Wrexham host Queens Park Rangers this Saturday — a meeting that pairs two clubs with very different recent stories but a long, if intermittent, competitive history. Below is a compact guide to QPR for newer Red Dragons supporters, plus what to look for when the teams meet.
Head-to-head and notable meetings
The fixture history between Wrexham and Queens Park Rangers stretches back to April 1959, when QPR announced themselves with a resounding 5–0 win. Wrexham soon struck back, registering victories in the early 1960s, including a notable result in 1962, before the series went quiet for stretches of the following decades.
Encounters resumed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when QPR sides featuring talents such as Tony Currie and Clive Allen came up against Wrexham teams led by long-serving figures like Dixie McNeil. These meetings were typically competitive and reflected both clubs’ presence in the second tier at the time.
After a long gap, the fixture returned in the early 2000s, with three league meetings between 2001 and 2004. Highlights included Michael Blackwood’s winner in Wrexham’s 1–0 home success in October 2001, followed by QPR’s victories in 2003 and March 2004 — the latter a 2–0 Loftus Road result featuring goals from Clarke Carlisle and Kevin McLeod.
Because Wrexham and QPR have typically occupied different divisions, their clashes have been infrequent and episodic, usually dictated by divisional alignment or cup draws rather than sustained rivalry.
By the numbers:
Competitive head-to-head: 18 matches — QPR 9 wins, Wrexham 5 wins, 4 draws.
First meeting: April 1959, QPR 5–0 Wrexham.
Most recent: 16 March 2004, QPR 2–0 Wrexham.
Notable scorers: Tony Currie and Clive Allen (QPR, late 70s/early 80s), Dixie McNeil (Wrexham), Michael Blackwood (Wrexham, 2001), Clarke Carlisle and Kevin McLeod (QPR, 2004).
Who are Queens Park Rangers? — quick profile
Where they’re from: A West London club often referred to as “QPR” or “the R’s,” traditionally in blue-and-white hoops.
Stadium & identity: Loftus Road (currently branded as MATRADE Loftus Road); strong local roots and a visible community program.
Competitive pedigree: Spells across divisions, including top-flight seasons; recent years mostly Championship.
Founder members of the Premier League in 1992.
Last played in the Premier League in the 2014–15 season.
Manager: Julien Stéphan (appointed 25 June 2025), the former Rennes/Strasbourg boss who won the Coupe de France with Rennes and calls the Championship “probably the most difficult league in the world.”
Why this fixture matters to Wrexham fans
Barometer game: QPR’s technical wide/forward play and new-coach sheen under Stéphan offer a different test from the opening quartet of fixtures — a read on how Wrexham handle a team rebuilding its identity.
Momentum swing: Victory would back up the Millwall breakthrough and nudge Wrexham toward mid-table security early; QPR, fresh off a reset win, will see this as a chance to prove the Coventry scoreline was an outlier.
Match details (confirmed)
Fixture: Wrexham AFC vs Queens Park Rangers
When: Saturday, 13 September 2025, 3:00pm BST (10:00am ET)
Where: STōK Cae Ras (The Racecourse Ground), Wrexham
Key players/roles to watch
QPR (under Stéphan)
Richard Koné (CF): summer signing and focal point; scored in both the Coventry loss and Charlton win.
Koki Saito / Paul Smyth (wide forwards): pace and directness; Smyth scored v Charlton but then missed NI duty with a groin issue, so his status is one to monitor.
Creative link: If Ilias Chair is available he remains a primary chance-creator, but he’s been managing a muscle issue around mid-September.
Wrexham
Kieffer Moore (ST): form striker; scored at Millwall and has been central to Wrexham’s early-season output.
Lewis O’Brien (CM): late clincher at Millwall; ball-progression and set-piece delivery will matter in a likely tight game.
Ball security in leads: Parkinson has stressed game-management after letting positions slip earlier in August; expect emphasis on keeping the ball under pressure.
Tactical match-ups to expect
Midfield control vs transition: Stéphan teams aim to establish a collective identity with the ball; Wrexham have had success when compact without it and then advancing quickly through Moore/O’Brien.
Set-plays: A likely separator. Wrexham’s size and deliveries vs QPR’s recent defensive volatility (11 GA in 4 league games).
Wide areas: QPR’s wide forwards vs Wrexham wing-backs (Kabore/Cacace) could dictate territory and chance quality. (Selections below.)
Team news & injuries
Wrexham
GK Danny Ward is out after a dislocated elbow sustained at Millwall; surgery/“weeks” timeline reported. Expect Arthur Okonkwo to start.
Possible returns to monitor: Josh Windass, Nathan Broadhead, George Thomason were all mentioned as potential post-break returns, pending late checks.
QPR
Paul Smyth missed NI’s September qualifiers with a groin issue after the Charlton game — classed as a doubt pending QPR’s presser.
Ilias Chair has been listed with a muscle problem around mid-September by injury trackers; status TBD via club channels.
What this match could mean
Short term: Wrexham can stack back-to-back wins to steady their return to the Championship; QPR can show the Coventry loss was a blip by taking points away from home.
Medium term: A positive result against a club with top-half ambitions under a new coach buttresses Wrexham’s survival trajectory — and supports the summer outlay narrative.
Expect a compact game where set-plays and wide-area duels loom large. If Wrexham protect the box and progress through O’Brien and the wing-backs to Moore, they’ll fancy it. If QPR’s front line (Koné plus one or two of Saito/Chair/Smyth) get running at pace, Wrexham’s back three will be worked.