FA Cup: Wrexham’s wish finally comes true as Nottingham Forest tie awaits

Wrexham boast a rich heritage in the FA Cup, with their 2-1 triumph over Arsenal in 1992 still being one of the greatest shocks in the competition’s history.

They reached the quarter-finals in 1973-74, 1977-78 and 1996-97 and have beaten top-flight opponents including Ipswich Town, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Middlesbrough over the years.

The scale of the task that lies ahead against two-time winners Forest will not be lost on Parkinson and his squad whatsoever, particularly as the club are entering the FA Cup at the third-round stage for the first time in 43 years.

But while the Premier League target remains in sight, the world’s oldest national football competition is undoubtedly embedded in the culture of Wrexham.

“This morning we had a meeting with the lads and went through what we expect Nottingham Forest to do football-wise,” Parkinson said.

“But we also spoke about the club’s history in the FA Cup and showed them some of the footage of the Arsenal win, the Newcastle win, the West Ham win and obviously rolled into the game at Coventry and what it meant to everybody to continue the tradition.

“We touched on the Sheffield United game here as well and showed the footage of Ryan [Reynolds] coming into the dressing room and the emotion in the way he spoke to the lads because the atmosphere in the ground that night was something special.

“So it’s important that everybody understands we’ve got a long tradition of FA Cup memories here at the club.”