Shropshire Star

What channel is Shrewsbury v Wrexham? How to watch clubs' first clash since 2008

Shrewsbury Town FC will face Wrexham AFC in the FA Cup on Sunday, almost 15 years since the bitter rivals last played each other.

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Shrewsbury Town players. Photo: AMA

Tickets for the hotly-anticipated derby match sold out almost immediately, after the FA Cup Third Round draw last month threw up a repeat of an English/Welsh derby that goes back decades.

But the game will be shown live on TV with English and Welsh language commentary. Here is the info about how to watch, as well as a brief recap of the fierce cross-border rivalry.

What time is kick-off?

The match will kick off at 2pm on Sunday, January 7.

It is one of 32 fixtures in the Third Round of this year's FA Cup, which began on Thursday with Crystal Palace v Everton and will finish on Monday with Wigan Athletic v Manchester United (excluding replays).

What channel is showing Shrewsbury v Wrexham?

The match will be broadcast live on Welsh channel S4C, which is available in Wales on Freeview (channel 4), Sky (104), Virgin Media TV (104) and Freesat (104).

In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, S4C broadcasts on Sky (channel 134), Virgin Media TV (164) and Freesat (120).

S4C programmes are broadcast live on the S4C Clic service, which can be accessed for free by registering.

English commentary can be selected by using the red button or audio options menu.

When was the last time the two teams played?

The last game between Shrewsbury Town and Wrexham was in April 2008. Paul Simpson's Shrewsbury won the League Two fixture 3-0 at the then New Meadow and helped push Wrexham closer to relegation from the Football League.

Wrexham would go on to drop out of the league, and wouldn't return until 2023 when they went up as National League champions.

With the riches of celebrity owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds behind them, they are pushing for a second successive promotion and currently lie third in League Two.

What is the overall record between the two teams?

The record between the two teams is dead even after 53 games played - 21 wins apiece and 11 draws.

According to 11v11.com, which tracks head-to-head records between teams, the first match between the two teams was also an FA Cup game, hosted by Shrewsbury, on December 8 of 1945. Wrexham won 1-0.

That year's tournament, after the Second World War, was the only year the competition had two-legged ties. A week after the Wrexham victory, the teams played the second leg which ended in a 1-1 draw, meaning Wrexham went through with a 2-1 aggregate lead.

The competition that has seen the most matches between the two teams is the old Third Division, with 20 games played between 1960 and 1978.