Wrexham’s hopes of advancing to the play-offs have been dashed as they suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since the opening two games of the 2025-26 season.
Phil Parkinson’s side are four points adrift of sixth place with four games remaining. While their play-off fate is no longer in their own hands, a top-six finish is still possible.
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But has the record-breaking nature of Wrexham’s back-to-back promotions through the English Football League given them unrealistic expectations?
BBC Sport first asked whether it would matter if Wrexham failed to gain promotion to the Premier League this season.
Pre-season ambitions
Rob Mac (left) and Ryan Reynolds (right) become Wrexham owners in 2021 [Getty Images]
Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (recently known as Rob McElhenney) have made their ambitions clear since their first interview with bosses in 2021.
Some media asked the actors what is the most perfect ending? Reynolds responded: “If it’s not the Premier League, we’d be lying.
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So far so good for North Wales. They are just one step away from the top flight, with their latest accounts showing a record turnover of £33.3m in the process. But is four promotions in a row really the goal?
As Wrexham begin their first season in England’s second tier since 1982, Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson told The Daily Telegraph his aim for the season is to retain the title, reach mid-table and remain competitive.
He proposed this to Reynolds and Mack, who immediately responded, asking how they could get into the top two.
Williamson went on to say that following discussions among the club’s hierarchy, they concluded: “Let’s stay competitive and see where we end up.”
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“If we can find ourselves at the end of the season, I would give us a good chance of getting into the play-offs. And then, ultimately, if we get into the play-offs, I would give us a good chance of promotion because of who we are, what we are, our DNA, our resilience and what it means to this town and this team,” Williamson explained.
The CEO also said that if you can’t get promoted this time, it doesn’t matter.
Sports venue development
Wrexham’s home ground is the oldest international football stadium still hosting international matches. [Getty Images]
Modernizing the historic Stoke Racecourse, particularly the Kop Racecourse, is an ongoing project.
The Red Dragons have been “premier league ready” for some time.
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They ensure the future of the club in every aspect, from the infrastructure to the number of people employed by the club.
Ahead of their Championship debut, Wrexham added new TV stands, moved the players’ box and spent £2m adding underfloor heating to the ground.
Wrexham’s Hollywood co-owners have said their long-term ambition is to increase the capacity of the club’s stadium to 55,000.
The original standing Kop stand was abandoned in 2007 and was not used until its demolition in January 2023. Construction work on the new 7,500-7,750 capacity stand will not begin until December 2025, so a quick opening in time for the first Premier League season in 2026 is unlikely. Instead, the club is working towards an April 2027 target.
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Once the works are completed, the stadium will be able to host competitive matches for the Welsh national team and UEFA sanctioned matches, which in turn will further increase their revenue.
Not being promoted this season would at least keep their rebuilding plans on track without the added pressure of a quick promotion as required by the Premier League.
player recruitment
The third consecutive promotion came at a financial cost. In the summer of 2025, the club brought in 13 players to strengthen Parkinson’s standings, spending around £30m, the highest net spend in the Championship.
The work they have done so far gives the club a solid foundation at the end of the season.
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Only four players are out of contract this summer – Issa Kabore, Jay Rodriguez, Ruben Egan and Aaron James. Among them, Kabore will become the biggest loss after returning to Manchester City at the end of his loan period – he ranks 10th among Wrexham players with the longest playing time in the league this season.
The injured Rodriguez only played 16 minutes in all competitions. Egan and James are not on the current roster.
If Wrexham stay in the Championship, they will go into next season knowing that much of their business is done – with key members of the squad having contracts beyond next season. They won’t need to spend as much as they did before the 2025-26 season to play in the second tier again.
Of course, if they do get promoted to the Premier League, their needs may be different.
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But Wrexham’s annual turnover to June 2026 is estimated to be between £46m and £50m, so they will be able to bring in new staff regardless of promotions if they wish.
Parkinson’s future
Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham are currently seventh in the Championship [Getty Images]
If Wrexham fail to advance this season, will Parkinson’s future be in doubt?
The 58-year-old has enjoyed great success at the club. In 2021, under new ownership, he achieved something unprecedented – masterminding three consecutive promotions while dealing with Hollywood takeovers, global attention and increasing pressure.
Reynolds and Mack have always expressed great gratitude to Parkinson, even declaring that he had a “job for life.”
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The former Bradford, Bolton and Sunderland manager has signed a rolling 12-month contract.
“I don’t know,” Mack told The Athletic. [if] I can say enough about Phil’s contribution to Wrexham’s story and success.
“I just don’t think Phil Parkinson is going to be sacked. It doesn’t make any sense.
“He’s the architect, the creator of it all. From our perspective, he’s got this job for life. Unless he finds another job that he wants to do, he’s our coach. He’s our manager. He’s our guy.”
Parkinson could not do enough for Wrexham. If they narrowly miss out on a play-off spot, the season will still be considered a huge success.
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Of course, this is football and nothing is impossible – but it’s hard to imagine Wrexham without Parkinson at the helm.
