Inside Wrexham AFC’s Journey
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Whether you are a football fanatic or not, the name ‘Wrexham AFC’ will probably ring a bell.
Over the past few years, the Welsh city of Wrexham has been put on the map by its football club, the world-wide recognised Wrexham AFC.
Founded in 1864, Wrexham AFC is one of the oldest football teams in the world. Originally, it was founded by Wrexham’s cricketers as a substitute sport to play during the winter months. But very soon, football’s importance to the town and local culture was undeniable. Over the years, the club gained a reputation as ‘cup giant killers’, reaching the quarter final of both the League Cup and FA Cup in 1977 / 1978, and beating football giant Arsenal in 1992.
At the turn of the 21st century, Wrexham AFC’s luck began to decline. The club suffered turmoil and had to fight to keep their iconic Racecourse ground after then-chairman Alex Hamilton attempted to evict them in 2004. Wrexham managed to cling onto the Football League until 2008, but were then relegated. This was followed by major financial problems, with fans having to raise over £100,000 in 24 hours to retain the club’s place in the league. After this, it became supporter owned. This came with further problems, with a fan saying “Because it was a fan run club, we couldn’t afford to get the best players, so we couldn’t get promotion. There was a real sense of dread when Wrexham used to play in the national league, we would always lose”.
In 2020, however, an unexpected spotlight was shone on Wrexham. Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhanney made a bid to take ownership of the club, with it unclear to some fans why they would want to buy Wrexham, of all places. After establishing their desire for a team with a passionate fanbase, a compelling story, and a huge potential for revitalization, fans were satisfied and confirmed the deal with a supporter’s vote.
Immediate investments were made into the club, including £2 million being put towards the infrastructure and the squad, and the appointment of Phil Parkinson as manager, who has a 62% win rate in league games for Wrexham. For the first time in the English Football League’s top five tiers, Wrexham achieved three consecutive promotions. After beating Boreham Wood 3-1 in April 2023 to secure promotion to the Football League, Wrexham went on to confirm a second place finish and secured a promotion to League One in April 2024. The following season, a win over Charlton Athletic secured them a third successive promotion, landing them in the Championship.
Following Wrexham’s journey has been the documentary Welcome to Wrexham, which has played a prominent role in the club’s rise to global fame and won eight Primetime Emmy Awards.
Ryan and Rob’s efforts have not been limited to the football club alone, with significant investments being made into the city of Wrexham, which narrowly missed out on becoming the UK city of culture in 2025.
Wrexham FC has even greater plans for the future of the community, working alongside Wrexham Glyndŵr University on a civic and economic plan to develop a large area near the university, football club, and train station, including plans for a national football development centre.
The long-term goal for Ryan and Rob is to grow the team, promote Wrexham to a Premier League side, and develop a training ground with new facilities for both the academy and women’s side.
Currently standing at 6th in the Championship, it is clear that Wrexham has bountiful opportunities to grow even further. However, with a squad desperately in need of championship-level players, alongside such a small stadium and local fan base, just how realistic is it for Wrexham to reach the Premier League?
Time will only tell whether or not Ryan and Rob’s leadership can continue in this upwards trajectory.