Darren Wrack
Encyclopedia
Darren Wrack is a former English
professional footballer who played as a midfielder
. He notably played in the Football League for Walsall
where he made over 380 league and cup appearances, scoring 52 goals from 1998 until 2008. He also represented Derby County
, Grimsby Town
, Shrewsbury Town
, Kettering Town
and Stafford Rangers
.
in 1994, and made his debut for The Rams under Jim Smith
. Although used as a fringe player in his time at The Baseball Ground
Wrack made over 30 league and cup appearances, most as a substitute, in his two seasons. In his final season with the club Derby earned promotion to the Premier League, however he would depart the club in the summer of 1996.
and signed with his home town club Grimsby Town
in July 1996 for a fee of £100,000. He was handed his Mariners debut by player-manager Brian Laws
on 17 August 1996 when he came on as a 78th minute replacement for Neil Woods
in Town's 3–1 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers
. Grimsby were relegated from the First Division
at the end of the 1996–97 season with Wrack featuring 11 times for The Mariners, scoring once in a 1–1 away draw with Reading
. During the same season Wrack also spent a month on loan at Shrewsbury Town
in 1997. During the 1997–98 season with the club now under the tenure of Alan Buckley
Wrack failed to make an impact in the first team with the likes of Kevin Donovan
, Tommy Widdrington
and Paul Groves favoured over Wrack and the likes of Nicky Southall
. Wrack would only feature twice for The Mariners under Buckley this season, a Football League Trophy
victory over Hull City
and a league defeat to Northampton Town
. Grimsby earned promotion back to the First Division via the play-offs as well as winning the Football League Trophy in a Wembley
double, however Wrack did not feature in either occasions.
boss Ray Graydon
on a free transfer in July 1998 and made over 380 appearances, scoring 52 goal, during his ten years with Walsall, despite being out for a year due to a broken leg suffered against Yeovil Town
in September 2005. He helped the club to two promotions from the Second Division
(now League One
) in 1999 and 2001, and to win the League Two
title in 2007.
in July 2008. During the 2009–10 season Kettering and Wrack were involved in a run in the FA Cup
in which they were finally defeated in a replay by Leeds United in the second round. Wrack was released by Kettering at the end of the season.
side Stafford Rangers
in September 2010. In January 2011 he announced his retirement from the game.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer who played as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He notably played in the Football League for Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
where he made over 380 league and cup appearances, scoring 52 goals from 1998 until 2008. He also represented Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, Kettering Town
Kettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
and Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
.
Derby County
Wrack began his career as a trainee at Derby CountyDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in 1994, and made his debut for The Rams under Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
. Although used as a fringe player in his time at The Baseball Ground
Baseball Ground
The Baseball Ground was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby County Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 1997. It was commonly referred to as the "BBG".As the name suggests, the stadium was...
Wrack made over 30 league and cup appearances, most as a substitute, in his two seasons. In his final season with the club Derby earned promotion to the Premier League, however he would depart the club in the summer of 1996.
Grimsby Town
Wrack returned home to CleethorpesCleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
and signed with his home town club Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in July 1996 for a fee of £100,000. He was handed his Mariners debut by player-manager Brian Laws
Brian Laws
Brian Laws is an English former footballer and manager, most recently of Burnley.Playing as a defender, Laws made over 100 appearances for each of Burnley, Middlesbrough, and Nottingham Forest. In 1994, Laws became player-manager of Grimsby Town before taking a similar position with Scunthorpe...
on 17 August 1996 when he came on as a 78th minute replacement for Neil Woods
Neil Woods
Neil Stephen Woods is a former English footballer who played as a striker and former manager of Grimsby Town where he also played between 1990 and 1998. He now works as the Head of Youth at Football League One side Walsall...
in Town's 3–1 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. Grimsby were relegated from the First Division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
at the end of the 1996–97 season with Wrack featuring 11 times for The Mariners, scoring once in a 1–1 away draw with Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
. During the same season Wrack also spent a month on loan at Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
in 1997. During the 1997–98 season with the club now under the tenure of Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
Wrack failed to make an impact in the first team with the likes of Kevin Donovan
Kevin Donovan
Kevin Donovan is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder between 1989 and 2007. He notably played for Grimsby Town and West Bromwich Albion, and scored goals at Wembley Stadium for both clubs in Football League play-off finals...
, Tommy Widdrington
Tommy Widdrington
Thomas "Tommy" Widdrington is an English former footballer, turned football manager, who is the manager of Southern Football League side Hemel Hempstead Town...
and Paul Groves favoured over Wrack and the likes of Nicky Southall
Nicky Southall
Leslie Nicholas "Nicky" Southall , is an English professional footballer who is a player/coach at Football League Two side Gillingham, in his fourth spell with the club. He has played in all tiers of English league football and has also appeared in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers...
. Wrack would only feature twice for The Mariners under Buckley this season, a Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
victory over Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
and a league defeat to Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
. Grimsby earned promotion back to the First Division via the play-offs as well as winning the Football League Trophy in a Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
double, however Wrack did not feature in either occasions.
Walsall
Wrack was signed from Grimsby by WalsallWalsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
boss Ray Graydon
Ray Graydon
Ray Graydon is an English football manager and retired football player. He was recently employed as First Team Coach of Championship team, Leicester City while Rob Kelly was manager during the 2005-06 season.-Playing career:...
on a free transfer in July 1998 and made over 380 appearances, scoring 52 goal, during his ten years with Walsall, despite being out for a year due to a broken leg suffered against Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
in September 2005. He helped the club to two promotions from the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
(now League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
) in 1999 and 2001, and to win the League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
title in 2007.
Kettering Town
Wrack was released by Walsall at the end of the 2007–08 season and joined Kettering TownKettering Town F.C.
Kettering Town Football Club are a football club originating in Kettering, Northamptonshire but currently based in the nearby village of Irthlingborough. The club play in the Conference National after winning the Conference North in 2007–08...
in July 2008. During the 2009–10 season Kettering and Wrack were involved in a run in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in which they were finally defeated in a replay by Leeds United in the second round. Wrack was released by Kettering at the end of the season.
Stafford Rangers
Wrack signed a contract for Conference NorthConference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Stafford Rangers
Stafford Rangers F.C.
Stafford Rangers Football Club is a semi-professional English football team from Stafford which plays in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.The team wear black and white stripes with black shorts...
in September 2010. In January 2011 he announced his retirement from the game.