The best team you've ever had (clips if you have 'em)

[Soup Ladle]

Right I'm sat here doing nowt, had a couple of rums and reminiscing about the time (s) when we were good Chief Rocka you mentioned Westy & Nelse so got me on nostalgia lane.

In my lifetime, I've watched us since 1995, seen us scrape survival on half a dozen occasions in both L1 & L2, seen 2 promotions, 2 relegations, god knows how many failed play off attempts. Our play off record must be one of the worst of the lot. Much like the re-election tally.

Who are my heroes? Well Peter Beardsley was still class when he turned out for us, Norwegian international playmaker Jan Ove Pedersen is by far the best technical player I've ever seen us have at the Vic but they were all standouts in dodgy sides.

The best team I think we've ever had was the one who finished top 6 in L1 two year running. We Had Big Dimi Konstantopoulos in goal, the holy grail of Nelse & Westwood at the back, captain and fucking legend Micky Barron at right back the industry of Richie Humphreys and Tony Sweeney, the enigmatic flair of Thomas Butler the movement and quality Joel Porter and Adam Boyd up front presented. The Vic was a fortress and we did many of the bigger clubs over away as well.

Videos don't do any of them justice but here goes

What was your best team? Who were your standout players? Don't matter the level, just which side made you feel good and why...

 

[Chief Rocka]

I can't top it, 1992 was my first year and that 2003-2005 Neale Cooper squad was something special that kids at Pools these days will never see again, there wasn't a weak link in the team, Adam Boyd was just sheer magic, totally unplayable, had defenders in knots, that hat trick against Sheff Wed in the pissing down monsoon rain, the third goal where he chops back and sends a defenders to the shops and curls it over the keeper is a footballing memory that will stay with me forever, if only we could've had that fairy tale ending at the Millennium Stadium in the final, what might've been.

Jan Ove Pedersen was the sweetest bit of business I've ever seen from Pools and despite only playing about 20 games, he's probably my favourite all time player and probably our best, certainly most talented, this was an ex Norwegian international playing on loan in the English Third Division cos our Norwegian owners were pals with SK Brann's owners, they were on winter break, he was pushing for a place in the Norway squad for France 98 and we needed some help, so they sent him over, ran games on his own, don't think he got called up in the end which was a shame.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Interestingly what I remember about Hartlepool was that, because of the area you were in and the level you were at, you had an awful lot of continuity in your team for most of the 2000s and early 2010s. And continuity in a world where most teams chop and change every couple of years is particularly important and can allow you to punch above your weight. It seemed it was only when they started getting old and you couldn't replace them that your decline in the last decade started to set in.

Started watching Crewe halfway through the 2001-02 season. My first full season was a club record season (which we could've potentially surpassed, albeit in a lower division, this year). The collapse of ITV Digital allowed us to retain our best players that were under contract and we romped to 2nd place and 86 points in the 2002-03 season, securing promotion back to Division One.

Clayton Ince, David Wright, Stephen Foster, Efe Sodje, Dave Brammer, Kenny Lunt, David Vaughan, Neil Sorvel, Steve Jones, Rodney Jack, Dean Ashton and especially Rob Hulse were all outstanding that year.

Without ITV Digital going under, it's likely we'd have sold Hulse for a lot more than the £750,000 we got for him in the end.

In recent times, the 2011-12 team played like a bag of shit for half the season then, aided by the Nick Powell show, romped to promotion on the back of a club record unbeaten run. Looking back, we didn't particularly play the best football, but Powell had his moments and we had some talented players in Luke Murphy and Ashley Westwood., excellent leadership in Steve Phillips, Dave Artell and Adam Dugdale and decent contributions from homegrown lads like Byron Moore, Max Clayton, Ajay Leitch-Smith and Matt Tootle too.

The current team have been my favourite to watch though. I was too young to appreciate the feats of the 02-03 side and, unlike the 11-12 side, our current side have been great all season. I'm gutted that after half a decade of shite they've picked the worst time to be so excellent and fun to watch. But I've not liked a player like I like Ryan Wintle. Will Jaaskelainen has silenced people who said he wasn't good enough to play for us. Tommy Lowery is the most technically gifted player we've had since Nick Powell or Chuks Aneke. Perry Ng and Harry Pickering have been a brilliant fullback pairing for a couple of seasons now and Chuma Anene and Chris Porter have led the line perfectly, capably assisted by Daniel Powell, Charlie Kirk, Callum Ainley and recently Stephen Walker. Add in the leadership of Porter, Michael Nottingham, Eddie Nolan, Nicky Hunt and Paul Green and the up and coming generation of talent like Luke Offord, Rio Adebisi and Oli Finney and exciting times are ahead for the club, even if we lose a few when football resumes again. I'm gutted they might not get the chance to finish their hard work, but it's been a privilege to watch this team this season, but boy did they pick a time to become great...

 

[BarraMatt]

Footballing wise, this season's team is the best I've seen, we've never got anywhere near where we are now during my time following us. However, there is one team and period that will stick with me for life, one that I could probably still name 90% of the squad.

My Dad started taking me around 2002/03 to the higher profile cup games and the odd friendly where we were playing a Leeds or Man United XI. At the time I was a young armchair Man United fan and my football fix was watching the PL highlights on a Sunday morning and FIFA Football 2003 with Edgar Davids on the cover.

I only got hooked properly in the 2008-2010 period after Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan took over, at the time we were around second bottom of the Blue Square North and staring at relegation to the glue leagues. However, we went on an amazing 20-odd game run, scraped into the playoffs on the last day of the season and went up. We had a lot of battlers in that team, Matt Henney, Jason Walker, a young Steve McNulty, Andy Bond to name a few (some left before the trophy win). Following the promotion we had back to back third round trips to Boro and Sunderland, as well as the trophy win in 2010.

They were nowhere near as technically good as the team we've seen this season but they did know how to create memories.

BEWARE: Some elements of the second video may be tinpot.

 

[chief]

The best I can remember is the 2002-03 team. The 2nd half of the season was unreal as we won approximately one million games on the bounce to secure promotion to Division Two, along with brothers Hartlepool, Premier League side Bournemouth and an early incorporation of the EVIL™ Rushden and Diamonds.

We had several players in our ranks who were at least Championship level or above and annoyingly we lost some on a free at the end of the season. Lee Trundle (Swansea) and league top scorer Andy Morrell (Coventry) were amongst those who left for nothing leaving us without much of a chance at the level above and we were relegated two seasons later.

In that team, we also had Darren Ferguson who could have slotted into a team a couple of levels above had we not been paying him ridiculous amounts to stay and Carlos Edwards who went on to play in the Premier League. Young breakthroughs Craig Morgan and Mark Jones also went on to make international appearances for Wales. Oh how I long for the days where we have a decent youth setup again.

 

[chipmunx]

when did the trust take over running Wrexham?

 

[Super_horns]

I always remember playing Crewe in the late 90s/ early 00s and they'd have 2/3 players or more who would go on to complete at the top level with some success.

 

[B2TF]

I've watched us since 1995.

1992 was my first year .

Ah! Herein lies the problem I think. You never knew your club when it was REALLY shit , you have no idea where you come from and no understanding of who you are. I do.

 

[B2TF]

The best I can remember is the 2002-03 team. The 2nd half of the season was unreal as we won approximately one million games on the bounce to secure promotion to Division Two, along with brothers Hartlepool, Premier League side Bournemouth and an early incorporation of the EVIL™ Rushden and Diamonds.

We had several players in our ranks who were at least Championship level or above and annoyingly we lost some on a free at the end of the season. Lee Trundle (Swansea) and league top scorer Andy Morrell (Coventry) were amongst those who left for nothing leaving us without much of a chance at the level above and we were relegated two seasons later.

In that team, we also had Darren Ferguson who could have slotted into a team a couple of levels above had we not been paying him ridiculous amounts to stay and Carlos Edwards who went on to play in the Premier League. Young breakthroughs Craig Morgan and Mark Jones also went on to make international appearances for Wales. Oh how I long for the days where we have a decent youth setup again.

Wrexham's best team, one of the best ever at L1 level, was Jon Neales mid 70's Reds. Aarfon Griffiths, Bobby Shinton, Dixie McNeil, Billy Ashcroft, Mickey Thomas, were practically household names. They played great football and could give the best a game. A few weeks after they beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane, a group of Spurs fans turned up one Friday night to support them at Southend, because they'd enjoyed watching them so much! Heady days at The Racecourse.

 

[chipmunx]

Wrexham's best team, one of the best ever at L1 level, was Jon Neales mid 70's Reds. Aarfon Griffiths, Bobby Shinton, Dixie McNeil, Billy Ashcroft, Mickey Thomas, were practically household names. They played great football and could give the best a game. A few weeks after they beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane, a group of Spurs fans turned up one Friday night to support them at Southend, because they'd enjoyed watching them so much! Heady days at The Racecourse.

and Wrexham fans think i'm obsessed....

 

[Monkey Tennis]

I can just about remember Grant Holt and Glenn Murray playing for us in their early years, and I remember it seemed like they were so much better than anyone else at this level.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Interestingly what I remember about Hartlepool was that, because of the area you were in and the level you were at, you had an awful lot of continuity in your team for most of the 2000s and early 2010s. And continuity in a world where most teams chop and change every couple of years is particularly important and can allow you to punch above your weight. It seemed it was only when they started getting old and you couldn't replace them that your decline in the last decade started to set in.
..

We were able to keep them for a while but they weren't on bad money either. We had a decent budget. Some moved on to bigger clubs, some got homesick and the legs went on some others.

The decline set in when our main benefactor was sent to prison in Norway and the company that owned us didn't put forward the same investment. We were able to bum along a while in lower mid table in L1 playing attritional football before some bad managerial appointments and signings, general neglect and taken over by a dodgy owner leads us to where we are now.

 

[BarraMatt]

I can just about remember Grant Holt and Glenn Murray playing for us in their early years, and I remember it seemed like they were so much better than anyone else at this level.

As supposed to his second spell the other year where I'd rather have had Vinny Mukendi leading the line.

 

[iesty wfc]

Wrexham's best team, one of the best ever at L1 level, was Jon Neales mid 70's Reds. Aarfon Griffiths, Bobby Shinton, Dixie McNeil, Billy Ashcroft, Mickey Thomas, were practically household names. They played great football and could give the best a game. A few weeks after they beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane, a group of Spurs fans turned up one Friday night to support them at Southend, because they'd enjoyed watching them so much! Heady days at The Racecourse.

77/78 was the only season in the last 100 years that we had finished the league as champions, gaining promotion to the old Division 2 (Championship equivalent), where we held our own for a few seasons.

I wish i was around to see that era, regularly 20 - 30,000 in attendance at the racecourse when it was majority standing. My dad said it was a great time to be a Wrexham supporter.

My own personal experiences from 94 onwards, i would agree with above and our 02-03 squad. a pleasure to watch with a lot of exciting players

 

[Monkey Tennis]

As supposed to his second spell the other year where I'd rather have had Vinny Mukendi leading the line.

Similarly Byron Harrison, who was arguably the best striker in non-league for his first six months here.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

The best I can remember is the 2002-03 team. The 2nd half of the season was unreal as we won approximately one million games on the bounce to secure promotion to Division Two, along with brothers Hartlepool, Premier League side Bournemouth and an early incorporation of the EVIL™ Rushden and Diamonds.

We had several players in our ranks who were at least Championship level or above and annoyingly we lost some on a free at the end of the season. Lee Trundle (Swansea) and league top scorer Andy Morrell (Coventry) were amongst those who left for nothing leaving us without much of a chance at the level above and we were relegated two seasons later.

In that team, we also had Darren Ferguson who could have slotted into a team a couple of levels above had we not been paying him ridiculous amounts to stay and Carlos Edwards who went on to play in the Premier League. Young breakthroughs Craig Morgan and Mark Jones also went on to make international appearances for Wales. Oh how I long for the days where we have a decent youth setup again.

Knew Carlos Edwards, Hector Sam and Dennis Lawrence personally during that time as Clayton Ince was my neighbour so I used to go down the Racecourse a few times when the Alex were down South. Incredible team. Shame Alex Hamilton subsequently happened and you lost Colliers Park.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

I always remember playing Crewe in the late 90s/ early 00s and they'd have 2/3 players or more who would go on to complete at the top level with some success.

I remember playing Watford at home in 2003 where we lost 1-0 despite Alec Chamberlain being sent off for you lot for handball after 15 minutes. Sadly we had too many performances like that at that level.

 

[Vanni]

Before my time but I would go for seasons 1983/84 and 84/85.

1983/84 DIVISION 2 -

W4 D12 L26 // F28 A77 (gd - minus 49) --- PTS - 24

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ridge-united-31-matches-without-win-1983-1984

1984/85 DIVISION 3 -

W4 D9 L33 // F37 A95 (gd - minus 58) --- PTS - 21

 

[GEORGE]

I can just about remember Grant Holt and Glenn Murray playing for us in their early years, and I remember it seemed like they were so much better than anyone else at this level.

Well I can beat that -- Last time I saw you play you had Fred Else in goal and Brian Arrowsmith and Colin Cowperthwaite playing.

 

[B2TF]

and Wrexham fans think i'm obsessed....

Just a football fan buddy, Wrexham was always a great game at The Shay.

 

[Super_horns]

I remember playing Watford at home in 2003 where we lost 1-0 despite Alec Chamberlain being sent off for you lot for handball after 15 minutes. Sadly we had too many performances like that at that level.

And I remember in 97 Kevin Miller was sent off early on and we won 2-0!

(Replaced by Alec Chamberlain for his debut ironically..)

We actually do quite well with 10 men!

Won 2 games this season with that number - probably concentrates the mind more!

 

[jacobncfc]

Our best team ever is probably beyond living memory now. Older Notts fans will say Jimmy Sirrel’s team of the 70s, and those who can’t remember that will say Neil Warnock’s of the late 80s, early 90s, our most recent foray into the top flight.

It’s slim pickings for people my age. The 2009/10 team that destroyed League Two was very good but built with non-existent money. We very briefly had a fantastic team under Keith Curle in League One that went on a run from lower mid-table to finishing outside of the play-offs on goal difference. Built around Alan Judge - had we snuck sixth I’m convinced we’d have won the play-offs that year.

Having a young Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor in the same midfield was bloody entertaining for a bit too, even if they did nearly get relegated. Worth £80m+ between them now probably.

 

[CFC91]

This team was class

A lot of them went onto play in the Champ/PL - as did the manager.

This guy was incredible too -

Could watch that all day.

 

[EnglishRed]

In the period ive followed Wrexham the 02/03 team were excellent. Players like Trundle, Carlos Edwards and Ferguson were great to watch.

The Flynn teams of the mid 90s were excellent as well amd my personal favourite. They just missed out on the play offs multiple times. We were a lot smaller than a lot of the clubs around us at the time, Stoke, Burnley, PNE, Hull etc but consistently competed. Players such as Andy Marriott, Barry Hunter, Tony Humes, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, Peter Ward and Bryan Hughes were routinely excellent and a few of them went on to play at higher levels, Marriott and Hughes in the Prem, as well as several International caps. The cup run to the Quarter finals in 96/97 was fantastic, drawing Chesterfield away was the worst possible draw really.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

In the period ive followed Wrexham the 02/03 team were excellent. Players like Trundle, Carlos Edwards and Ferguson were great to watch.

The Flynn teams of the mid 90s were excellent as well amd my personal favourite. They just missed out on the play offs multiple times. We were a lot smaller than a lot of the clubs around us at the time, Stoke, Burnley, PNE, Hull etc but consistently competed. Players such as Andy Marriott, Barry Hunter, Tony Humes, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, Peter Ward and Bryan Hughes were routinely excellent and a few of them went on to play at higher levels, Marriott and Hughes in the Prem, as well as several International caps. The cup run to the Quarter finals in 96/97 was fantastic, drawing Chesterfield away was the worst possible draw really.

Was Gary Bennett the one who got sent down for being a fence for stolen goods? Swear one of your players went down for that in the 90s along with Mickey Thomas' notorious money printing machine...

 

[EnglishRed]

Was Gary Bennett the one who got sent down for being a fence for stolen goods? Swear one of your players went down for that in the 90s along with Mickey Thomas' notorious money printing machine...

I dont think that was Bennett. He went back to Chester at the end of his career which is a bit like going to prison.

He scored 114 goals in 177 games for us , went to Tranmere and they played him on the wing.

 

[chief]

Was Gary Bennett the one who got sent down for being a fence for stolen goods? Swear one of your players went down for that in the 90s along with Mickey Thomas' notorious money printing machine...

Nah but he did end up on an episode of Come Dine With Me.

 

[Master D]

Bennett was the best goalscorer I've seen play for us. My first ever football shirt was with his name on and I've still got it.

But the football that 02-03 side played was the best I've seen. Trundle was a genius with the ball and Morrell had the season of his life. And Darren Ferguson running the show, someone who was playing 2 divisions below where he should have been.

But our 77-78 side will NEVER be beaten.

Division 3 - Champions
FA Cup - Quarter Final - knocked out 3-2 by Arsenal in front of 25,547 at the Racecourse
League Cup - Quarter Final - knocked out 3-1 by Liverpool (Dalglish hat-trick) 25,641 at the Racecourse.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Master D chief EnglishRed

Remember the 02/03 season well.

We were 14 points clear at the end of March and somehow fucked it up.

Sealed promotion with a 4-0 spanking at Glanford Park. It was bloody awful. Players arguing with fans. Dreadful day.

Fortunately we dispensed with pisshead Mike Newell and hired Neale Cooper and the rest is history.

 

[Master D]

We hit form at the perfect time, winning the last 8 games in a row.