There’s only one subject to discuss today, and it isn’t beating Ipswich 5-3.

Don’t get me wrong: that was phenomenal, and I have to say that having followed Wrexham since the late 1970s, last weekend has to go down as one of the very best I’ve ever experienced.

But magnificent as Saturday was, Sunday was even better.

Wrexham’s women won their first major trophy, and it was a fitting reward for a team which is constantly improving. There’s so much quality work being put in on and off the pitch, and this was a magnificent vindication of the brilliant way our development has been handled.

Just as I felt huge sympathy for Dean Keates when he was removed for Phil Parkinson to arrive, I was sad to see Steve Dale leave in the summer after he’d elevated the women’s team status to a level we’d not previously reached.

However, there can be no argument with the appointment of Phil Parkinson, who continues to do the most astounding job in raising Wrexham up the leagues, and Jenny Sugarman is an equally transformative head coach.

Now she has the Adran Trophy to add to her CV after a day which showed the quality of her coaching staff and the squad they have prepared. We beat Cardiff City on penalties in Bangor, twice showing the sort of spirit the men’s team did against Ipswich by coming from behind.

A group of people celebrating with a trophy at a sports event, with a backdrop featuring the word 'ENILLWYR'.

Sugarman more than earned the plaudits. Firstly, she boldly introduced two new signings for debuts, a move which looked bold from a superficial stand-point. However, we should never forget that a coach knows the qualities of the players they have brought in and can assess what they can offer first hand on the training pitch.

A group of female soccer players celebrating a victory, spraying champagne and holding a trophy, wearing red uniforms with medals around their necks.

Maria Francis-Jones and Sarah Harvey, therefore, formed a brand new wingback combination for Wrexham. Harvey’s aggression and positive running, plus her ability to cover defensively with solidity, secured the left flank for us while Francis-Jones was sensational and capped her fine performance with the goal of the season.

Two women in sports jerseys sharing a joyful embrace on a soccer field after a game, with other team members celebrating in the background.

Ten minutes left, 2-1 down to a high quality Cardiff side, which is used to winning big matches, and were managing the game brilliantly. Frances-Jones steps up, drills a shot from outside the box with her weaker left foot into the top corner.

Unstoppable. Unbelievable. But we’ve become used to that level of heroism at Wrexham!

It was fabulous, and the astonishing support which made up most of a bumper four figure crowd exploded. Perhaps it was our Mickey Thomas free kick great moment.

A female soccer goalkeeper in a green uniform celebrates a save, showing excitement with a wide smile and raised arms in front of the goalpost on a grassy field.

But the thing is, our first trophy came because the whole team were able to provide great moments. Lizzie Craven, who has done so well in goal for us, coolly saving the first two penalties in the shootout to put the trophy within reach.

A female soccer player in a red jersey is signing autographs for fans holding posters. The scene captures the excitement of a post-game celebration with fans eagerly interacting.

Phoebe Davies, who has made such a contribution to her local club, making a magnificent defensive header to prevent Bluebirds substitute Maddy Lloyd from having a free header six yards out in the closing minutes of the match.

A female soccer player in a red uniform passing the ball during a match, surrounded by opponents in blue uniforms on a grassy field.

Ava Suckley, another Wrexhamite through and through, equalizing in the first half with a typically brilliant moment of vision and opportunism, chipping the goalkeeper perfectly from distance.

Two female soccer players celebrating a victory, with one lifting the other in excitement on the field.

Jodie Bartle, the skipper, making handling the best strikers in the division (outside of ours, of course) look straightforward.

A group of female soccer players in red uniforms celebrating enthusiastically on the field, with one player raising her arms in triumph amidst joyful teammates.

Mikayla Wildgoose launching into everything, bringing a physicality rarely seen in the Adran Premier.

A female soccer player in a red kit striking the ball with her right foot during a match, while two opponents in blue kits attempt to defend.

Faye Knox capping a typically technical performance with the winning penalty.

A female soccer player in a red uniform prepares to kick a soccer ball on a grassy field, with a crowd in the background.

Mariam Mahmood coming off the bench, treating us to a couple of exciting runs before sending her penalty into the top corner emphatically.

A female soccer player in a red uniform is kicking a ball while three other players, two in red and one in blue, are positioned nearby on the field.

Lili Jones, carrying an injury, running through bricks walls, and when Nat Clark had to replace her there was no dip in quality or heart.

Two soccer players in red uniforms celebrate enthusiastically on the field, with one raising a fist in triumph while the other smiles widely. Other teammates can be seen in the background, also in red, after a match.
A female soccer player in a red kit takes a penalty kick on a grassy field during a match, with spectators in the background.

Josie Smith, who is quietly having the most outstanding debut season, bossing another midfield.

A female soccer player in a red uniform prepares to kick a ball on a grassy field, with a crowd in the background.

And Katie Barker, always carrying so much menace that Cardiff’s defence had to adjust to survive.

This was a great day. This was a great performance, and this was a team to be proud of.

It was a day which shows the difference a magnificent support can make. The Adrian Premier is still a developing league, which deserves nurturing. Generally, there isn’t much atmosphere in the games. A decent proportion of crowds are made up of players’ families, which hardly lends itself to raucous chanting.

But then the Wrexham Ultras came along, creators and singing arm of the new Wrexham Women Supporters Group who have led by example and often drawn out support for the opposition simply with their boisterous, gleeful noise.

I assume they will have got a few extra members after a memorable game at Bangor. As I said, this was a substantial traveling support, and my word didn’t they make themselves heard.

Fans holding a large, colorful banner with the name 'BARTLE' and images of players at a sporting event.

I’ve never experienced anything like it as a Wrexham women’s game, and that includes the match where there were over 9,000 at the SToK Cae Ras seeing us round off our Adran North title winning campaign in 2023.

That was an amazing experience but didn’t necessarily feel like a football crowd. This one, though, was loud and committed.

The referee got grief. The players were instantly encouraged after both Cardiff goals.

They have an impressive songbook devoted to the players. Is there any wonder that they are so inspired?

A female football player in a red jersey interacts with enthusiastic fans in the stands, who are cheering and waving a flag with a dragon design.

After the final whistle, Faye Knox suddenly appeared in the stand in the midst of the fans and led a rendition of her song.

A group of enthusiastic sports fans celebrating and cheering in a stadium, wearing team colors and jerseys, with one person raising their hand.

It was brilliantly spontaneous and joyful. I keep saying to people, why don’t you go to the women’s games? Why didn’t you join this party? How can you stand missing out on all this?

Nobody who went to Bangor on Sunday would trade it for anything. Not even beating Ipswich 5-2.

A group of female soccer players in red uniforms celebrating a victory on the field, with a goalkeeper in green in the background. Their joyful expressions capture the excitement of the moment.

One response to “The Best Football Weekend Ever; Wrexham AFC Go Monumental”

  1. I couldn’t agree more I was there for that monumental win against Ipswich, but nothing can beat that feeling from Sunday! Especially hearing and feeling so many people join in with the songs I had a hand in writing (or perhaps rewriting more accurately).
    Seeing how much our support means to Jenny and the team means the world and again as you quite rightly said, we wouldn’t swap it for anything… this is only the beginning, now onto the next, there’s plenty still to play for this season!

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