Cross-border derby

The cross-border derby is a football match played between Wrexham and Chester. The clubs are 12 miles apart but are Welsh and English respectively.
It was historically considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in the lower leagues of English football, due to the close proximity of Wrexham and Chester, as they are the largest settlements in the area and the only clubs in that area to have played in the Football League. The Welsh–English divide also makes it unique to other football derbies in Britain, as national identity is a large part of the two teams.
Wrexham edged the English–Welsh derby with 30 victories against Chester's 26 in Football League meetings. Between 1986 and 2005, the sides were in the same division for just one season but they were then Football League Two opponents in the three campaigns from 2005–06 to 2007–08. In 2009–10 the sides clashed again in the Conference National after Chester followed Wrexham out of the Football League.
In the 2012–13 season, Chester won promotion to return to the Conference Premier three years after their previous club were expelled from the fifth tier, and played Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground, in a highly anticipated derby, as this was the first since Chester re-formed as a fan-owned club. All away fans had to travel to the match via coaches and a police escort and could not travel by train, unlike most years. Despite going into the game with a poor form in recent games, Chester won the match 2-0, recording their first win of the season.
The most recent meeting saw Wrexham win 2-0 in March 2018. The two teams are currently separated due to Chester's relegation from the National League at the end of the 2017–18 season, which sees them play in the National League North. As of 2025-26, Chester is four divisions below Wrexham, who gained promotion to the EFL Championship in 2024-25.
Games between the two are usually moved to Sunday, with a 12:00 kick-off, minimising time for alcohol consumption and the risk of the two sets of supporters clashing. The other cross-border derbies include Wrexham vs Shrewsbury Town and Wrexham vs Crewe Alexandra. Any match between any combination of these four clubs is considered one of the Marches Kite Derbies. This is because all four clubs have played against each other in the same league at some point, and the geographic locations of the towns form a kite or diamond shape on the map.

Achievements

Competition	Chester	Wrexham
Football League	20 seasons in tier 3 ' 15 seasons in tier 3 '	31 seasons in tier 3 ' 4 seasons in tier 2 '
FA Cup	5th round 1976–77 1979–80	Quarter-final 1973–74 1977–78 1996–97
League Cup	Semi-final 1974–75	Quarter-final 1960–61 1977–78

Head-to-head summary

Chester City vs Wrexham (1888–2009)

Chester FC vs Wrexham (2013–)

Competition	Chester wins	Draw	Wrexham wins	Goal Difference
Conference National	3	3	4	8–11
FA Cup	0	0	0	0–0
FA Trophy	0	0	0	0–0
Matches in Chester	2	2	1	6–5
Matches in Wrexham	1	1	3	2–6
Overall	3	3	4	8–11

Head-to-head fixtures

Chester City vs Wrexham

Chester FC vs Wrexham

Date	Home	Score	Away	Venue	Att.	Competition
31 Aug 2013	Wrexham	0–2	Chester	Racecourse Ground	6,037	2013–14 Football Conference
19 Apr 2014	Chester	0–0	Wrexham	Deva Stadium	4,326	2013–14 Football Conference
22 Sep 2014	Chester	2–1	Wrexham	Deva Stadium	3,183	2014–15 Football Conference
7 Mar 2015	Wrexham	1–0	Chester	Racecourse Ground	6,336	2014–15 Football Conference
3 Oct 2015	Chester	3–2	Wrexham	Deva Stadium	3,741	2015–16 National League
19 Mar 2016	Wrexham	3–0	Chester	Racecourse Ground	6,459	2015–16 National League
24 Sep 2016	Wrexham	0–0	Chester	Racecourse Ground	5,058	2016–17 National League
21 Jan 2017	Chester	1–1	Wrexham	Deva Stadium	3,961	2016–17 National League
8 Nov 2017	Chester	0–1	Wrexham	Deva Stadium	4,079	2017–18 National League
11 Mar 2018	Wrexham	2–0	Chester	Racecourse Ground	6,511	2017–18 National League

Notable fixtures

Below are the details for the first ever cross-border derby since Chester's reformation.
Below are the details for the first ever cross-border derby to be televised since Chester's reformation. The game is also notable for its dramatic ending.

Crossing the divide

Chester City and Wrexham

The following players have played for Chester City and Wrexham. Footballers currently playing in one of the teams are marked bold. Appearances and goals include League only.

Player	Chester career	Apps	Goals	Wrexham career	Apps	Goals
Sam Aiston	1997–99	23	0	2007–08, 2008–09	38	0
John Anderson	1960–61	17	15	1956–59, 1961–62	93	80
David Artell	2005–07	80	4	2013, 2013–14	36	3
Jackie Arthur	1946–47	24	3	1946	?	?
Neil Ashton	2009–10	0	0	2010–15	204	9
Anthony Barry	2008–10	43	1	2016–17	31	2
David Bayliss	2004–05	9	0	2005–06	22	0
Wally Bellett	1961–62	12	1	1962–63	2	0
Dean Bennett	2006–08	32	1	2004–06	47	2
Gary Bennett	1985–88, 1990–92, 1997–99	254	64	1992–95, 1997	136	82
Stan Bennion	1963–65	20	3	1959–63	54	18
Chris Blackburn	1999–2003	81	6	2010–11	43	1
Michael Blackwood	1999	9	2	2000–02	46	2
Phil Bolland	2002–06, 2006–08	167	8	2008	18	0
Terry Bradbury	1969–71	90	2	1967–69	78	3
Drewe Broughton	2006–07	14	2	2008	16	2
David Brown	2001–02	13	2	2010–11	9	1
Jack Capper	1959–61	37	0	1949–55	48	0
Paul Carden	2000, 2000–01, 2001–05	166	3	2008	0	0
Paul Comstive	1991–93	57	6	1984–87	99	8
Jonathan Cross	1998–2000	52	1	1991–98	119	12
Geoff Davies	1972–73	32	5	1973–75	67	15
Robert Davies	1888–1891	?	?	1892–1895	?	?
Ian Edwards	1976–79	104	36	1979–82	76	20
Jake Edwards	2006	10	1	1998–2000	11	1
Ken Ellis	1946–47	1	0	1949–50	5	0
George Evans	1963–69	113	0	1955–63	175	9
Robert Evans	1904–05	1	0	1905–06	?	?
Spencer Evans	?	?	?	?	?	?
Steve Fox	1984–85	33	4	1978–82	142	10
Robbie Foy	2005	13	0	2005–06	17	3
Brian Griffiths	1958–59	2	1	1952–58	22	11
Jack Haines	1955–56	47	8	?	?	?
Jay Harris	2008–09	31	0	2010–15, 2020-	182	16
Jim Harvey	1993–94	0	0	1987	6	0
Ron Hewitt	1962–63	29	6	1951–57, 1959–60	231	94
Joe Hinnigan	1988–90	54	2	1987–88	29	1
Reg Holland	1966	6	0	1960–66	118	0
Chris Holroyd	2006–08	47	4	2017–2019	60	16
Richard Hope	2004–05	28	2	2007–08	33	0
Peter Houghton	1985–88	85	13	1984	5	2
Dennis Isherwood	1946–47	3	0	?	?	?
Arthur Johnson	1962	3	0	1960–63	52	0
Colin Jones	1959–60	3	0	1960–1961	0	0
Gordon Jones	?	?	?	1921	1	1
Harvey Jones	1960–61	19	0	1959–60	13	0
Martin Lane	1982–87, 1989–91	274	3	1988	6	0
Paul Linwood	2006–09	122	4	2005	9	0
Jack Lipsham	1903–06, 1907–13, 1919–21	?	?	1913–19	?	?
Gordon Livsey	1971–72	44	0	1967–71	79	0
Brian Lloyd	1977–81	94	0	1971–77	266	0
Stuart Mason	1973–77	137	7	1966, 1968–73	185	3
Billy Matthews	?	?	?	?	?	?
Jimmy McGill	1962–64	32	0	1964	17	0
Tony McLoughlin	1967–68	4	0	1966–67	29	9
Sammy McMillan	1969–70	18	0	1963–67	149	52
Mike Metcalf	1963–69	221	68	1957–63	121	58
Grenville Millington	1968–69, 1973–82, 1983	290	0	1983–84	13	0
Ian Moir	1967–68	25	3	1968–72, 1973–75	165	20
Elfed Morris	1962–68	167	69	1960–62	9	6
Bill Myerscough	1962–63	36	10	1963–64	35	5
Sean Newton	2007–08	2	0	2015–2017	61	8
Roger Preece	1990–96	170	4	1986–90	111	12
Andy Provan	1968–70	82	18	1970–72	51	10
Bernard Purdie	1971–73	63	14	1968–70	10	3
Dennis Reeves	1963–67	139	0	1967–69	15	0
Gordon Richards	1958–61	74	16	1952–58	96	24
Nick Richardson	1994, 1995–2001	181	13	1994	4	2
Kevin Roberts	2006-09	81	7	2017-2019	72	0
John Ruddy	2005–06	4	0	2007	5	0
Ian Rush	1978–80	34	14	1998–99	17	0
Paul Rutherford	2005–2009	38	1	2016–2021	126	6
Mike Salmon	1982	16	0	1987, 1987–89	100	0
Ronnie Sinclair	1996–98	70	0	1984	11	0
Fred Smallwood	1934–35	1	0	1933–34	1	1
Alex Smith	1998–99, 2003–04	52	6	2004–06	44	0
Dean Spink	2000–02	21	2	1997–2000	85	9
George Spruce	1958–61	63	0	1948–52	135	3
Steve Stacey	1969	1	0	1966–69	105	6
Tommy Tilston	1949–51	22	7	1951–54	78	29
Brian Tinnion	1971–72	3	0	1968–76	279	54
Graham Turner	1968–73	218	5	1964–68	77	0
Jonathan Walters	2006–07	26	9	2005–06	38	5
Gavin Ward	2007–08	0	0	2008–09	54	0
Keith Webber	1969–71	74	14	1964–66	73	33
Don Weston	1968–69	3	0	1958–60, 1966–68	84	40
Ashley Westwood	2006–08	21	3	2008–10	61	3
Shaun Whalley	2004–05	3	0	2008–09	16	4
Billy White	1961–62	13	3	1961	8	0
Danny Williams	2004	5	0	1999–2001, 2004–08	166	14
Mike Williams	1982–84	34	4	1984–91	178	3
Barry Wright	1962–63	1	0	1959–62	11	0
Dick Yates	1946–47	52	37	1947–48	31	18