Ex-Wrexham player says he received death threats playing for the club from knife-wielding fan

Former Wrexham player Sean Newton has opened up on his time at the Welsh club, revealing he received death threats from rival supporters.

Newton, 35, signed for Wrexham back in 2015 and spent two seasons there, scoring eight goals across his 61 appearances for the Red Dragons.

The club were in the National League at the time of his arrival and he was even appointed as captain for the 2016/17 season.

Shortly after being given the armband, Newton would part ways with the team to join their league rivals York City on loan - before eventually signing for them on a permanent basis in January.

Following the investment from Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham have since gone from strength-to-strength in the footballing pyramid - achieving back-to-back promotions in the last two seasons.

The club will now play in League One during the 2024/25 season, with Newton reflecting on his time at the Racecourse Ground while speaking on the I Had Trails Once podcast.

When talking about the club, Newton focused on the fierce rivalry he experienced between Wrexham and Chester - who he played for from 2007 to 2008.

"When I signed for Wrexham, I was at Chester as a kid. In my [first] interview, you know what it's like in an interview, you get the fans on your side," he said.

"In the interview I said that while I was at Chester and I used to come to Wrexham, I used to think 'I wish I played for Wrexham!' and then we played Chester.

👀🗡️ Sean Newton on the Wrexham-Chester rivalry and the death threats he faced ahead of the game… brilliant listen @IHadTrialsOnce #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/D6BgTz96iH

— RobRyanRed - Wrexham AFC Podcast (@RobRyanRed) June 4, 2024

"Mate, I got death threats. A fella, I don't know who it was but he had sunglasses on, balaclava round his mouth and he had a knife. He said, 'If I see you outside the stadium, this is going in you' and that is the gospel truth.

"We used to get police escorts from the ground. On the other hand, when we played at home I never bought a drink! Any drink you wanted.

"It's an incredible club."

The rivalry between the two teams is known as the cross-border derby and emerged due to the close proximity of the two clubs in the North East Wales and West Cheshire areas.

The England-Welsh divide is also said to make it more intense, with it largely being regarded as one of the most fierce rivalries in the lower leagues of English football.

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