Could Wrexham really reach the Premier League?

The message from one-half of the Hollywood ownership is clear to those wondering what comes next for Wrexham.

“Not. Done . Still, ” “

Rob McElhenney had been asked to sum up events at the Stok Cae Ras on Saturday as the north Wales club celebrated reaching the second tier of English football for only the second time in their history.

Given that McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds’ rapid development has already caused Wrexham to drop from the non-league fifth tier to one step away from the Premier League, it is quite a statement.

The next steps, some of which took place within hours of Phil Parkinson’s side sealing an unprecedented third successive promotion, appear far from over.

“Four years ago, this man]McElhenney] said our goal is to make it to the Premier League”, Reynolds told Sky Sports after the win over Charlton Athletic.

It’s understandably full of titters, laughter, and giggles, but it’s starting to feel like something that could actually happen.

The success of the campaign has long demonstrated how serious an A-list ambition is.

But as they prepare to head to the Championship, do Wrexham have what it takes to compete with new rivals such as Leicester City, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion?

Director Humphrey Ker points out that “we always had the ambition to go as high as we could,” but “we have probably outperformed expectations,” in terms of the speed at which we have arrived.

“But that’s proof that manager Phil Parkinson is right.”

And the ‘ In Phil we Trust ‘ mantra from the ownership looks set to continue after the 57-year-old sealed a sixth career promotion, now behind only Graham Taylor, Dave Bassett and Jim Smith (seven promotions) and Neil Warnock (eight) in the number of times he has taken teams up a division.

The former Bolton Wanderers manager has overseen a steady, stealth-like evolution of his squad each season, with the exception of three players from League Two who started against Charlton, all while upholding a team spirit that Ker describes as “has permeated everything we’ve done in four years.”

In terms of age and potential, some signings made over the past year, like former Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, were made with the future in mind.

“They are Championship-ready players who can grow and develop”, adds former Wrexham player and manager Andy Morrell, who also played Championship football with Coventry City and Blackpool.

“Ryan Longman, Max Cleworth, Lewis Brunt,” along with Matty James and James McClean, and then added that there are other players. players who are aware of the pressure and spotlight that are present in Wrexham’s current game.

Rather than ripping up the side, Morrell believes “three to five signings” could ensure Wrexham compete and try to gauge whether they need to invest more in the playing squad.

They will give players who received promotion a chance to use that momentum, he says.

Smith – whose acrobatic goal helped deliver promotion and earn lavish praise from Reynolds – became Wrexham’s record signing for a reported £2m in January.

Big bucks for a team that used to play for free and without contracts a while ago, but little profit when it comes to Premier League promotion.

Former Wales and Wrexham captain Barry Horne says, “Money talks in football.” “The league table tends to tie itself to income and there’s a correlation with the wage bill.

However, Wrexham already possess that competitive ability.

Because the club’s most recent financial statements, which cover their League Two season, show that their revenue is already comparable to that of top-half Championship clubs.

And there’s room for more, without much worry of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) affecting things.

Wrexham will anticipate a rise in the £26 million that was opened in 2023-2020, despite the Premier League’s parachute payments standing above.

Before a new promotion, increased sponsorship revenue should only increase that by £8 million.

High profile deals are expected to continue with the club making the most of their unique marketing model: a globally-screened documentary and the profile their ownership brings.

The Premier League’s reported pre-season games in Australia show ambitions to expand beyond the US, where every Wrexham game is broadcast live and draws top-level audiences.

Talks have already discussed the kind of playing budgets needed for the following year (they used about £11 million between 23 and 24) and the acceptance that it will start to resemble the Championship average of about twice that amount.

But there is also the fact that players are attracted to Wrexham not by just money, but by the ambition and excitement around the club.

Therefore, it does not indicate that Wrexham will be investing foolishly.

“Nobody will talk about the money, but blank checks have never been,” Ker adds.

Wrexham are also about to set foot in a market with annual losses of eight figures.

But Reynolds and McElhenney do have support on that front, as well as in terms of investing in other projects as the club tries to keep pace with its growth.

At the Stok Cae Ras on Saturday, new director Kaleen Allyn and father Eric Allyn, whose entrepreneurial family sold the Welch Allyn medical diagnostic business for more than $2 billion in 2015, were present. They are looking forward to the club’s future because they are now minority shareholders with a stake range of 10-15%.

With a history of philanthropy and community investment close to their New York City home, they also have the means to provide a crutch for the club’s grand plans, with Ker claiming that they have “warmly embraced the team and the town””.

Due to the turbo-charged rise, Wrexham will need these funds to keep up with the club’s expansion.

Investment has been pushed towards improving the off-the-field workings of a club run by supporters less than five years ago, boosting staff and expertise on the business and commercial side of things.

The club currently utilizes the Football Association of Wales’ Colliers Park facility, but it is in agreement that it is unsustainable. A new training ground is also needed.

All that will take a little time to come to fruition, but supporters will soon be able to witness the first steps of the priority project at Wrexham.

With the Stok Cae Ras’ capacity being reduced below 10,000 as work on a new Kop begins, Wrexham’s attendance will be the lowest in the Championship the following year.

A new 5, 500-seater end is expected to be finished in time for the start of the 2026-27 season, with the temporary stand being removed soon.

Designed by Populous – the same firm behind Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and even Las Vegas ‘ Sphere – it will open the door for greater revenue from surrounding amenities.

There are potential additions of 2, 000 seats, which would also allow for the same-sized redevelopment of other sides of the grounds and tick all the boxes as Bournemouth did for a Premier League venue.

The club are eager to be able to accommodate a growing fanbase given that there is a real international demand for tickets and that tourists are even there on non-gamedays to see the team made famous by its highly-anticipated documentary.

The club has brand-new ground to play on.

In March 2020, they were being held at home by Eastleigh to stay within two points of the National League relegation places.

Covid broke up with the show, and Ker told McElhenney to watch Sunderland Till I Die. The rest is football history, with Wrexham preparing to face as many as 21 Premier League opponents, including two former champions.

But there have been examples of teams jumping from League One to the Premier League: Watford (1999), Manchester City (2000), Norwich City (2011), Southampton (2012) and Ipswich Town (2024) all achieving the feat.

There is no justification for them to stop now, Horne asserts.

No one at Wrexham on Saturday night would be alarmed to suggest that a fourth game could occur, but neither is that person.

As Ker says:” Our greatest success has been taking one step at a time and saying ‘ Right, what’s next? ‘ ” “