WREXHAM and Mansfield Town are battling it out for promotion but the duo were involved in a different kind of fight in League Two 16 years ago - and it didn’t end well for either club.

Phil Parkinson’s men face the Stags at The Racecourse tomorrow in a top of the table clash and there was another huge game between the teams in the fourth tier on April 1, 2008.

Both sides were embroiled in a relegation scrap but Mansfield boosted their survival hopes by winning 2-1 at Field Mill with Marc Williams scoring a late consolation for Brian Little’s side who remained bottom of the table.

Just a few matches later, Wrexham’s relegation from the Football League was confirmed and the Reds were joined in non-league by the Stags who were also unsuccessful in their bid to stay up.

The Reds spent 15 seasons in the National League, finally clinching promotion as champions following a record-breaking 2022-23 campaign, but Mansfield’s League Two exile only lasted five years.

Ironically, the Stags secured the fifth tier title and return to the Football League following a 1-0 home win over Wrexham on the final day of the 2012-13 season.

With a top-five spot already guaranteed, Andy Morrell rested his regulars ahead of the play-offs which saw the Reds reach the final but the promotion dream was ended by Newport County who won 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.

While Wrexham’s non-league nightmare lasted another 10 years, Mansfield spent all of that decade in League Two.

In 2018-19, the Stags narrowly missed out on promotion on the final day of the campaign after losing to promotion rivals MK Dons.

After finishing fourth, Mansfield suffered defeat to Newport County on penalties in the play-off semi-final. 

The Stags went one better in 2021-22 but again came up short in the quest for promotion.

Mansfield reached the play-offs courtesy of their seventh-placed finish but lost 3–0 to Port Vale in the final.

Wrexham finally ended their Football League exile last season by coming out on top in a thrilling title race with Notts County while Mansfield remain in League Two after ending just outside the play-off spots in eighth position.

Both teams are challenging for automatic promotion to League One where Wrexham last played during the 2004-05 season.

Mansfield’s last campaign in the third tier was in 2002-03. 

And Wrexham fans will never forget the tearful finish to the 1976/77 season - boss John Neal’s last campaign in charge before heading off to become Middlesbrough manager.

Wrexham had looked firm favourites to go up but four of their last five games were against the three teams who did eventually go up from the old Third Division.

That included a last match of the season clash with Mansfield at The Racecourse.
A win would have put the Reds up but Ernie Moss hit a last-minute winner as The Stags went up as champions.