Wrexham earned a historic third successive promotion to reach the Championship after a 3-0 home win over Charlton sealed second place in League One.
The Welsh side’s Hollywood rise under co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has taken them to the second tier, becoming the first side to win three consecutive promotions in the top five leagues of English football.
After Wycombe were beaten 1-0 at Leyton Orient earlier on Saturday, Wrexham needed to beat Charlton at home to confirm their promotion, and they did thanks to Oliver Rathbone’s opener and Sam Smith’s double.
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The Wrexham players go wild when boss Phil Parkinson joins them in the changing room after being promoted to the Championship
Phil Parkinson’s side will join League One title winners Birmingham, whom they sit 13 points behind, in next season’s Championship.
It is a third promotion in a row for Wrexham after winning the National League in 2022/23, followed by a second-placed finish in League Two last season as they finished as runners-up to Stockport.
Image: Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney celebrate promotion
Reynolds: We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for history
Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds speaking to Sky Sports:
“It just seemed like an impossible dream. We’re story-tellers, and when you’re story-tellers you look at the macro view of this history.
“We wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for the history of the club. The Gresford disaster and Mickey Thomas – who is a huge and pivotal point of aspiration for the club, and a goal to reach that feeling again.
“Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer. This coaching staff – the greatest dressing room in sports I think I’ve ever seen before.
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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were ecstatic after Wrexham secured their third successive promotion to join the Championship
“Folks who are all for one, and one for all. This community. I’m speechless with their passion, emotion and transformation.
“There are so many beating hearts of this club, but it all comes back to Phil and that leadership in the locker room.
“We don’t make football decisions, thank God! The faith the club has in Phil and the community that speaks volumes.
“We said five years ago our goal was to make it to the Premier League. There were understandably a lot of laughs but it feels like a thing that could make it to fruition right now.”
Parkinson: Hollywood owners have been outstanding
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Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson expresses how proud he is of how his players secured promotion to the Championship
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson to Sky Sports on Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s impact:
“They bought the club because of the passion for the club in the area.
“This will mean so much to those two, and they deserve it because they’ve let us manage. They’ve been brilliant.
“It doesn’t happen often in football. They’ve let the manager pick the team, sign the players and have sat back and let us do our job, but still been involved.
“They’ve been outstanding for us and great to work for.”
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On promotion: “I really did [enjoy that] because when the big games come, it’s important you produce one of your best performances.
“We did it last week at Blackpool and we backed it up today. That makes me very proud.
“I want to savour it because everyone has talked about the history of it but it can never be taken away from this group of players and the staff.
“The division has been strong this year and I thought ‘let’s see’ because we had a lot of players who had to adapt to the level, but they’ve stepped up to the plate.
“There are a few unknowns who have never played at this level before but they’ve adapted so well.
“The mentality in the group today was very strong today. You need players to step up when it matters the most and I thought we did that today.”
McClean praises Wrexham’s group effort
Wrexham captain James McClean to Sky Sports:
“I know it’s the old cliché, but look at this [the fans on the pitch]. How do you put it into words?
“To go into the history books and be the captain and given the honour of leading that is incredible.
“You don’t get success without a strong dressing room and that doesn’t just come from the dressing room, it comes from the management, the fans, our families, the staff behind the scenes – it’s one big group effort.
“You see how tight we are, we’re a well-oiled machine and a successful one.”
Next stop PL?! How Hollywood stars led Wrexham to history
No club in the history of the Football League had ever before completed back-to-back-to-back promotions.
Until Saturday April 26 2025, that was.
With a 3-0 win over Charlton, Phil Parkinson’s side followed champions Birmingham in sealing automatic promotion from Sky Bet League One to the Championship with one game to spare.
Three of the club’s eight promotions in history have now come in the last three seasons; their rapid rise from the doldrums saw them crowned National League champions in 2022/23 and Sky Bet League Two runners-up in 2023/24.
Just over four years after Hollywood superstars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their takeover of the Welsh club, the Premier League is in sight.
