WREXHAM

Wrexham’s rise was never going to be a quiet one. Once Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac completed their takeover in 2021, the club quickly became a global story, with documentary cameras, celebrity interest and a fanbase that stretched far beyond north Wales.

The real climb began on the pitch. After years outside the Football League, Wrexham returned to the EFL in 2023 and simply kept going. Promotion from League Two followed, then another from League One, giving the club three straight promotions and carrying them into the Championship.

What made it more than just a publicity wave was the scale of the rebuild around it. The Racecourse was being redeveloped, the academy structure was revived after years of neglect, and the women’s team became a serious part of the club’s plans rather than an afterthought. Wrexham also invested in facilities, youth development and a permanent home for the women’s side at The Rock.

The men’s team then finished seventh in their first second-tier campaign for 43 years, missing out on the Championship play-offs but reaching the highest league position in the club’s history. The Hollywood angle brought the attention, but the promotions, infrastructure and wider club growth suggested something more lasting was being built.