WREXHAM want to break the record for their highest ever home crowd in the Football League Trophy tonight.

The highest Racecourse crowd in the competition came in 2005 when 5,814 watched eventual winners Wrexham beat Oldham 1-0 - 6-3 on aggregate - to secure their place in the final.

If they surpass that mark, the attendance will also be better than the last time Newcastle United came to North Wales - even if it was in the old Second Division.

It was on April 6, 1982 when only 4,517 watched Mel Sutton’s soon-to-be-relegated Reds nail Newcastle 4-2 with Ian Edwards (2), Billy Ronson and Dixie McNeil with his customary goal against The Magpies on target.

McNeil just loved it playing against Newcastle where his two levellers silenced St James’ Park as Wrexham drew 2-2 in front of a 28,425 crowd in an FA Cup fourth round classic in 1978.

Nine days later another Dixie double helped Arfon Griffiths’ side to a stunning 4-1 win in front of a Racecourse crowd of 18,676.

McNeil returned to a sold-out St James Park in the fifth round to score again and end non-league Blyth Spartans’ remarkable run in a 2-1 victory.

The Reds’ legend wasn’t finished there, netting the only goal of the game as Newcastle, for whom ex-Reds favourite Bobby Shinton was in the starting line-up, suffered a home defeat on November 22, 1980.

And just to rub a bit more salt into The Toon Army’s wounds, when Kevin Keegan brought a Newcastle side to The Racecourse for McNeil’s testimonial match in August 1994, Wrexham only went and nicked it 4-3 thanks to doubles from Karl Connolly and Mark Taylor.

In the Newcastle side that night were England international Peter Beardsley, former Wrexham keeper Mike Hooper and Robert Lee, the father of Reds’ current star, Elliot.

In a message on X - formerly Twitter - Wrexham stated: "Around 7,000 supporters will be at our first game in this competition since 2007."