that position towards the back end of the season, I give us a very good shot of being in the play-offs. And then, ultimately, if we're in the play-offs, I give us a very good shot of getting promoted just because of who we are and what we are and the DNA, the resilience, and what it means to this town and for the squad.' Should that not transpire, though, there will be no meltdown. When key players asked Williamson what was expected of them this season, they were informed that provided they remain 'true to who we are and what we represent' they will have done their jobs. That might sound like management rhetoric, but it was delivered sincerely. Wrexham, at its heart remains a community club. It has landed in a unique situation and wants to flourish without sacrificing its core values.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
New Wrexham signing U-turns on teammate he branded 'delusional' as comments addressed
Josh Windass once mocked Ollie Palmer's goalscoring claims, but has now praised him after the striker's heroics for Wrexham against Hull City in the Carabao Cup first round A new Wrexham signing has performed a sharp U-turn on a teammate he once labelled as "delusional". Josh Windass joined the Red Dragons on a free transfer following his mutual departure from Sheffield Wednesday in July. Shortly before the move, footage resurfaced on social media showing the forward taking aim at Wrexham striker Ollie Palmer. Speaking during an appearance on the Pitch Side podcast in February 2024, the 31-year-old declared he was "miles better" than Palmer, who has played a key role in the Welsh side's rise from the National League to the Championship. Windass made the statement after Palmer claimed that he could bag 20 goals a season in the Premier League if he turned out for Manchester City. He said: "Ollie Palmer said he'd get 20 goals for City, didn't he? It's absolutely delusional at the highest level. No offence to Ollie Palmer." When questioned about whether he could score a few goals in the top flight himself, he replied: "But I'm miles better than Ollie Palmer. If I was getting 20 goals for Man City every year, I'd be playing for Man City. He [Palmer] doesn't even get 15 [for Wrexham]." The remarks could have caused awkwardness between Windass and Palmer following his arrival at Wrexham. However, he now appears to have changed his mind on Palmer after he came to Phil Parkinson 's side's rescue during their Carabao Cup win over Hull City on Tuesday night. Wrexham looked to be heading out of the competition as they trailed the Tigers 3-1 in the dying embers of the first round tie at the Racecourse Ground. However, two late goals from Palmer took the game to penalties, with the home team emerging as 5-3 victors from the shootout. Posting on Instagram after the match, Windass shared an image of Palmer celebrating one of his goals, along with the caption: "Maybe you would score 20 for Man City after all @olliep9_" His teammate took the olive branch in good humour, responding with a series of laughing emojis and a heart, before adding: "Paz law baby." Several other Wrexham players joined the fun, with former Premier League wing-back James McClean writing: "Hands off Pep." Meanwhile, a supporter replied: "Ollie's win percentage for Wrexham is better than Pep's for City." Palmer has established himself as a fan favourite at Wrexham following his switch from Wimbledon in January 2022 for a then club-record fee of £300,000. His tally of 17 goals proved crucial in the club's promotion from the National League in 2023, where they secured the title with a remarkable 111 points haul. The 33-year-old also played his part in their successive promotions from League Two and League One. However, Palmer's goalscoring form declined significantly last season, netting just three times in 27 appearances. Parkinson dropped him from the starting XI during the second half of the campaign after bringing in attacking reinforcements in January. The manager recently revealed he had held talks with Palmer about going out on loan before the summer transfer window closes. Only last week, he looked almost certain to be excluded from Wrexham's 25-man squad for this season. But last night's performance may have given Parkinson food for thought after his first choice no. 9, Kieffer Moore, was forced off with an ankle injury during Saturday's 2-1 Championship opening day defeat at Southampton. Parkinson was full of praise for Palmer after the win over Hull as he told BBC Sport Wales: "I'm so pleased for him because he's been an iconic player for us over the last three or four years and the supporters love him. "When we made the decision to bring players in in January, I explained why I felt we needed to add an extra impetus into the team – and it worked because we got promotion and the two up front did really well. "But he kept working on the training pitch and kept contributing in the dressing room. I've always said to him that you've got as much respect for that as what you've done in terms of as a player." He added: "Of course, he wants to stay and be a part of it and we'll see how we go on in the next few weeks of the transfer window. I don't think Ollie could have done much more tonight, and that impact from the bench we've seen over many years is so important." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year.
