On Saturday 22nd April, it was confirmed that Wrexham will be playing in the Football League for the first time in 15 years following a 3-1 home win over Boreham Wood. A result that sealed the National League title and promotion back to the EFL for Phil Parkinson’s side in what has been a record-breaking season for the club.
In a season in which they faced heavy competition from Notts County who managed to push Phil Parkinson’s side all the way for the only automatic promotion spot in the National League, it was the Welsh side, co-owned by Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney, who came out on top to give the Wrexham faithful their day in the sun. The day in which they regained their Football League status for the first time since 2008.
https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1649857050589970435?s=20
In what has been a very hot and cold stint in the fifth tier for the side based in North Wales which includes five previous failed playoff attempts and even finishing as low as 19th in the 19/20 season (before the season was interrupted due to COVID-19), the club have gone from strength-to-strength since the takeover from both Reynolds and McElhenney. The club are now staring down the barrel in what is an exciting period in the club’s history and gaining promotion back to the Football League looks to be only the first step of their journey.
With promotion back amongst the 92 secured, this article will have a deep dive into what Wrexham fans can expect ahead of their first Football League campaign in 15 years. As well as this, I will also be taking a closer look at their current squad, what they need to do and what potential chances they could have in the League Two promotion race next season.
With that being said, let’s take a look back on Wrexham’s historic season and what chances they have ahead of their first season back in the EFL…
A National League season like no other
Before we look at what Wrexham could be up against heading into their first season in the Football League since 2008, it’s hard to ignore or underestimate what an outstanding season the club has had in the National League.
As well as setting the record for the most points in a National League season (currently on 110 points with one game left to play), beating the previous record set by Crawley Town in the 10/11 season in which they finished on 105 points, they have also managed to find the back of the net 115 times and have a goal difference of +73 with one game remaining.
With a points tally that has comfortably put Wrexham in the history books, with how ambitious the club are and the quality that the squad already possesses, there are signs that the club are not slowing down. After the season they’ve just had in which the squad has hit new depths, players and fans alike will no doubt go into the Football League season full of optimism and confidence of recreating that fate in a division above.
In saying that, it is also really hard to take any credit away from Notts County, who have also beaten Crawley’s record points tally as well as being involved in a tense title fight with Wrexham all season long.
In any other season, the Nottinghamshire-based club would have dominated the league and won it a long time ago (the same could be said for Wrexham of course), and I think a large amount of praise has to be given to Luke Williams’ team for the way they pushed Wrexham right to the very end in a season that has firmly put the Vanarama National League on the map.
https://twitter.com/Vanarama/status/1648427472424427521?s=20
A Squad which will only get stronger
Of course, a big part of the reason why Wrexham have just come off the back of a hugely successful campaign is because of the players at their disposal and the characters they have which has clearly made a big influence on the pitch.
Adding to the quality of the side that just narrowly missed out on promotion the previous season, Wrexham managed to add the likes of Elliot Lee, Jacob Mendy, Jordan Tunnicliffe and Sam Dalby to a squad that already consisted of the likes of Aaron Hayden, Ollie Palmer, Ben Tozer and Jordan Davies.
Even near the end of the season when the title race was heading right down to the wire, Wrexham managed to add fresh quality to their squad with the likes of Eoghan O’Connell, Ryan Barnett and former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster, who came out of retirement in order to help the Racecourse outfit achieve their promotion dream.
It’s not like Wrexham have a problem in attracting players either, with former Wales international Hal Robson-Kanu having reportedly asked Wrexham if he could play for the club, with the former West Bromwich Albion player kindly offering to give his salary away to charity. The fact that footballers are desperate to play for Wrexham must be music to the ears of their supporters.
At present, their squad is more than capable of doing similar things in League Two, with the squad only going to get stronger as the club heads into the summer transfer window, which is sure to be busy as the club continues to add the right characters and quality to gradually keep moving forward. After all, as much as their quality got them over the line, the team spirit amongst the squad is second to none.
https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1649868035719675912?s=20
“We’ve got Mullin, Super Paul Mullin…”
Of course, we can’t have a Wrexham article without mentioning their main man in the forward line that has been pivotal to the club’s recent success from the day he walked through the doors at the Racecourse Ground.
It is fair to say Paul Mullin has been loving life in North Wales ever since signing from Cambridge United in the summer of 2021. It was a signing in which at the time, was a clear signal of intent after becoming League Two’s top goalscorer in the 20/21 season, scoring 32 goals as he helped Mark Bonner’s side earn promotion to League One.
After swapping the Abbey for the Racecourse, in the two years in which Mullin has played for Wrexham, he has become a fan favourite in next to no time due to his contribution to the course, as well as continuing his deadly eye for a goal that he previously had at Cambridge.
Since signing for the club, in the 89 games he has played for Wrexham in all competitions, Mullin has come up with an impressive 74 goals, which have led his side to second and first-place finishes in the National League. Wrexham’s number ten has scored 46 goals in 50 appearances this season alone in what has been another terrific season for the 28-year-old.
There doesn’t seem to be any sign of Mullin slowing down either if his last season at Cambridge, along with his last two campaigns with the Welsh side in the National League, is anything to go by.
The main thing is, I for one will not be surprised in the slightest if he was to be the top scorer in League Two next season as his goals could make all the difference. With all of Mullin’s contributions and goals in the National League, his stint at Cambridge has proved that he can also hit those heights in the Football League as well.
https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1650413573976346624?s=20
Fortress Racecourse
If there is one stadium opposition teams will not like to go to next season, it’s the famous Racecourse Ground, the home of Wrexham since 1864.
The ‘Cae Ras’ has been a fortress for Phil Parkinson’s side over the previous two years. Since the start of the 21/22 season, Wrexham have only tasted defeat on home soil on only two occasions.
One of those defeats came at the hands of now National League South side Yeovil Town, in which the Glovers went back to Somerset with three points in their bag following a 2-0 away victory.
The other defeat came at the hands of current League Two side Grimsby Town in the playoffs, with the Mariners winning a 5-4 thriller in extra time to progress to the final at the London Stadium, in which they sealed their return to the Football League at the first time of asking following a 2-1 extra-time victory over Solihull Moors.
However, this season, Wrexham haven’t been on the end of a single defeat on home soil as they went the whole league season without a single defeat at home. They’ve won all of their home games other than one, claiming a total of 67 points out of a possible 69 available, with Woking being the only team to go to the Racecourse Ground and walk away with a result as they held Phil Parkinson’s side to a 2-2 draw back in February.
If Wrexham are to be a successful side in League Two, they would need to continue their impressive form at home. With how hostile the Wrexham faithful can make the Racecourse Ground a daunting place to go for opposition players and fans alike, if the previous couple of years are anything to go by, they will be hoping their home form can be as good as it currently is as they make the step up to the Football League.
https://twitter.com/ThomasFeaheny/status/1649867563164131334?s=20
It’s been done before…
With Wrexham’s promotion out of the fifth division confirmed, they now have a golden opportunity to kick on and progress further up the football pyramid. If previous promoted clubs out of the National League are anything to go by, history has proven that with good momentum and the right backing, teams can easily make the jump of back-to-back promotions.
Albeit rare, there have been teams in the past that have shot straight up from the National League to League One, with Bristol Rovers being the prime example. Relegated out of the Football League in 2014, the Gas only spent one season in the National League, with the club winning promotion thanks to a penalty shootout win over Grimsby Town in the playoffs following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
In the very next season, Bristol Rovers were on the promotion push again as they managed to break into the top three by finishing third to gain promotion to the third tier, only two years after dropping out of the Football League altogether.
For some teams however, it could also be a case of having a season in which there is a different type of progression and in the following season, stake a claim and push for glory. A prime example of this is in the form of Lincoln City.
The Imps, who were promoted out of the National League as champions in 2017, spent two seasons in League Two before making the step to the third division of English football in 2019. In their first season back in the EFL since 2011, they finished seventh and in a playoff place, losing in the semi-finals of the playoffs to Exeter City.
Even though they couldn’t quite get the job done that season, the foundations were laid out for them to have a go at cracking the league the next season and with a few quality players in the door to add what they already had, they ended up winning the League Two title in convincing style in the end.
With Wrexham, they are a progressive football club and with the spotlight firmly on the club from all different angles, there’s no reason whatsoever why they can’t go on and achieve promotion in only a year or two of being in the Football League.
One thing that Wrexham fans can feel at ease about however is that unless anything major was to happen, the threat of being relegated from once they came seems to be extremely low, with none of the previous 53 teams that have been promoted since automatic promotion was introduced in 1987 have gone straight back down in their first league campaign.
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The Verdict
All in all, if you ask me for a short answer to the question if Wrexham can get promoted to League One in their first season back, I’d say yes for a few different reasons.
First of all, I think coming into a season with the success that Wrexham had in winning promotion from the National League, it will be somewhat of a massive boost to them as they have real momentum to really kick on and be whatever they want to be. In this case, they’re a progressing football club that was only get better and stronger in plenty of departments. On the back of the season the club have just had, it’s hard to see where Wrexham are slowing down, despite moving up into a more challenging league.
On the playing side, if Wrexham was to keep their current squad, I have no doubts they would be competing at the top end of the table. As good as they have been this season, the scary thing for the league is that they will only get stronger by adding to the quality they already possess. One thing is for certain, however: they certainly have the resources to do just that.
As much as the correct players play a big part in a successful team, managing those players is just as important and I personally think Wrexham have the perfect man to take them forward in Phil Parkinson. His career speaks for itself, with successful spells at Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers to name a couple and now he has that promotion out of the National League with Wrexham, the task to keep building is far from complete. I think any team will be lucky to have Parkinson as their manager and if Wrexham are serious about fighting for promotion, I think he will have a massive say in that.
I think it is also worth pointing out the amount of backing the club has. Not just with the case of both Reynolds and McElhenney in which they get given the conception that they have deep pockets, but for the fans of the club and with how they’ve managed to expand to a much deeper audience all around the globe. Wrexham will most likely be the club in League Two next season that most people will keep a close eye on as it’s their support and their story that makes the club who they are. They’re the reason in which success is created and with their upcoming season back in the Football League, the club are on the move to create more memories.
Finally, as previously stated, they will of course be coming up against better opposition, but history has suggested that Wrexham are more than capable of making the step up and beyond. I think with the fact there are three automatic promotion places up for grabs in League Two compared to the one in the National League, Phil Parkinson’s side have every chance of making their first season back in the Football League a memorable one.
Truth be told, it’s an exciting time to be a Wrexham supporter. Everyone associated with the club will, of course, be looking forward to be playing amongst the 92 in the Football League again when the new season gets underway. If there is one thing Wrexham are not going to be, they won’t be there just to simply make up the numbers. The club have big plans and ideas to kick on and progress further and I think with all these points mentioned, they can really capitalise on the momentum they have and give the league a real go and to be honest, I’m finding it hard to see how Wrexham are not going to do that.
It will be intriguing to see what happens either way but to be honest, I’m personally struggling to look past them as one of the promotion candidates ahead of the upcoming season.
https://twitter.com/RMcElhenney/status/1650085720042754048?s=20
