The Red Dragons are now just one step away from the Premier League, but taking it promises to be the toughest task yet
For the first time in 43 years, Wrexham will be competing in the second tier of English football. Three years ago, when the Red Dragons were still a National League club, that seemed like an impossible goal, but Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have raised expectations at the Racecourse Ground to never-before-seen levels.
Wrexham ended up becoming National League champions in 2022-23 with a record haul of 111 points, and followed up that success by finishing second in both League Two and League One over the next two seasons to earn an incredible slice of history. No other club in the English ladder has ever achieved three successive promotions, and it may never happen again.
Reynolds, McElhenney - who recently changed his name to Rob Mac - and Wrexham head coach Phil Parkinson deserve immense credit for getting the club this far, and the beloved co-owners are optimistic that the unprecedented run will continue in the Championship, too, with McElhenney recently saying on X: "If I’m being honest, I don’t even know what the word consolidation means."
But the reality is, reaching the Premier League at the first time of asking would be nothing short of a miracle considering how big the jump from League One to the Championship is. Indeed, only five clubs have ever done it, the latest being Ipswich Town in 2023-24, but they have a far larger fanbase and greater financial weight than Wrexham. The considerable resources provided by Reynolds and McElhenney gave Wrexham an edge in the lower leagues, but their revenue does not compare to the bigger Championship sides.
"We’re going into one of the most competitive leagues in world football. One of the most supported leagues. The jump in salaries is mind-blowing. I don’t think people outside football quite realise," Parkinson has said in an attempt to give supporters a reality check.
All of that will have to be factored in when judging what should be considered a successful season for the Welsh outfit this time around. GOAL has taken a look at what realistically lies in store as Wrexham face the most daunting challenge of their Hollywood era to date...