Wrexham’s meteoric rise under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney continues to capture the imagination of fans far beyond North Wales. After three consecutive promotions, many wondered whether the Championship would finally halt the Red Dragons’ charge toward the Premier League. At the start of the season, it looked like reality might bite. Today, the dream is alive and kicking.
How Championship Promotion Works
To reach the Premier League from the Championship:
- Top two finishers earn automatic promotion
- Teams finishing 3rd–6th compete in the promotion play-offs
- Bottom three are relegated to League One
So for Wrexham, the path is clear: finish inside the top six — or better yet, the top two.
Wrexham’s Rise & Rocky Start
Wrexham stepped into the 2025–26 season as the first club ever to win three straight promotions through the English pyramid. Expectations soared — but early on, reality struck.
After losing 3-1 to Queens Park Rangers in mid-September, Wrexham sat 21st with just four points from five matches. The Championship is a ruthless league, and growing pains were always likely.
Phil Parkinson’s message during the slump was to stay calm.
“We’ve changed the squad around completely… there was always going to be a period at the start where it doesn’t go completely as you’d want it.”
The Turnaround: Eight Matches Unbeaten
A 1-0 defeat to Stoke City on October 18 left Wrexham 18th. Since then? Eight matches unbeaten, five clean sheets and a return of that trademark relentlessness.
A 95th-minute equaliser against Blackburn summed up the spirit:
“We keep going right until the end here… the crowd could sense a goal was coming.”
Wrexham have rediscovered what made them special during their rapid climb — belief, intensity and a refusal to give in.
Current Championship Standings
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 50 | 18 | 32 | 43 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 33 |
| 3 | Millwall | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 22 | 25 | -3 | 31 |
| 4 | Stoke | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 14 | 12 | 30 |
| 5 | Preston | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 25 | 19 | 6 | 30 |
| 6 | Bristol City | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 29 |
| 7 | Ipswich | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 30 | 19 | 11 | 28 |
| 8 | Birmingham | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 28 |
| 9 | Hull | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 28 |
| 10 | Wrexham | 18 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 23 | 20 | 3 | 26 |
| 11 | Derby | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 26 |
| 12 | West Bromwich Albion | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 22 | -2 | 25 |
| 13 | Queens Park Rangers | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 28 | -6 | 25 |
| 14 | Southampton | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 28 | 25 | 3 | 24 |
| 15 | Watford | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 24 |
| 16 | Leicester | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | 23 | -1 | 24 |
| 17 | Charlton | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 23 |
| 18 | Blackburn | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 21 |
| 19 | Sheffield United | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 20 | 28 | -8 | 19 |
| 20 | Oxford | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 25 | -5 | 18 |
| 21 | Swansea | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 27 | -9 | 17 |
| 22 | Portsmouth | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 17 |
| 23 | Norwich | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 29 | -10 | 13 |
| 24 | Sheffield Wednesday | 18 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 36 | -22 | -10 |
From 21st to 10th in two months — an incredible surge.
The play-off places (3rd–6th) are within touching distance, and there is still more than half a season to go.
Investment Backing the Ambition
Reynolds and McElhenney spent around £40 million on 13 players in the summer — by far the biggest outlay of any newly promoted Championship side. While eyebrows were raised, the club insists it was necessary:
- No major player sales to balance books
- No established academy pipeline to promote or sell from
- Three rapid promotions meant the squad had to be reshaped fast
Wrexham chose to invest to compete, not merely survive.
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A Tactical Evolution
Early-season struggles came from defensive vulnerability. Parkinson pivoted the philosophy: more structure, compact defensive lines, win first and second balls and be hard to beat. Small tweaks, big results.
As Parkinson said, referencing Liverpool’s internal reset:
“Football is about making sure you’re threatening at one end but also secure when you’re attacking.”
Wrexham are now doing both better — and the table reflects it.
Can Wrexham Actually Reach the Premier League?
Here’s the realistic outlook:
| Outcome | Chance | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Stay in Championship | Most likely | A huge success for Year 1 |
| Play-off push | Possible | Would be historic |
| Automatic promotion | Unlikely | But football loves a wildcard |
Even the club’s leadership acknowledges this is a long-term project. But the window has opened — faster than anyone expected.
This season isn’t about completing the fairytale leap from National League to Premier League in four years. It’s about planting roots in the Championship.
Wrexham have already overcome the improbable. Now they’re taking on the impossible.
The Premier League remains a long shot this season, but the club is ahead of schedule. The standings prove they belong. The performances prove they’re learning. The momentum proves they’re dangerous.
And if there’s one truth this club has taught us over the past few years: Never doubt Wrexham when the dream is alive.
