Could Wrexham Really Reach The Premier League?

For those wondering what adjacent for Wrexham, nan connection from 1 half of nan Hollywood ownership is unequivocal.

"Not. Done. Yet."

Rob McElhenney had been asked to sum up events astatine nan Stok Cae Ras connected Saturday arsenic nan northbound Wales nine celebrated reaching nan second-tier of English shot for only nan 2nd clip successful its history.

It is rather nan statement, fixed nan accelerated emergence nether McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds has already seen Wrexham spell from nan little extremity of nan non-league 5th tier to 1 measurement distant from nan Premier League.

But nan communicative appears acold from complete fixed nan plans for nan adjacent steps, immoderate taking spot wrong hours of Phil Parkinson's broadside sealing an unprecedented 3rd successive promotion.

"Four years ago, this man [McElhenney] said our extremity is to make it to nan Premier League," Reynolds told Sky Sports aft nan triumph complete Charlton Athletic.

"And location was understandably a batch of titters, laughter and giggles - but it's starting to consciousness for illustration a tangible point that could really travel to fruition."

The occurrence truthful acold has agelong shown nan A-list backed ambition is nary joke.

But arsenic they hole to caput to nan Championship, do Wrexham person what it takes to compete pinch caller rivals specified arsenic Leicester City, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion?

And tin Wrexham really spell up different level and make it to nan Premier League?

"We ever had nan ambition to spell arsenic precocious arsenic we could, but we person astir apt outstripped expectations – surely successful position of nan velocity successful which we person sewage here," says head Humphrey Ker.

"But that's testament to [manager] Phil Parkinson."

And nan 'In Phil we Trust' mantra from nan ownership looks group to proceed aft nan 57-year-old sealed a sixth-career promotion, now down only nan likes of Graham Taylor, Dave Bassett and Jim Smith (seven promotions) and Neil Warnock (eight) successful nan number of times he has taken teams up a division.

The erstwhile Bolton Wanderers leader has overseen a steady, stealth-like improvement of his squad each play – pinch nan starting XI against Charlton only containing 3 who featured successful League Two – each nan while maintaining a squad tone that Ker says "has permeated done everything we've done successful 4 years".

Some signings made complete nan past play were pinch nan early successful mind successful position of property and potential, specified arsenic ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

"They are Championship-ready players who tin turn and develop," adds erstwhile Wrexham subordinate and head Andy Morrell, who besides played Championship shot pinch Coventry City and Blackpool.

"Ryan Longman, Max Cleworth, Lewis Brunt – and past added connected that you person a sprinkling of players for illustration Matty James and James McClean. Players who cognize what it takes – and besides really to woody pinch nan unit and nan spotlight that comes to playing for Wrexham these days."

Rather than ripping up nan side, Morrell believes "three to 5 signings" could guarantee Wrexham compete and effort to gauge whether they request to put much successful nan playing squad.

"They won't unreserved it, they will springiness players who won promotion a chance and usage that momentum," he says.

"But they person nan resources that if they find themselves pinch an opportunity, they tin push nan fastener to spell again for illustration they did successful signing Sam Smith."

Smith – whose acrobatic extremity helped present promotion and gain lavish praise from Reynolds – became Wrexham's grounds signing for a reported £2m successful January.

Big money for a broadside operating connected frees and non-contracts not truthful agelong ago, but mini fry erstwhile it comes to pushing for nan Premier League.

"Money talks successful football," says erstwhile Wales and Wrexham skipper Barry Horne. "The convention array tends to necktie itself to income and there's a relationship pinch nan costs bill.

"But Wrexham already person that expertise to compete."

That is because nan club's astir caller accounts – covering their play successful League Two – show their gross is already comparable to top-half Championship clubs.

And there's room for more, without overmuch interest of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) affecting things.

Though clubs pinch parachute payments frm nan Premier League will guidelines above, Wrexham will expect an uplift connected nan £26m that came done nan doors successful 2023-24.

Increased TV monies unsocial should boost that by £8m, earlier accrued sponsorship gross pursuing yet different promotion.

High floor plan deals are expected to proceed pinch nan nine making nan astir of their unsocial trading model: a globally-screened documentary and nan floor plan their ownership brings.

Shirt income are already connected a Premier League standard and reported pre-season games successful Australia show ambitions to grow beyond conscionable nan US wherever each Wrexham crippled is screened unrecorded and attracts top-level audiences.

Talks person already outlined nan benignant of playing budgets required adjacent twelvemonth (they operated connected astir £11m successful 23-24) and an acceptance that it will statesman to separator towards nan Championship mean of astir double that figure.

But location is besides nan truth that players are attracted to Wrexham not by conscionable money, but by nan ambition and excitement astir nan club.

So it does not mean Wrexham are astir to walk silly money.

"People will talk astir nan money, but it's ne'er been astir blank cheques," adds Ker.

"The purpose has ever been to unrecorded wrong our intends truthful nan nine doesn't suffer erstwhile Rob and Ryan move on, which will yet hap moreover if it's decades from now."

Still, Wrexham are astir to participate a world wherever yearly eight-figure losses travel arsenic standard.

But Reynolds and McElhenney do person support connected that front, arsenic good arsenic successful position of investing successful different projects arsenic nan nine tries to support gait pinch its growth.

New head Kaleen Allyn and begetter Eric Allyn – whose entrepreneurial family sold nan Welch Allyn aesculapian diagnostic business for much than $2bn successful 2015 – were among those celebrating astatine nan Stok Cae Ras connected Saturday and are excited for nan club's early having go number shareholders pinch a liking thought to beryllium betwixt 10-15%.

With a history of philanthropy and organization finance astir their New York State home, they besides person nan intends to supply a crutch for nan club's expansive plans pinch Ker saying they person "warmly embraced nan squad and nan town".

Further finance and equity from others if needed successful clip is not being ruled out, but only from those – for illustration nan Allyns – who will beryllium emotionally, arsenic good arsenic financially, invested.

Such money will beryllium needed arsenic nan turbo-charged emergence intends Wrexham person their activity trim retired to drawback up pinch nan maturation of nan club.

Investment has been pushed towards improving nan off-the-field workings of a nine tally by supporters little than 5 years ago, boosting unit and expertise connected nan business and commercialized broadside of things.

Key infrastructure projects person been addressed, pinch a caller training crushed much-needed; nan nine presently utilise nan Football Association of Wales' Colliers Park venue, but judge it is not sustainable.

There is simply a existent consciousness excessively of nan necessity to amended nan academy to velocity up a accumulation of location grown players to supplement signings and make much of nan 'Wrexham-mania' among youngsters successful a catchment area that has traditionally been a hotbed of talent - deliberation Ian Rush, Mark Hughes and Neville Southall, and much recently, Harry Wilson and Neco Williams.

All that will return a small clip to travel to fruition, but supporters will soon beryllium capable to witnesser nan first steps of nan privilege task astatine Wrexham.

Wrexham's attendances will beryllium nan lowest successful nan Championship adjacent season, pinch nan Stok Cae Ras' capacity reduced to beneath 10,000 arsenic activity originates connected a caller Kop.

Removal of nan impermanent guidelines is owed to statesman imminently pinch a caller 5,500-seater extremity owed to beryllium completed successful clip for nan commencement of nan 2026-27 season.

Designed by Populous – nan aforesaid patient down Wembley, nan Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and moreover Las Vegas' Sphere – it will unfastened nan doorway for greater gross from surrounding amenities.

There is scope to adhd a further 2,000 seats, but besides unfastened up nan anticipation for redeveloping different sides of nan grounds to lucifer and ticking each nan boxes of a Premier League venue successful nan aforesaid measurement Bournemouth person done.

And pinch world request for tickets genuine – pinch visitors moreover attending connected non-matchdays to get a glimpse of nan nine made celebrated by its high-profile documentary – nan nine are keen to beryllium successful a position to accommodate a increasing fanbase.

Work has begun connected nan playing aboveground excessively – a caller 7 fig finance into a hybrid transportation pinch undersoil heating to meet elite level standards and imaginable world fixtures.

It is each caller crushed for nan club.

In March 2020, they were being held astatine location by Eastleigh to enactment wrong 2 points of nan National League relegation places.

Covid hit, nan play was suspended, and McElhenney was told by Ker to watch Sunderland Till I Die. The remainder is shot history, pinch Wrexham preparing to compete against arsenic galore arsenic 21 teams who person antecedently played successful nan Premier League, including 2 erstwhile champions.

But location person been examples of teams jumping from League One to nan Premier League: Watford (1999), Manchester City (2000), Norwich City (2011), Southampton (2012) and Ipswich Town (2024) each achieving nan feat.

"There's nary logic why they won't person different go," says Horne.

No-one astatine Wrexham connected Saturday nighttime would beryllium tempted into saying a 4th successful a statement could happen, but no-one is ruling it retired either.

As Ker says: "Our top occurrence has been taking 1 measurement astatine a clip and saying 'Right, what's next?'"

The shot world is eager to find out.