WREXHAM supporters might be sick of non-league football but they've generally had an opening day victory to celebrate since the club was relegated to the fifth tier.

The Reds have kicked off the season with seven wins from 11 matches, with two draws and the same number of defeats meaning they have a decent first-game record in the Conference era.

In fact, their record this millennium is pretty impressive with just four defeats in 19 games since kicking off the 2000/01 season with a 2-0 home defeat to Bristol City.

Darlington were the only other team to beat the Reds on the opening day during their final season in the Football League.

The worst era to be a regular in the Red and White Army was the Eighties where nine out of 10 first game fixtures were on the road.

The first of those was at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge on August 16 1980 where Mick Vinter and Dixie McNeil scored in a 2-2 draw.

McNeil also netted two years later along with Ian Arkwright in a 2-1 Welsh derby win at Cardiff City but it didn't go too well for the Reds legend when he was the manager of the Reds' opening game at Torquay in 1987.

Wrexham got pummelled 6-1 at Plainmoor - their worst opening day defeat of the modern era.

The only home game of the Eighties was in 1981 where only 4,661 was at the old Second Division opener against Queen's Park Rangers, Ian Edwards scoring the Reds goal in a 3-1 defeat.

That was in stark contrast to the 10,000-plus gate that piled into The Racecourse to see Arfon Griffiths score twice in a 3-2 win over Bury in 1970.

Wrexham only lost once in the Seventies on the opening day and that was in the famous 1977/78 Third Division Championship-winning season where Billy Ashcroft netted his final league goal for The Reds in a 2-1 defeat at Shrewsbury Town.

Fast forward to 2008 and the non-league stint began with a 5-0 thrashing of title favourites Stevenage as the campaign got underway in spectacular style at The Racecourse.

Captain Tom Kearney, Jefferson Louis, Shaun Whalley, Christian Smith and Marc Williams got the goals, with the dismissal of Levi Mackin's failing to take the gloss off a great start to the season for Brian Little's side.

Wrexham were back at home on the opening day of the 2009-10 and there was the same outcome as Dean Saunders' side beat Eastbourne 3-0.

Hedi Taboubi got the ball rolling and former Wales international Gareth Taylor scored a second half brace.

There was another Racecourse fixture for the start of the 2010-11 season and Wrexham picked up another win against Cambridge United.

A solitary goal decided the clash with returning striker Andy Morrell on target.

Cambridge were again the visitors 12 months later but Wrexham's 100 per cent first-game record in non-league came to an end as the clash ended in a 1-1 draw.

Morrell was again on the scoresheet but Cambridge scored a last minute equaliser to salvage a point.

The run of opening day home games continued in 2012-13 when Wrexham faced Woking and the Reds got back to winning ways.

Robert Ogleby, Dean Keates and Mark Creighton scored the goals for Morrell's men.

Wrexham remained at The Racecourse for the start of the 2013-14 campaign when Welling United arrived in town.

Another win arrived with Joe Clarke and Ogleby's late strike securing three points.

The run of six home games on the opening day came to an end in 2014-15 but the result remained the same as Wrexham - now under Kevin Wilkin - won 2-1 at Dartford.

New signing Wes York got both goals on his Reds debut.

But Wrexham kicked off the 2015-16 season with a first defeat in the first game as Gary Mills' reign began with a 3-1 defeat at Bromley.

York was again on target as Wrexham took the lead but the hosts hit back to score times before the break and inflict a first opening day defeat on the Reds in eight outings.

Wrexham were back at The Racecourse for the start of the 2016-17 campaign but an uninspiring clash with Dover Athletic ended in a goalless draw.

Dean Keates was at the helm when the 2017-18 season kicked off again on home territory but the Reds were beaten 1-0 by eventual champions Macclesfield.

Summer signing Chris Holroyd dislocated a shoulder against his former club in front of more than 6,000 fans.

Wrexham hadn't won on the opening day for three years but that ended at Dover last term when Sam Ricketts' side triumphed 1-0 at Dover Athletic.

Mike Fondop got the only goal as Wrexham registered a first ever win against Dover at the ninth attempt.

Bryan Hughes is preparing the club for a 12th season in non-league and what better way to get the play-off heartache out of the season by picking up three points on August 3.