Although the club has been around for nearly 150 years, Wrexham’s nickname “Red Dragons” was given to them quite recently. Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed a takeover of Wrexham in February 2021, paying £2 million to the Wrexham Supporters Trust.
Two international movie stars, a non-league club in North Wales, a £2 million fee, and a DVD series based on the tale. But when did Wrexham become known as the Red Dragons? The English side were once known as ‘The Robins,’ although this was not a particularly distinctive identity they had, as clubs like as Bristol City, Swindon Town, and Cheltenham Town also used the same nickname.
Why Wrexham changed nickname from ‘The Robins’ To ‘The Red Dragons’?
Although Wrexham’s colour was red since the late 1930s, the term ‘Red Dragons’ was coined considerably later. Even though the dragons originally appeared on Wrexham’s uniform in 1967, when the crest was embroidered for the first time, the club did not get the nickname “Red Dragons” until much later.
Despite the new crest being on the shirt in 1973, when Wrexham celebrated their 100th anniversary, the club did not adopt the Red Dragons moniker until the 2001-02 season. The current nickname was created by the club’s then-commercial manager to help market the club’s image for improved sponsorship chances, which would in turn widen the club’s Welsh image.
Along with the Red Dragons’ nickname, ‘Wrex’ the Dragon was introduced as the club’s official team mascot, complete with a red face and a home kit of the club carrying the number 1864 – the year the club was founded.
Meanwhile, ‘The Robins’ was a phrase originated from the period eventual Wrexham Hall of Fame entrant Ted Robinson led the team between 1912 and 1924, rather than the colour red, which alluded to the previous nickname ‘The Robins’. The team was often referred to as ‘Robin’s Team’ back then.
The change of nickname also meant that Wrexham’s prior mascot Rockin’ Robin was out of work, and in came Wrex, who made his debut on August 4, 2001, at the Racecourse Ground, when Wrexham played Manchester United in a testimonial match for Kevin Reeves and another Hall of Fame inductee Brian Flynn.
The Red Dragons’ fortunes have experienced massive change, just like their nickname since the takeover from the Hollywood stars. The club is on the verge of promotion to League Two, and their story has captured the attention of the entire country. And their new American owners are doing more than just directing events from afar.
Animated when playing games, engaging with the community, and well on their way to fulfilling the promises made upon purchase. The groundwork for redevelopment of the stadium has begun. Work on The Kop Stand, which had been dormant since 2008, began in January. The goal is to expand the stadium’s capacity to 15,500 people and to reopen the stand that has been closed since 2008.