Another fortnight in the diary. A late Rathbone equaliser at Pride Park. A record equalling 8 to 1 away win for the women. Approval for even more seats in the new Kop. A City of Culture shortlist about to drop. And a Tuesday night under the lights against West Brom to come. Plenty to work through. Let us get into it.
Two Weeks at a Glance
Two Weeks at a Glance
| Story | Headline Number | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Derby 1 Wrexham 1 | 88th minute equaliser | Pride Park, 10 Oct |
| Swansea 1 Wrexham Women 8 | Two hat tricks | Garden Village, 11 Oct |
| Kop Stand extra seats approved | 7,750 capacity | Racecourse Ground |
| City of Culture bid score | 365 out of 370 | Wrecsam2029 |
| Wrexham AFC turns | 162 years old | Marked on 4 Oct |
| Mariam Mahmood award | AFA Women’s Player | Announced 1 Oct |
Men: Rathbone Snatches a Point at Pride Park
Phil Parkinson’s side came back after the international break and took a point from Derby County on Saturday. Sam Szmodics put the home side ahead in the ninth minute with a smart finish from outside the box. Wrexham spent long spells chasing. Then with three minutes of regulation time to go, a Danny Imray long ball found Kieffer Moore, who nodded down for Ollie Rathbone. The number eight did the rest. 1 to 1. A point on the road is worth something.
Highlights via Sky Sports Football and Derby County FC.
Pride Park Key Stats
| Derby | Stat | Wrexham |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goals | 1 |
| 0.52 | Expected Goals (xG) | 1.30 |
| 45% | Possession | 55% |
| 4 | Shots on target | 3 |
| 303 | Accurate passes | 377 |
| 1 | Corners won | 9 |
Source: ESPN match centre. The xG line tells the story — Wrexham built the better chances. The equaliser was deserved.
“A point away from home is never devalued.”
Phil Parkinson, Wrexham manager. Source: Wrexham AFC.
Men: West Brom Up Next Under Lights
Tuesday night football at the Racecourse. 7.45pm. West Brom in town. The Baggies sit ninth and ran into back to back defeats before the break. Wrexham sit 14th on 11 points. Both sides need the three. Sky Sports Plus has it live.
Match at a Glance
| Fixture | Wrexham vs West Brom |
| Date | Tuesday 13 October 2026 |
| Kick off | 7.45pm BST |
| Venue | STōK Cae Ras |
| Broadcast | Sky Sports Plus |
| Likely absences (WXM) | Max Cleworth, Liberato Cacace, George Thomason, Nathan Broadhead |
Women: Garden Village Goal Rush
The headline act of the fortnight. Wrexham AFC Women travelled to Swansea on Sunday and stuck eight past the hosts. Katie Barker and Faye Knox both grabbed hat tricks. Chloe Chivers pulled one back for Swansea with a long range strike. Substitute Mikayla Wildgoose made it eight on 82 minutes. The result equals a club record league win and keeps the champions right in the title mix.
Swansea 1 Wrexham 8 Goal Scorers
| Scorer | Goals | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Faye Knox | 3 | Opened the scoring on 21 minutes. Also just called up to the first ever Cymru Women’s Under 23 squad. |
| Katie Barker | 3 | Hat trick lifted her tally even higher. Already a league record holder. |
| Mikayla Wildgoose (sub) | 1 | Headed finish on 82 minutes to seal eight. |
| Other Wrexham scorer | 1 | Rounded out the eight. |
| Chloe Chivers (SWA) | 1 | A fine strike from 20 yards for the hosts. |
Women’s Spotlight
| Player | Reason to Watch |
|---|---|
| Mariam Mahmood | Collected the Women’s Player Award at the 2026 Asian Football Awards on 1 October. Pakistan international, 10 goals in 20 appearances for Wrexham. |
| Faye Knox | Historic call up to the first ever Cymru Women’s Under 23 squad on 2 October. |
| Katie Barker | Already a league record scorer. Keeps extending her own mark. |
Kop Stand Keeps Climbing
Big fortnight at the Racecourse. On 6 October, Wrexham Council approved a further 2,250 seats for the new Kop Stand, taking its capacity to 7,750. On 10 October the same council gave the green light for a wider public realm around the stand, following the club’s land purchase from the Welsh Government. On 1, 8 and 11 October, drone footage captured steel lifts, glazing, cladding, concrete pours and painting work. The build does not stop at weekends.
Kop Capacity Journey
That is a 41% capacity lift over the original plan, without expanding the approved footprint. The club says CEO Michael Williamson will “take a breath” when the Racecourse reaches around 18,000 overall and then look at the other three stands.
Kop Timeline Last Two Weeks
City of Culture 2029: Shortlist Window Opens
The Wrecsam2029 bid was submitted in August. An independent cultural consultant scored it 365 out of 370 before it went to DCMS. Wrexham Council’s Executive Board gave unanimous backing on 22 September. The shortlist of around four places is expected this month. If Wrexham makes it, DCMS judges will visit the county in November or December. The winner is named in late December 2026 or early January 2027. The projected prize is a £10m national award plus £200m in forecast economic benefit and roughly 2 million visitor days across the year.
Bid Score vs the Benchmark
Scored by an independent cultural consultant before submission. The Trust has kept the detail of the bid confidential to protect its position.
What Happens Next
| Window | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Mid October 2026 | UK Government reveals the shortlist of around four places. |
| November to December 2026 | DCMS Expert Advisory Panel visits each shortlisted location. |
| December 2026 to Jan 2027 | Winner announced. |
| 2029 | Winning city delivers a full year of culture programming. |
Culture and Community Round Up
Plenty happening around the city.
| Story | Detail |
|---|---|
| Wrexham AFC turns 162 | The club marked its 162nd birthday on 4 October. Still one of the oldest professional football clubs on the planet. |
| Football Museum of Wales opens its doors | Fans have begun sharing favourite moments inside the Museum of Two Halves. A tribute to Joey Jones is already a popular stop. |
| New Welsh language music festival | Announced on 23 September. A fresh cultural fixture for the city. |
| Top tennis returns to Wrexham | Annabel Croft set for an evening with a Wrexham audience in October. |
| Rachel Clacher named University Chancellor | Confirmed in the October Love Wrexham issue. A high profile civic appointment. |
| Theatr Clwyd autumn season | Blockbuster programme launches, continuing the regional cultural lift. |
| Racecourse Ramble podcast | Still in the running for two national podcast awards announced last month. |
Business Diary
Dates to pencil in across the region.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 12 Oct | North Wales Business Network Holywell | Springfield Hotel & Health Club |
| Thu 22 Oct | Autumn Business EXPO 2026 | Deeside Leisure Centre, Queensferry |
| Fri 6 Nov | Elevate your Business in Wrexham Conference | Wrexham (free entry, deadline for exhibitor extras is Sun 18 Oct) |