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JOEY JONES and Dixie McNeil live in the same Coed-y-Glyn estate in Wrexham and the Reds’ legends are streets ahead when it comes to playing in football’s second tier.
Former Wales international Jones tops the appearance list for when Wrexham played in the old Second Division - now the Championship - between 1978 and 1982.
The legendary tough-tackling, iconic fist-pumping defender returned to The Racecourse in October 1978 for £100,000 more than Bob Paisley paid Wrexham to take him to Liverpool three years earlier.
He won the league and European Cup double at Anfield in 1977 before returning home to Wrexham 12 months later.
Jones started 138 games for Wrexham, scoring six goals, while his nearby neighbour McNeil played two less matches than his team-mate but topped the scoring list with 40 league goals in the club’s four seasons in the second tier.
Jones and McNeil were just two of six players to chalk up a century-plus games in the famous red shirt in Division Two - Steve Fox (130), Dai Davies (114), Mel Sutton (106) and Gareth Davies (103) the others.
Life wasn’t rosy for the Reds after the euphoria of the title-winning 1977/78 season where Wrexham lifted the Welsh Cup and also reached the quarter-finals of both FA and League Cups.
In their Division Two debut season, Arfon Griffiths’ side were unbeaten in their first six but their first three home games - against Brighton, Leicester City and Newcastle United - all ended goal-less.
They also enjoyed three early trips to the capital.
The late John Lyons scored Wrexham’s first goal in a 1-0 win at Fulham, Graham Whittle grabbed the only goal at Leyton Orient and Mickey Thomas netted in a 1-1 draw at Charlton Athletic.
It was one of six goals in 16 games for Thomas so it came as no surprise Manchester United made the Welsh star Wrexham’s £350,000 record signing.
After those two August away day wins, Wrexham didn’t win again on their travels and their home form wasn’t breathtaking either as they escaped relegation by just four points after finishing in 15th place.
Wrexham’s defence, where centre half John Roberts topped the appearance list on 40 games, was superb, conceding 42 goals all season.
The Reds bagged just three more at the other end with Lyons scoring 10 of them.
Dixie McNeil, Graham Whittle and Bobby Shinton contributed a combined 47 goals the season before. It was a different story 12 months later as the top trio’s total totted up to just 17.
The home crowds were also on a downward curve.
There were 23,451 crammed in to watch Gareth Davies lift the Division Three trophy on May 1 1978.
The opening day attendance at home to Brighton just 10 week later was 14,081 while 6,136 saw Wrexham sign off a disappointing season with a 1-0 home defeat to Bristol Rovers.
It was a 16th place finish in the 1979/80 season where Wrexham again finished on 38 points, nine ahead of the relegation zone.
The sale of Thomas didn’t help Wrexham on the pitch 12 months earlier and another entertainer Shinton headed off to Manchester City in the pre-season with both £350,000 deals helping pay for the Border Stand to replace the old Tech End.
TOTAL APPEARANCES: Joey Jones 138; Dixie McNeil 136; Steve Fox 130; Dai Davies 114; Mel Sutton 106; Gareth Davies 103; Wayne Cegielski 99; Frank Carrodus 97; Mick Vinter 90; Alan Hill 88; Ian Edwards 73; Les Cartwright 70; Alan Dwyer 62; John Roberts 60; Eddie Niedzwiecki 54; Steve Dowman 44; David Giles 38; Bobby Shinton 37; Graham Whittle 36; Steve Buxton 36; Phil Bater 36; Billy Ronson 36; Ian Arkwright 30; John Lyons 28; Terry Darracott 22; Steve Kenworthy 18; Denis Leman 17; Mickey Thomas 16; Simon Hunt 15; Frank Jones 8; Peter Williams 4; Neil Salathiel 4; Micky Evans 3; Steve Jones 3.
GOALS: Dixie McNeil 40; Mick Vinter 25; Ian Edwards 20; John Lyons 10; Steve Fox 10; Graham Whittle 8; Steve Buxton 8; Mickey Thomas 6; Bobby Shinton 6; Joey Jones 6; Alan Hill 6; David Giles 3; Mel Sutton 2; Frank Carrodus 2; Les Cartwright 2; Simon Hunt 2; Phil Bater 1; Billy Ronson 1; Denis Leman 1; Peter Williams 1.