Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom takes a cheeky dig at Wrexham after his team’s 2-1 defeat at the Racecourse ground.
What a surreal last week it’s been for Wrexham & Dragon fans! Maybe the festive season’s shoving off the calendar, the celebrations are just gathering pace among the Welsh fans.
Just rewind a bit & notice what a miraculous turnaround it’s been. Not long before, after a 5-game winless streak, the Red Dragons seemed done & dusted with boss Parky’s tactics.
Surprise, surprise! The 58-year-old channels his inner Pep and, after some fan input and some of his experimental takes, makes a few changes to turn Wrexham into a serious promotion candidate.
The result is that for the first time this season, Wrexham have got a “WW” in their form chart.
Heckingbottom’s backhanded compliment irks Wrexham
For many fanbases, the bigger joy remains limited to seeing their club outperforming others, but be honest, at this. As a “Disney FC” fan, don’t you too love seeing the opposition managers bite their lips while giving the necessary credit to Wrexham after a win?
Sadly, not every opposition manager is honest & straightforward like our last rival, Chris Wilder. Wrexham fans must’ve got to know this reality the harsh way, as they listened to Paul Heckingbottom’s post-game media address.
Despite losing a one-sided contest away, Heckingbottom didn’t clap for Wrexham. Instead, while speaking to the BBC, the PNE boss took a cheeky dig at the Welsh club, saying: “When we’re at our best, we’re more than a match for anyone and it’s going to take a really good side to beat us. Today [against Wrexham], we weren’t at our best.”
These words must have spoiled some fun for the Red Dragons. Especially, given how confidently they’ve thrown their last 2 opponents out of the park. But for Heckingbottom, it’s nothing new, for this has been his usual self always.
Not denying his managerial mavericks, but the 48-year-old has been a nightmare for rivals & even match officials time and again. What Wrexham received was a very typical “Heckingbottom response” on his return.
If you didn’t know, this Racecourse trip was PNE’s first with Heckingbottom on the sidelines in quite some time. Returning from a 3-game suspension for indulging in abusive behaviour towards the officials, a poor Preston display added to his temper as he couldn’t restrain himself from downplaying Wrexham’s exceptional display.
That’s definitely not forgetting that Heckingbottom’s affair with the touchline suspensions is an old one. Known for crossing limits in defending his crew, this was the manager’s third ban to finish 2025.
Heckingbottom’s history with Wrexham completes the story
Convinced that Heckingbottom’s nature & his Preston love are important facts in this story. But what completes it with a plot is the manager’s long-standing rivalry with Wrexham.
So far, Wrexham’s fairytale has seen them blessed with multiple heroes, but what turns it into a Hollywood-level script is the antagonists associated with it. And Heckingbottom’s definitely one of its best examples.
That’s because the manager’s been pushing Wrexham since his Sheffield United days. Back in that infamous FA Cup tie that started the club’s rift with the Blades, it was a Paul Heckingbottom-led Sheffield that packed up the Dragons’ hopes of facing Tottenham in the next round.
Agreed, the manager’s never again outperformed Parky’s side, but that explains his frustration. Especially, when Preston’s always had an edge over Wrexham, only to lose against them twice, in the FA Cup and now in the Championship.
Not to forget that Wrexham are gradually closing the gap with PNE in the table, lagging only 3 points behind now. The scheduled fixtures between these two sides may be over, but there’s room for a playoff knockout still. A Wrexham Vs Heckingbottom final? I guess nobody says no.
