When Chelsea beat Wrexham in the FA Cup – after 300 minutes of football
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<p>Wrexham host Chelsea this weekend. It took three matches in nine days to separate the teams when they met in 1982</p><p>By <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/that-1980s-sports-blog">That 1980s Sports Blog</a></p><p>In some ways, history is repeating itself. In 1982 Chelsea and Wrexham met in the FA Cup after they had beaten Hull City and Nottingham Forest, respectively, in the previous round. The same has happened in 2026; but this is where th
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When Chelsea beat Wrexham in the FA Cup – after 300 minutes of football Wrexham host Chelsea this weekend. It took three matches in nine days to separate the teams when they met in 1982 By That 1980s Sports Blog I n some ways, history is repeating itself. In 1982 Chelsea and Wrexham met in the FA Cup after they had beaten Hull City and Nottingham Forest, respectively, in the previous round. The same has happened in 2026; but this is where the similarities end. When the clubs met 44 years ago they were both in the second tier and had huge debts. With Chelsea reportedly £1.6m in the red, the future of Stamford Bridge was in doubt as property developers hovered. Relegation-threatened Wrexham spent the majority of the 1980s merely trying to survive. On top of inconsistent league form and financial woe, Chelsea also had problems with their supporters. After trouble at Derby in November 1981, the FA banned Chelsea fans from away matches. However, policing the ban proved almost impossible. Chelsea fans continued to travel and make their way into the home ends of various grounds. The ban was lifted after a few months but the episode did little for the club’s reputation. The 1981-82 league season was not so good for Wrexham – they were relegated to the third tier – but their FA Cup run brought some positivity. The club pulled off a big shock in the third round, beating Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest 3-1 at the City Ground. They went behind in the second minute but three goals in 12 minutes from Steve Dowman, Mick Vinter and Dixie McNeil handed Wrexham a richly deserved win. Chelsea needed a replay to beat fourth-tier Hull City and reach the fourth round. After a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge, the teams met at Boothferry Park, where late goals from Alan Mayes and John Bumstead edged them through. The win brought relief to a team that had been knocked out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Wigan. The tie in Wales was a romantic one for the Chelsea manager, John Neal, who ha...
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