Sean Newton has unveiled some brutal truths about the intense rivalry Wrexham have with Chester.
Wrexham vs Chester is one of the most intense rivalries in the UK.
The cross-border derby, separated by just 12 miles, is fuelled by the hatred the two clubs have for each other.
Wrexham last played Chester in March 2018, with the Reds securing a 2-0 victory over their fiercest rivals thanks to goals from Scott Quigley and Nicky Deverdics.
Sadly, both sides haven’t met each other since and are unlikely to meet each other for many years, unless it’s in an FA Cup tie, with Wrexham now in League One and Chester stuck in the National League North.
Although the two teams are separated by three divisions, the rivalry is as intense as ever and former left-back Sean Newton recalls some brutal experiences he had during his time at the club.
Newton was at Wrexham for two years, joining the club in 2015 and leaving in 2017 after making 61 appearances.
What is most interesting about the attacking left-back is, that he started his youth career at rivals Chester before being snapped up by non-league side Droylsden in 2008.
When signing for Wrexham, though, Newton made a fatal error by claiming he always used to wish he played for the Welsh side during his time at Chester and this fuelled so much hatred towards him.
Speaking on the I Had Trials Once podcast, Newton revealed how he used to receive death threats from Chester supporters.
He said: “When I signed for Wrexham I was at Chester as a kid. In my interview I just thought, get the fans on side. I said ‘when I was at Chester, I used to come to Wrexham, the facilities, I always used to think ‘I wish I played for Wrexham’. We played Chester, and I got death threats.
“A fella, I don’t know who it was; he had sunglasses on, a balaclava around his mouth and a knife. And it was, ‘If I see you outside the stadium, this is going in you’.
“We used to get a police escort from the ground all the way and they used to park as close to the yellow door as they could. Used to have to get off the bus and go straight in.”
According to 11v11, Wrexham have played Chester on 86 occasions and claimed wins in 36 of those matches with 21 draws.
It’s no surprise that Chester so badly want to beat their rivals as their last meeting in 2018 was the fourth match in a row that they’ve failed to beat the Reds.
In fact, they’ve only tasted victory in three of their last 10 meetings, last doing so in the 2015/16 National League campaign. It was a 3-2 win on that day, a match Newton was involved in, that saw them win at home in front of 3,741 supporters.
Unfortunately, Wrexham don’t have a rival as big as Chester in the Football League but the closest they’ll get in League One is their clash against Shrewsbury Town, another cross-border derby.
