Underdog Stories: Why Wrexham AFC Should Aim for the English Premier League

This has affected their status as one of the historic clubs in football, especially in Wales. After finishing 4th overall in the 2018-19 season, Wrexham lost in the play-off quarterfinal to Eastleigh. A year later, the club then finished 19th and was so close to being relegated had it not been for the points per game that allowed them to have an edge over other clubs, which definitely saved their chances of being pushed down to the lower tiers of English Football. To make matters worse, it was also the lowest position that the club ever finished within its 150-year history at that time.

In their first full year as owners, Wrexham saw a lot of changes. From the signing of Phil Parkinson as the manager, star players Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee, had waves of impact on the club, and it changed their work ethic as well. For instance, the owners learned how to manage a football team well, which led them to improve the facilities of the team, as well as integrate the fanbase and reignite the city’s love for their club. They even went on to pursue a project to renovate the Racecourse Ground for the fans, which is the oldest international football stadium. It cannot be denied that the owners’ dedication to learning about the community, and how the team has been important to many fans in the city.

A by-product of Reynolds’ and McElhenney’s impressive management, Wrexham inked Paul Mullin in 2021-22 and then Elliot Lee in 2022-23. These two stars would play a huge role as Wrexham rallied their way from being a top-four club in the National League during their huge campaign in 2023, all the way to being the leading team by the closing stretch of the season. The duo combined for 50 goals in the season, with Mullin dropping 38 and helping Wrexham gain the upper hand in their key matches against leading contenders, especially in the showdown versus Notts Country in the April 2023 clash at 3-2, and their eventual title-winning match against Boreham Wood later that month.

The duo of Mullin and Lee provided the needed firepower that Wrexham didn’t have in the previous seasons. However, it is worth noting that these two players have also had their journeys in the team and it has led to a promising partnership between the stars so far. Their 2022-23 season saw growth and development across the squad, proving that they have what it takes to be a contender in the National League, and showing the world that they are not backing down from a tough challenge.

On top of all that, the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham proved to be a huge boost for the club’s popularity worldwide. Released by FX, Welcome to Wrexham highlighted the journey of the club following the takeover of Reynolds and McElhenney. From learning the basics of football, managing the club, highlighting the players’ stories and their struggles, all the way to the rise of the club as a force in the National League, the story told in that documentary proved to be an inspiring piece that has allowed Wrexham to ascend as one of the global teams – even though they are in the lower tiers of English football.

Wrexham AFC still has a lot of climbing to do. But the success of the club in the past few years has shown that they have great potential to forge one of the biggest underdog stories in English football. Imagine a climb that spanned from the fifth tier to the top. Wrexham is currently in EFL League Two, and a continued promotion will see them in the Premier League by the 2026-27 season.

So far, Wrexham is currently sitting at the third spot of the EFL League Two, which will result in them getting an automatic promotion to EFL League One by the end of the season should they stay on the prowl. Who knows, maybe Wrexham can even pull off a championship in EFL League Two, which should further increase their popularity and global recognition as time goes by.