Jamie Vardy apologised for ‘horrendous’ Wrexham actions that cost club £1million
Jamie Vardy may be in line for a Hollywood reunion with Matty James should he move to Wrexham – but the fans may not be as thrilled. The veteran striker announced that he is to leave Leicester at the end of the season after a glittering 13-year spell at the club. Vardy’s Fleetwood denied Wrexham the Blue Square Premier titleGetty Vardy has been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia and the MLS, but he could be in line for a Hollywood-style swansong with Wrexham. That’s the view of talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook, who believes the partnership should not be ruled out. On paper, Vardy and Wrexham are a match made in heaven, with both enjoying fairytale rises from non-league up the EFL. However, in the eyes of some at the Racecourse, the 38-year-old remains closer to the stuff of nightmares. Vardy has netted 198 goals in 496 games for Leicester after signing from Fleetwood Town for just £1million in 2012. He earned the move that kick-started his career off the back of firing the Cod Army into the EFL – at Wrexham’s expense. The Red Dragons claimed a whopping 98 points during the 2011/12 season, but failed to pip Fleetwood to the National League title. Instead, Vardy struck 34 goals as Fleetwood recorded 103 points to win promotion from what was then the Blue Square Premier. It was a game in which the ex-England international didn’t score that had arguably the biggest impact on the title race for Wrexham fans. The two title challengers played out a 1-1 draw in a six-point showdown in April 2012 that all-but handed Fleetwood promotion. 2011–12 Football Conference Fleetwood Town (C, P)MP 46 W 31D 10L 5GF 102GA 48PTS 103Promotion to 2012–13 League TwoWrexhamMP 46 W 30D 8L 8GF 85GA 33PTS 98Conference Premier PlayoffsMansfield TownMP 46 W 25D 14L 7GF 87GA 48PTS 89Conference Premier PlayoffsYork City (P)MP 46 W 23D 14L 9GF 81GA 45PTS 83Conference Premier PlayoffsLuton TownMP 46 W 22D 15L 9GF 78GA 42PTS 81Conference Premier Playoffs Vardy somehow avoided a red card for his tackle on CreightonGetty Wrexham took the lead in the contest through Jake Speight, before an own-goal from Marc Creighton ensured a share of the spoils. The Red Dragons had the better of the clear-cut chances, with Creighton having an effort cleared off the line, while Mathias Pogba, brother of former Manchester United star Paul, also had a shot that hit the crossbar. However, Wrexham were hamstrung in their ability to reclaim the initiative late on, having ended the game with 10 men. The club’s player-manager, Andy Morrell, was adamant that Fleetwood also should have a player sent off, but Vardy avoided punishment following a horrific lunge on Nat Knight-Percival. “I’m disappointed with a point really because I thought we could have nicked the three,” Morrell told the BBC. “There should’ve been a sending off, and it was horrendous from Vardy. He left the floor with two feet, and Nat could’ve got seriously injured.” Wrexham, armed with Pogba’s brother (right), were left deeply aggrieved by the decisionGetty The Cod Army confirmed top spot shortly after the drawGetty Wrexham’s Joe Clarke, who was handed his marching orders for two yellows, later revealed Vardy even apologised for the tackle. The midfielder instead vented his annoyance at referee Andy Davies, known for being the only EFL ref who formally played for a team, for not even awarding a foul. “We’ve looked back at it and even in the match we couldn’t believe he was still on the pitch,” Clarke told the Daily Post. “But then the referee didn’t even give a foul, which is just shocking. “We’ve talked about it, and there’s only so much you can talk about it. It is just one of those decisions that happen, but luckily enough, Nat is okay. “Vardy did apologise afterwards, but still the referee has got a decision to make and he didn’t do very well in that one.” Wrexham’s player-manager Morrell tore into Vardy after the gameGetty The draw meant Fleetwood needed just two points from their remaining three matches to claim the title and they duly did. To add insult to injury, Wrexham’s misery was compounded when they were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-finals by Luton. Talking to Undr the Cosh podcast in 2020, former Wrexham man Glen Little claimed the club could be flourishing in the Football League if they hadn’t run into a Vardy-inspired Fleetwood Town. He said: “We had a good team and if we had gone up it was that situation where we’d have done well in League Two as well. “Fleetwood are in League One now and they’ve kicked on, and the size of Wrexham, if that team had gone up, we would have been more than good enough in League Two, seven in the play-offs and a lot of dead wood.” Little added: “I went up there and had a great start, although during pre-season they thought the club could fold. “The supporters had to pay money to keep the club alive and the owner wa
Jamie Vardy may be in line for a Hollywood reunion with Matty James should he move to Wrexham – but the fans may not be as thrilled.
The veteran striker announced that he is to leave Leicester at the end of the season after a glittering 13-year spell at the club.
Vardy has been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia and the MLS, but he could be in line for a Hollywood-style swansong with Wrexham.
That’s the view of talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Alex Crook, who believes the partnership should not be ruled out.
On paper, Vardy and Wrexham are a match made in heaven, with both enjoying fairytale rises from non-league up the EFL.
However, in the eyes of some at the Racecourse, the 38-year-old remains closer to the stuff of nightmares.
Vardy has netted 198 goals in 496 games for Leicester after signing from Fleetwood Town for just £1million in 2012.
He earned the move that kick-started his career off the back of firing the Cod Army into the EFL – at Wrexham’s expense.
The Red Dragons claimed a whopping 98 points during the 2011/12 season, but failed to pip Fleetwood to the National League title.
Instead, Vardy struck 34 goals as Fleetwood recorded 103 points to win promotion from what was then the Blue Square Premier.
It was a game in which the ex-England international didn’t score that had arguably the biggest impact on the title race for Wrexham fans.
The two title challengers played out a 1-1 draw in a six-point showdown in April 2012 that all-but handed Fleetwood promotion.
2011–12 Football Conference
| Fleetwood Town (C, P) | MP 46 | W 31 | D 10 | L 5 | GF 102 | GA 48 | PTS 103 | Promotion to 2012–13 League Two |
| Wrexham | MP 46 | W 30 | D 8 | L 8 | GF 85 | GA 33 | PTS 98 | Conference Premier Playoffs |
| Mansfield Town | MP 46 | W 25 | D 14 | L 7 | GF 87 | GA 48 | PTS 89 | Conference Premier Playoffs |
| York City (P) | MP 46 | W 23 | D 14 | L 9 | GF 81 | GA 45 | PTS 83 | Conference Premier Playoffs |
| Luton Town | MP 46 | W 22 | D 15 | L 9 | GF 78 | GA 42 | PTS 81 | Conference Premier Playoffs |
Wrexham took the lead in the contest through Jake Speight, before an own-goal from Marc Creighton ensured a share of the spoils.
The Red Dragons had the better of the clear-cut chances, with Creighton having an effort cleared off the line, while Mathias Pogba, brother of former Manchester United star Paul, also had a shot that hit the crossbar.
However, Wrexham were hamstrung in their ability to reclaim the initiative late on, having ended the game with 10 men.
The club’s player-manager, Andy Morrell, was adamant that Fleetwood also should have a player sent off, but Vardy avoided punishment following a horrific lunge on Nat Knight-Percival.
“I’m disappointed with a point really because I thought we could have nicked the three,” Morrell told the BBC.
“There should’ve been a sending off, and it was horrendous from Vardy. He left the floor with two feet, and Nat could’ve got seriously injured.”
Wrexham’s Joe Clarke, who was handed his marching orders for two yellows, later revealed Vardy even apologised for the tackle.
The midfielder instead vented his annoyance at referee Andy Davies, known for being the only EFL ref who formally played for a team, for not even awarding a foul.
“We’ve looked back at it and even in the match we couldn’t believe he was still on the pitch,” Clarke told the Daily Post.
“But then the referee didn’t even give a foul, which is just shocking.
“We’ve talked about it, and there’s only so much you can talk about it. It is just one of those decisions that happen, but luckily enough, Nat is okay.
“Vardy did apologise afterwards, but still the referee has got a decision to make and he didn’t do very well in that one.”
The draw meant Fleetwood needed just two points from their remaining three matches to claim the title and they duly did.
To add insult to injury, Wrexham’s misery was compounded when they were knocked out of the play-offs in the semi-finals by Luton.
Talking to Undr the Cosh podcast in 2020, former Wrexham man Glen Little claimed the club could be flourishing in the Football League if they hadn’t run into a Vardy-inspired Fleetwood Town.
He said: “We had a good team and if we had gone up it was that situation where we’d have done well in League Two as well.
“Fleetwood are in League One now and they’ve kicked on, and the size of Wrexham, if that team had gone up, we would have been more than good enough in League Two, seven in the play-offs and a lot of dead wood.”
Little added: “I went up there and had a great start, although during pre-season they thought the club could fold.
“The supporters had to pay money to keep the club alive and the owner was having problems with the supporters.
“I was up there doing pre-season but I was thinking ‘Is there even going to be a club?’ Luckily the supporters saved the club and took it over.
“We had a great start and then Deano [talkSPORT’s Dean Saunders] left. In fairness to him he got the Doncaster job in the Championship, so you can’t really blame him.
“Andy Morrell took over and he wanted me to stay on as well, we gave it a go and had a great season, unfortunately we got 98 points – probably the second best season of my career – and should have gone up, but there was one problem in Fleetwood and Jamie Vardy, who scored 30-odd goals.”
Fittingly, a year after that interview, the Welsh side would be taken over and ultimately reach the promised land of the EFL once again.
Prize money for promotion to League Two is thought to be worth around £1m, with Vardy’s transfer fee boosting Fleetwood’s coffers by the same total amount that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney paid to buy The Red Dragons in 2021.
Whether such a sliding doors moment would have happened had Wrexham returned to the EFL a decade earlier remains up for debate.
However, the owners shouldn’t be surprised if ex-Leicester star James is the only attendee to a Vardy Party at the Racecourse this summer…
