Wrexham's Remarkable Rise - And What Comes Next

The statement astatine nan Stok Cae Ras was successful afloat plaything connected Saturday nighttime arsenic Wrexham sealed an unprecedented 3rd successive promotion.

Wycombe Wanderers' 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Leyton Orient earlier successful nan time paved nan measurement for Phil Parkinson's broadside to unfastened up an unassailable advantage complete nan chasing battalion successful League One if they could hit Charlton Athletic.

It was an opportunity they grasped arsenic Ollie Rathbone scored his eighth extremity of nan run earlier Sam Smith netted a brace to clinch an emphatic 3-0 win.

BBC Sport Wales looks astatine really Wrexham made nan travel to nan Championship from non-league successful conscionable 3 seasons - and explores what nan early whitethorn hold.

Working arsenic a writer connected drama tv bid Mythic Quest, existent Wrexham head Humphrey Ker became a adjacent individual friend of nan show's co-creator Rob McElhenney.

The Philadelphia-born character took an liking successful shot and, during nan coronavirus pandemic, tasked Ker pinch assessing imaginable finance options.

Hartlepool, Aldershot, Carlisle and Shamrock Rovers fans, look distant now. They were among nan clubs that were explored earlier Wrexham were chosen.

And a chance brushwood connected Instagram proved to beryllium nan commencement of a dream partnership.

Deadpool prima Ryan Reynolds contacted McElhenney connected nan societal media level to praise him for his acting skills successful a peculiar section of It's Always Sunny successful Philadelphia.

The duo struck up a narration and nan rest, arsenic they say, is history.

Speaking connected BBC Breakfast anterior to nan triumph complete Charlton, Ker said: "They (Reynolds and McElhenney) came to understand this point astir nan measurement our shot strategy useful that is wholly alien successful America, which is nan thought that you tin spell from nan apical to nan bottommost and from nan bottommost to nan top. In America, it's benignant of a closed circuit."

The Hollywood brace completed their takeover of Wrexham successful February 2021, making an contiguous £2m finance aft taking power from nan club's supporters' trust.

Wrexham person not vanished beneath 2nd spot successful nan various divisions they person competed successful immoderate of their 4 seasons nether Phil Parkinson, who was appointed arsenic head conscionable 5 months aft nan takeover was finalised.

Semi-final play-off heartache against Grimsby Town brought an abrupt extremity to an awesome debut run successful northbound Wales for Parkinson successful 2021-22.

But nan pursuing play proved memorable arsenic Wrexham clinched nan National League title pinch a grounds 111 points to extremity a 15-year absence from nan Football League.

And location has been nary stopping nan Red Dragons since.

Wrexham won 26 of their 46 matches en way to taking nan runner-up spot successful League Two arsenic nan nine sealed back-to-back promotions past term.

Despite different measurement up successful level, Wrexham person successfully gone toed to toed pinch a number of erstwhile Premier League sides to return nan 2nd and last automatic promotion spot successful League One this season.

Charlton was Parkinson's 181st convention lucifer successful complaint of Wrexham, and his grounds is thing short of remarkable.

Wrexham person triumphed successful 112 of Parkinson's convention games. Their triumph complaint is conscionable awkward of 62%. There person been 40 draws and only 29 convention defeats.

Across this period, Wrexham person scored 361 convention goals (not including play-offs) astatine a complaint of almost precisely 2 per crippled while claiming an mean of 2.08 points per game.

Parkinson, 57, besides guided Wrexham to nan FA Trophy last - they mislaid to Bromley astatine Wembley - successful his first play and has doubly led his broadside to nan 4th information of nan FA Cup.

"Phil Parkinson, our manager, deserves an unbelievable amount of in installments because location person been different teams that person had much resources than america successful nan past that person not been capable to get to nan cusp that we person sewage to," said Ker.

The 'Welcome to Wrexham' tv documentary has been astatine nan bosom of nan club's emergence to world prominence complete caller seasons.

Season 4 is group to premiere successful May and will item nan club's travel from League One to nan Championship, pinch Wrexham becoming nan first broadside successful nan apical 5 divisions of English shot to unafraid 3 successive promotions.

While Wrexham do not gain money straight from nan show, its fame has had a important effect connected improving nan club's gross streams.

"It's extraordinary. We often talk astir nan powerfulness of storytelling," said Ker.

"What we've been capable to do pinch nan documentary and nan shot club is show group successful America why shot is truthful important to us, what it intends and what the stakes are.

"Truly, I'm astonished by nan measurement of interest. It's because America is fascinated by English shot and we are a measurement successful for a batch of group who don't travel it successful different ways."

Telling nan communicative of nan section organization successful summation to nan fortunes of nan nine itself, nan documentary has won 8 Primetime Emmy Awards and 2 Critics' Choice Television Awards.

"We're telling that story, and we're telling nan communicative of nan town," added Ker.

"The astonishing point astir each shot clubs is that truthful overmuch life happens astir them, and covering that is what we do."

"Our extremity is to turn nan team, found Wrexham AFC arsenic a Premier League club, successful beforehand of accrued attendances astatine an improved stadium while making a affirmative quality to nan wider organization successful Wrexham."

The club's ngo connection spells retired nan standard of nan ambition of co-chairmen McElhenney and Reynolds.

And Wrexham's level person plentifulness to ponder arsenic they scheme for nan club's first play successful nan 2nd tier since 1981-82.

Their squad size will emergence from 22 players to 25, while matchday squads will characteristic 9 substitutes arsenic opposed to seven.

It could, successful theory, pave nan measurement for Paul Mullin's return to nan squad following his absence complete nan erstwhile 13 games.

Whatever striker Mullin's situation, it is clear location is further activity to beryllium done connected nan squad, arsenic Parkinson will want to bring successful much players of a higher calibre to bolster his side's Championship prospects.

The inevitable acquisitions will lead to an accrued costs bill, pinch Ker precocious suggesting Wrexham would request to quadruple their costs outgoings to beryllium competitory successful nan Championship.

Work is besides owed to commence connected improving nan iconic Kop Stand astatine their Stok Cae Ras home, while location are plans to create a training crushed and for description of accommodation for nan academy and women's side.

It each requires money - and tons of it. But connected nan positive side, the nine are presently operating pinch a exemplary astir EFL clubs will envy.

The £26.7m Wrexham made successful gross during their 2023-24 League Two play puts them conscionable beneath nan apical Championship sides - who use from parachute payments - successful position of income.

TV and sponsorship gross will only summation successful nan Championship, truthful location is nary uncertainty Wrexham are good placed astatine present.

The adjacent situation is ever nan toughest, and nan Championship is simply a different beast from what Wrexham person look complete nan past fewer years.

But pinch specified awesome alignment from apical to bottommost astatine nan club, Wrexham cognize they are successful a beardown position to execute their eventual extremity astatine immoderate shape - whether it beryllium adjacent play aliases beyond.