After winning the National League title the previous year, Wrexham is looking to improve, and owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are supporting them.
Ryan Reynolds’ Premier League dream shows no signs of slowing down – as Wrexham have made a superb start to the season.
After 16 games, the Welsh team, who were promoted from the National League the previous season, is currently ranked third in League Two. Wrexham will advance further as the top three teams will be automatically promoted to League One.
Phil Parkinson’s team defeated Notts County 2-0 on Saturday to demonstrate their promotion credentials. Elliot Lee and Ollie Palmer’s goals in the second half proved to be enough as Wrexham defeated their rivals for promotion at Meadow Lane and maintained their position in the top three.
Parkinson acknowledged that the win was among his best as Wrexham’s manager. Considering they were crushed 5-0 at table-toppers Stockport in September and thrashed 5-3 by MK Dons on the season’s opening day, their promotion form is astounding.
Prior to their FA Cup match against Sheffield United in January, Reynolds, who co-owned Wrexham with fellow actor Rob McElhenney in February 2021, disclosed his Premier League target. The Blades prevailed 3-1 in the replay after the game ended 3-3.
“The Premier League has been and will continue to be the plan in ten years,” Reynolds said to legendary football players Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Mark Hughes on the BBC. “Why wouldn’t we try to move from the fifth division to the Premier League if it were theoretically possible?
“No one has ever accomplished anything great in this world by deciding to go halfway. Let’s push it to the limit because we think we can succeed. You can call us crazy, but that’s our desire. I would take this game very seriously if I were Sheffield United because we are playing in this church today—the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. All I will say is that.”
Taking Wrexham, Reynolds and McElhenney played English football in the fifth division. They will be in the third division and only two promotions away from joining the Premier League if they place in the top three of League Two this season or win the play-offs.
Obviously, the closer Wrexham gets to the promised land, the more difficult it will be for them to soar up the English football pyramid. They’ll need to hire more workers, upgrade the club’s facilities, and bring in better, more expensive players.
It remains to be seen if Wrexham will make it to the Premier League, but their supporters are enjoying the ride. Parkinson, who took office in July 2021, undoubtedly relished the significant victory on Saturday. “We’ve had a lot of disruption this week (with injuries), so I think it’s up there in terms of wins in my time as a manager at Wrexham,” he told reporters.
“To have all that disruption and put in a performance like we did is enormous credit to the lads and Notts are a good side… but I thought the way the lads implemented the game plan we set out was outstanding and it was a really important three points for us.”
