Wrexham promoted: How Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney and Phil Parkinson steered the Purple Dragons to back-to-back-to-back promotions

No membership within the historical past of the Soccer League had ever earlier than accomplished back-to-back-to-back promotions.

Till Saturday April 26 2025, that was.

With a 3-0 win over Charlton, Phil Parkinson’s aspect adopted champions Birmingham in sealing computerized promotion from Sky Guess League One to the Championship with one recreation to spare.

Three of the membership’s eight promotions in historical past have now come within the final three seasons; their fast rise from the doldrums noticed them topped Nationwide League champions in 2022/23 and Sky Guess League Two runners-up in 2023/24.

Simply over 4 years after Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney accomplished their takeover of the Welsh membership, the Premier League is in sight.

Right here, Sky Sports activities takes a take a look at a journey that, so far, has been nothing in need of unimaginable.

Hollywood involves North Wales as Rob and Ryan arrive

From 1921 to 2008, Wrexham had been a Soccer League membership. However after relegation from League Two beneath Brian Little, they disappeared from the minds of many.

Greater than a decade glided by with out them managing to discover a approach out of the notoriously difficult Nationwide League.

In each 2010/11 and 2011/12, they misplaced to Luton within the play-off semi-finals. They had been overwhelmed within the ultimate by Newport in 2012/13 and in 2018/19, Eastleigh knocked them out on the quarter-finals.

Then, in late 2020 – virtually unbelievably – a takeover by Reynolds – the person behind the masks of Marvel’s ‘Deadpool’ – and McElhenney – star of long-running sitcom ‘It is At all times Sunny in Philadelphia’ – was introduced. In February 2021, it was accomplished, when 98.6 per cent of Wrexham Supporters Belief members voted in favour.

Although tv cameras descended on The Racecourse Floor, as manufacturing started on FX’s documentary sequence ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ for the primary time, the pair’s first few months weren’t vastly glamorous. There was a late sprint for the play-offs beneath Dean Keates, however Wrexham completed one level quick ultimately.

However this was a challenge – and there may be typically failure alongside the street to success.

Equally as essential as beginning an increase up the divisions was wanting to interact the group. McElhenney spoke about visions of Wrexham’s residence being full once more, because it was within the 70s. “Our hope is that we can help Wrexham become a global force,” stated Reynolds.

Failure and success as foundations for the historic rise are laid

The 2021/22 marketing campaign was transformative for Wrexham. Phil Parkinson – a person with three managerial promotions on his CV – was put in as supervisor, social media platform TikTok grew to become their principal shirt sponsor and the signing of Paul Mullin on a free switch from Cambridge proved to be a masterstroke, as he scored 26 targets in 38 league video games.

Parkinson’s aspect completed second on 88 factors, however that was six in need of champions Stockport. One more unsuccessful play-off marketing campaign adopted, as Grimsby dumped them out by the use of an exciting 5-4 semi-final win after extra-time. That added insult to harm as, six days prior, that they had misplaced the FA Trophy ultimate to Bromley at Wembley.

They had been promoted again to the EFL after 15 lengthy years in 2022/23 having been engaged in a title battle for the ages with Notts County. A near-perfect residence document of twenty-two wins, one draw and nil defeats was undoubtedly the important thing think about pipping the Magpies to the title by 111 factors to 107.

Final season, there was merely no let-up.

The signings of vastly skilled pair – at home and worldwide stage – James McClean and Steven Fletcher, along with Ben Foster signing a brand new deal, introduced much-needed nous and know-how. In any other case, the majority of the squad that was there within the Nationwide League was there in League Two.

From October 21 to the ultimate day of the season, Wrexham didn’t drop under fifth. And 5 straight wins to shut the season noticed them end solely 4 factors behind champions Stockport. The haul of 88 factors was their greatest EFL return in historical past.

“A few years ago, if you told me I would be crying tears of joy over a football match taking place in North Wales, you would be Rob McElhenney,” Reynolds posted on X after promotion was confirmed. “Congrats to Wrexham and my co-chairman in crime. Double up the town! This is the ride of our lives.”

No room for sentiment in plotting a path to the subsequent stage

With the intention to then be aggressive in League One, sentiment needed to exit of the window. Gamers with expertise of taking part in within the third tier or above, in addition to children with excessive potential, had been introduced in. Promotion-winners, together with Anthony Forde, James Jones and Jacob Mendy, had been both let go or needed to accept a decreased position.

The identical will be stated for Mullin. In his first three seasons, he grew to become the membership’s poster boy, spearheading two straight promotions with 105 targets in simply 140 video games in all competitions. He has managed simply 9 begins and three targets within the league this time round, nevertheless, and has not performed because the 3-2 defeat to Stevenage on January 28.

“We’ve had to fast-track the quality of the squad,” stated Parkinson, talking to Sky Sports activities within the lead-up to the Easter weekend.

“For years and years, through no one’s fault but just the club not having any money and having really difficult times, the squad quality-wise and depth was a long way off where it needed to be to mount the kind of challenge we’ve done in the last few years.

“So we have needed to fast-track the standard stage inside the group, whereas additionally trying on the sustainable mannequin for a soccer membership going ahead.

“The academy is a great example. In the National League, we didn’t really have a youth structure. We were unable to and gradually, year on year, we’re getting stronger in that department because Rob and Ryan listen to the advice of everybody. They’ve understood putting the infrastructure in place.

“In years to come back, we have to produce our personal gamers as a result of when it will get to a stage that you would be able to’t all the time compete within the switch market with groups in and round you, it is good to have gamers coming by way of. We have got a number of in the mean time, which has been sensible for us and there is nothing supporters like greater than their very own grown gamers.”

Momentum never dies at the Racecourse

This term, it has simply been a case of rinse and repeat. Four wins and a draw in the first five – keeping four clean sheets along the way – would have looked like beginner’s luck for most teams. But Wrexham aren’t most teams.

Barring the 3-1 loss at Birmingham on September 16, each of their seven other defeats have come by a one-goal margin. Only five teams – Burnley (13), Arsenal (27), Birmingham (29), Leeds (29) and Liverpool (31) – have conceded fewer goals across the top four divisions of English football. Goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has the most clean sheets in League One, with 17.

That’s not to say it has been clean crusing. Ten of their 24 wins so far have come by a 1-0 scoreline and 5 of these 24 have been gained by targets scored on or past the eightieth minute. However with two Hollywood actors on the helm, what would this story be with out a contact of drama?

“I just said to the lads today that we don’t go into any game expecting favours from anyone else, it’s just about concentrating on our own job,” stated Parkinson.

“We’ve been in this situation before in the National League with Notts County where we went toe to toe with them. All you can do is control what you can control – and that’s your own performance level.

“There’s sure issues which are out of our management and a type of is the opposite group’s performances and outcomes, so we all know what we have got to do.”

And that is precisely what they did.

Wycombe pushed exhausting, however Wrexham prevailed to make historical past ultimately. Their unimaginable feat will stand out by itself within the historical past books for a few years to come back.

Now comes the Championship, the place they’ve by no means performed earlier than.

There have been 4 Second Division seasons after they gained the Third in 1977/78, however since 1982, each league recreation they’ve performed has been within the third, fourth and fifth tier soccer. That is uncharted territory for big sections of the fanbase.

To have achieved what Wrexham have during the last three seasons takes some doing. Potential hurdles and heartbreak could have been factored into their plans, but, remarkably, little or no has slowed their momentum.

The work won’t cease there. Why wouldn’t it? Granted, promotion from the Championship to the Premier League will likely be one other mammoth process altogether. However Rob and Ryan didn’t come right here to accept something much less.

And now they’ve achieved the improbably, what’s to cease Wrexham believing they will obtain the not possible?