In the shadow of the historic Stok Cae Ras, thousands of jubilant supporters gathered over a sunny bank holiday weekend to celebrate an achievement many deemed impossible just three years ago. Wrexham AFC, a club that languished in non-league football for 15 years, has completed an unprecedented feat — three consecutive promotions culminating in Championship status for the first time since 1982.
With promotion secured, they can sit with their feet up and watch the play-offs, knowing they avoided being dragged into a tough battle. The Charlton Athletic vs Leyton Orient betting odds are proving tough to call, any many in north Wales will happily miss their day out at Wembley for the second tier.
When Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover in February 2021, scepticism abounded. Their stated ambition to take Wrexham to the Premier League seemed fanciful at best. Yet as supporters queued outside the Racecourse for League One celebrations, that dream now sits just one promotion away.
The celebrations following the decisive 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic confirmed what many had begun to believe impossible – a third straight promotion. The win, powered by goals from Ollie Rathbone and a Sam Smith brace, sealed Wrexham’s place in the history books.
Wrexham’s current success can be traced back to a pivotal moment in their National League title-winning season. The epic battle with Notts County for automatic promotion created one of the most compelling non-league narratives in memory, culminating in a crucial late-season clash at the Racecourse Ground.
The iconic image of 39-year-old emergency signing Ben Foster’s stoppage-time penalty save preserved Wrexham’s 3-2 victory. Had that moment gone differently, the entire trajectory of the
project could have veered dramatically off course – something teams across the EFL and the League One odds will experience in the coming weeks.
The dangers of the play-off lottery had already been painfully demonstrated the previous season when Wrexham fell to Grimsby Town in the semi-finals. With Notts County eventually securing promotion through those same play-offs, it’s sobering to consider how differently the Hollywood project might have unfolded had Wrexham been forced down that precarious route once more.
That single Foster save potentially altered football history, fuelling the momentum that has carried Wrexham through three divisions. The margins between success and failure in football can be wafer-thin, and Wrexham’s remarkable ascent has hinged on such decisive moments.
That said, this current crop deserve their credit for getting over the line. Manager Phil Parkinson deserves immense credit for navigating each new level with remarkable adaptability. His win rate of nearly 62% across 181 league matches tells only part of the story. This season, he demonstrated ruthless pragmatism by benching club heroes Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer in February when results demanded change.
The tactical shift to a 3-5-1-1 formation in November proved decisive, as was the January acquisition of record signing Sam Smith from Reading for £2 million. Smith’s championship-clinching header against Charlton epitomised Parkinson’s astute management – making tough decisions while maintaining the squad harmony that has characterised Wrexham’s rise.
Perhaps most impressive was the improvement in discipline. After accumulating six red cards last season, Wrexham completed the entire League One campaign without a single dismissal – joining only Rotherham United with this distinction.
Yet as the celebrations continue, the scale of the challenge ahead looms large. The squad will need significant strengthening to compete against former Premier League clubs benefiting from parachute payments. The playing staff will expand from 22 to 25, with matchday squads increasing to nine substitutes. Plans for improving training facilities must progress rapidly.
From non-league obscurity to the Championship in just three seasons, Wrexham’s trajectory shows no signs of slowing. The Premier League ambition that once drew mockery now feels tantalisingly within reach. For a club that bid farewell to the Football League at Lincoln City’s Sincil Bank 17 years ago, returning to the second tier represents a footballing resurrection almost without parallel.
As the celebrations subside and planning begins for Championship football, Wrexham stands as a club transformed, where the seemingly impossible has become routine. Few would now dare doubt that Premier League football might yet become Wrexham’s reality.