Wrexham’s Unbelievable Journey: One Step from Premier League Glory
WREXHAM, Wales — Wrexham are on the brink of achieving what seemed impossible just a few years ago: a place in the Premier League. This club, with its Hollywood owners, is crafting a narrative that rivals the most extraordinary plots in Tinseltown. After securing a historic third successive promotion, Wrexham is potentially just one year away from joining the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal in football’s most glamorous league.
When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham for a mere £2 million in February 2021, the team was languishing in English football’s fifth tier, facing off against teams like Wealdstone, Dover Athletic, and King’s Lynn Town. The Premier League wasn’t even a distant dream; fans were simply hoping for the club’s survival.
Under the stewardship of “Rob and Ryan,” the transformation has been nothing short of miraculous. Wrexham is now within touching distance of the Premier League, having returned to the second tier for the first time since their relegation at the end of the 1981-82 season.
“Our goal is to make it to the Premier League,” Reynolds declared, setting the tone for the club’s ambitions after securing promotion.
Wrexham has achieved what no other club in English football has done before: three consecutive promotions. Their 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic at Stok Cae Ras on Saturday ensured their promotion from League One to the EFL Championship, continuing their incredible rise from the National League.
Now, the real challenge begins.
Wrexham’s meteoric rise is a fairytale rooted in smart management and strategic investment both on and off the pitch. The club has spent wisely, not lavishly, on players. For instance, Sam Smith, who scored two goals against Charlton following Ollie Rathbone‘s opener, became Wrexham’s record signing for a relatively modest £2 million in January.
However, the leap from League One to the Championship is significant. Reynolds, McElhenney, and the New York-based Allyn family, who became minority investors in October 2024, face a crucial summer as they prepare for the challenges of the Championship.
“That’s for tomorrow,” McElhenney quipped when asked about the Championship challenge. “Today is just for enjoying the moment. We can leave that until 12:01!”
In the Championship, Wrexham will face teams like Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton, who will receive a “parachute payment” of £39 million to ease the financial blow of relegation from the top flight. Other big-city teams like Sunderland, Coventry City, and the Sheffield teams United and Wednesday have played in front of average attendances exceeding 26,000 this season.
Wrexham’s average attendance of 12,757 during their 2024-25 League One campaign — 12,774 witnessed the win against Charlton — would be the third-smallest in the Championship this season. These numbers highlight the financial leap Wrexham must make to compete with clubs that have greater earning potential through ticket sales.
However, Wrexham’s advantage lies in their ability to offset this financial shortfall through high-profile sponsorship deals, such as their front-of-shirt partnership with United Airlines. This partnership helped the club’s turnover climb to £26.7 million, a 155% increase from the previous year, as reported in their accounts for the year ending June 30, 2024. These figures, which show commercial revenue rising to £13.18 million from £1.88 million, only cover their season in League Two. They are expected to grow exponentially as Wrexham continues to climb the football ladder.
This financial growth means that when manager Phil Parkinson draws up his list of potential signings this summer, he can target Premier League free agents like Manchester United’s Jonny Evans, Leicester forward Jamie Vardy, Everton defender Michael Keane, or Newcastle United‘s Callum Wilson.
While Wrexham has the financial clout and Hollywood appeal to attract many players to the Championship, even Reynolds and McElhenney might struggle to lure stars like Manchester City‘s Kevin De Bruyne or Inter Miami CF‘s Lionel Messi. But with Wrexham, anything seems possible.
“We will take the Championship full-on, just as we have done in recent years,” Parkinson stated. “We are going into one of the most competitive leagues in world football, and it is going to be a huge challenge. We will sit back, recruit the right players, and try to get the squad as strong as possible. And then enjoy the ride.”
Wrexham’s rise from the National League began with the hiring of a proven EFL manager in Parkinson, who has now achieved six promotions, and persuading players like Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee to drop two divisions to join the Wrexham rollercoaster. Mullin and Lee have become peripheral figures, victims of the club’s rapid rise, with players of a higher caliber now taking their places. But the blueprint of attracting players from a higher level to take a step down is what Wrexham must continue to follow, and it is why their fans can expect an exciting summer of recruitment.
Wrexham has already performed a football miracle by winning promotion three seasons in a row, but the next promotion — if it comes — would be a different level of achievement entirely.
- Ipswich, Norwich City, Southampton, and Watford have all gone straight from League One, through the Championship, and into the Premier League.
- Luton Town completed their journey from the National League to the Premier League in 11 years.
The precedent has been set. Now it’s Wrexham’s turn to put them all in the shade.
Originally Written by: Mark Ogden
