When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased Wrexham AFC, they certainly had high hopes for how to transform the Welsh club.
Yet even they would not have dreamed of the upward trajectory the side has experienced in the past three seasons. Wrexham rocketed up the English football pyramid since the two joined, re-entering the Football League in 2023.
Phil Parkinson’s side went straight up from League Two, and a dominant 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic on Saturday secured promotion from League One to the Championship.
That means the Welsh club is just one step away from the Premier League, the club is the closest it’s been to the top flight since 1982.
The Sporting News details just how far Wrexham have come in recent years, and what they have to do to reach the Premier League from here.
MORE: Which teams have been promoted to the Premier League this season?
Wrexham recent rise closes in on third promotion in three years
Wrexham’s upswing in the past few years has been nothing short of astonishing, as the club has experienced a truly sensational rise up the English football pyramid.
When Reynolds and McElhenney purchased Wrexham in 2020, they were playing in the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football, below the EFL in the divisions known as “non-league football.”
Wrexham finished eighth in 2020/21, and then rose to second in 2021/22, the new owners’ first full season in charge. They fell just short of promotion as they lost 5-4 in extra time against Grimsby Town in the playoff semifinal.
They achieved automatic promotion to League Two, the fourth tier, in 2022/23 as they won the National League title, and then a second-place finish in League Two the following season saw them promoted again to League One.
The Red Dragons headed into their penultimate game against Charlton knowing victory would give them an unassailable five-point advantage over third-placed Stockport County heading into the final round of games.
Oliver Rathbone opened the scoring in the 15th minute, with Sam Smith adding a sensational second soon after. Smith completed his brace inside the final 10 minutes amid scenes of delirium at the Racecourse Ground.
Wrexham’s move to the Championship sets an English Football League record, as they become the first team ever to achieve three straight promotions into the top-four levels.
List of Wrexham seasons under current ownership
| Season | League | Finish | Result |
| 2020/21 | National League | 8th | — |
| 2021/22 | National League | 2nd | Lost in playoff semi-final |
| 2022/23 | National League | 1st | Promotion to League Two |
| 2023/24 | League Two | 2nd | Promotion to League One |
| 2024/25 | League One | 2nd | Promotion to the Championship |
How soon can Wrexham reach the Premier League?
There are now no more divisions between Wrexham and the top level of the pyramid, the famed Premier League. Only one more promotion is required to see them achieve an unthinkable rise through the standings.
To do so automatically, Wrexham simply must finish top two in the table as they have each of the past two years prior. If they fail to accomplish this, they can still earn the final promotion spot by winning the four-team playoff of those sides that finish third through sixth in the standings.
If they were to secure a fourth straight promotion to the top flight next season, it would represent an utterly unprecedented accomplishment never before seen in English football.
Fulham came close soon after Mohamed Al Fayed purchased the club. They narrowly avoided disaster by finishing 17th in the fourth tier in 1996 to barely escape relegation from the EFL altogether before making a remarkable push from there.
The Cottagers achieved three promotions in five seasons to reach the Premier League. However, none of those promotions were in consecutive seasons — they were bumped from the fourth tier to third in 1997 with a second-place finish, winning the third tier to reach the 2nd in 1999, and winning the second tier to reach the top flight in 2001.
