Football writer’s 92 club tour stops at Wrexham’s Racecourse ground

THERE’S nothing better than ticking off another ground on your Football League list. Fans all over the country have followed teams through thick and thin since August - and The I Paper’s football writer, Daniel Storey, is one of them. But Storey has a different tale to tell - one of going to all 92 grounds in the football pyramid and his latest stop-off point will be at The Racecourse on Saturday for Wrexham’s home game against Burton Albion.

“Wrexham has been pushed slightly later and later in case there is a promotion party,” said Storey as the weekend game marks the final 10-game run-in of what has been an exhausting season. “You don’t want to miss certain scenarios but Wrexham on Saturday will be the 83rd on my list this season.” It’s not Nottingham Forest fan Storey’s first trip to a club that everyone has been talking about since Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over.



“I did a piece a couple of years ago about The Racecourse, about the town and the long pent-up progression and desperation for some good news to change. It was a delight to do. “It was the first season back in Football League.

I just wanted to go into the town and talk to the people about how much it mattered to them. “Institutions like Wrexham change because of what’s happened to them. “Loads of people are going there now that weren’t going there before.

“The whole feature is about a town that’s been re-ignited. “The angle is still the same. They’d just got promoted from National League to League Two.

“Outsiders will look and say Wrexham have got money, so they’ll go up. “The way that Wrexham story has gone, they are not a club that if they miss out on automatic promotion, they won’t panic. “We have to make the point for all the expansionism of the projection and going up quickly was the aim, something has taken hold here that has gone beyond most reasonable expectation.

" Three points on Saturday will boost Wrexham’s chances of an unprecedented third automatic promotion on the trot and Storey believes everyone has played their part in the club’s rise to glory. “When you make a documentary; it’s not governed by the documentary, it’s governed by football,” he added. “It’s the first season where the football is governing the documentary.

“To do what the owners have done and scaled back there own personas has really been impressive. “They’ve said ‘this is your club, your heritage, your town and your story and we’re just a part of it.” Storey’s season-long journey includes covering the toxic south-Wales derby between Cardiff and Swansea, shadowing the Lincoln City chairman on matchday and sitting on the bench alongside Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver.

“Sitting on the bench at Harrogate was amazing,” said the 39-year-old Midlands-based journalist. “I had no idea it was going to happen. Manager Simon Weaver said just put this coat on and don’t start arguing with the fourth official.

“There are so many good stories at football clubs. I’m not saying I’m better than any writers at the club but having an outside perspective, you can do more with it. “We did a piece on Exeter City - fan-owned Exeter - and they’ve got the largest standing terrace in the league still left There’s no point writing about it from the press box, you might as well be on it.

I wanted to live it - and the terraces are the best place to do it. “I was there for Bromley’s first home game in the Football League; AFC Wimbledon when they beat MK Dons 3-0 at home; Arsenal beating Manchester City 5-1 and Aston Villa beating Bayern Munich in the Champions league.” With two months of the season to go, Storey’s 92nd game will be watching his team, Forest against Chelsea at the City Ground on May 25.

“That will be a good way to finish - the only Forest game I’ve been to is 3-0 loss to Manchester City,” said Storey, whose tour of dury has seen him take in all league clubs and not just the Premier League elite. “Next day, I’ll be at the Championship Final - there has been talk of the Royal Box..

. “By doing this and standing on the rooftops and saying I’m doing this, the EFL have been really helpful.” So will Storey turn all his roaming recollections into a book.

“That’s the £100 pound question. I will probably not end up writing it and regretting it. “But I would love to carrying on doing on this - instead of saying see you later and going back to the Premier League.

” REPORT BY NICK HARRISON.