NOTHING strengthens the bond between comrades like experiencing extreme challenges.

My co-commentators Chay Long, Bill Long, Neil Williams and I each have a tattoo on right arms of a television screen glowing in the midst of a gale to remind us of what we’ve been through together.

We were the Bear Grylls, Ray Mears and another couple of survival blokes of football commentary as we went further than anyone has ever gone to bring the Beautiful Game to the people.

We commentated outdoors. Week-in, week-out. It was our Vietnam, if Vietnam was in North Wales and had a pub next door.

So, why did we embark on this fool’s errand?

When Wrexham joined the EFL’s iFollow service in anticipation of promotion at the end of the 2022-23 season, our technical requirements changed.

We had to broadcast using an ISDN line, an obsolete technology which delivers extremely high quality audio, but is rather unstable.

Fortunately, we had the equipment from our former days in the EFL, but the problem was that very few other clubs in the National League had those lines installed.

That meant travelling to the likes of Wealdstone, Dorking and Woking was pointless, and the solution we found was to commentate off the broadcast of the match.

That meant that, no matter the weather or time of day, we had to sit in the press box in an empty Stok Cae Ras, making noise about a game which might be 150 miles away in an empty stadium! If you think that sounds odd, it’s because it was!

There were further issues to resolve. For example, what would we use to watch the game? Initially, I’d pinch my lad’s TV from his bedroom, gingerly transporting it into the ground and up the steps to the press box.

Don’t let anyone tell you that flatscreen TVs are light: it was a bulky, heavy nightmare to lug around before and after games, especially as I was also carrying round the extra anxiety of knowing what he’d do to me if I damaged it in any way!

Rioters who smash shop windows to steal them must go through a rigorous exercise regime to get into shape!

Visibility was an issue too. Commentating from the Heart of Darkness wasn’t easy.

You literally couldn’t see your hand in front of your face inside the ground at night games, and it was a little scary as we fumbled around, using the light from our phones to see.

It was a blessed relief when the club brought in those massive lights which are used to encourage the grass to grow on the pitch.

They fill the stadium with a lovely pastel orange glow, like a pumpkin spice latte. Perfect for navigating the innards of the STōK Cae Ras.

It could be dangerous, too. One windy evening we were describing an away game when, amidst the sounds of lashing rain and a howling gale, we heard a terrible metallic scraping sound, followed by a terrific clattering.

We hesitated for a moment before picking up where we left off, describing a Reece Hall-Johnson throw-in, but when we went to see what had made that awful noise we discovered a portion of the newly-erected Wrexham Lager Stand sign on the roof had ripped off and been blown into the car park!

Good job there was nobody around, and a good job it didn’t blow under the roof or we’d have been in a real spot of bother!

Occasionally, things could get vaguely surreal. The noise coming from The Turf as patrons reacted to events on the pitch would be clearly audible to us and there was one game where the TV coverage they were watching was ahead of our stream.

Every time we heard a cheer, groan or gasp from the pub we’d be on our toes, knowing that something massive was about to happen!

Working with 247, who provide the live streams for the club, has offered us many more opportunities. I’ve even commentated on the women’s team at my home with a cat on my lap!

I never imagined I’d be doing that when I started commentating on top of the rickety old Mold Road Stand 36 years ago!

We’ve suffered some painful recent defeats to Grimsby, and returned from our last two trips east empty-handed.

Our most recent win at Blundell Park was in April 2015. Joe Clarke scored the only goal in the 17th minute, as Wrexham finished the season strongly under the caretaker managership of Carl Darlington and Lee Jones.

Our best results at Grimsby are a trio of 3-1 wins. The first came in October 1954 through goals by Ron Hewitt, Dave Jackson and Dennis Griffiths, and we equalled that score in January 2004 thanks to Chris Llewellyn, Steve Thomas and Chris Armstrong.

Most recently, Andy Morrell enjoyed a superb start to his managerial career in 2012 with Mathias Pogba, Jay Harris and Lee Fowler scoring.

Ollie Palmer (pictured above) could make his 500th career league match appearance on Saturday, while Jordan Davies’ next match will be his 125th in the league for Wrexham.