Five years ago this week, Wrexham A.F.C.'s new era began with a chaotic 3-2 defeat at Maidenhead United. Co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds watched from the is their first match featured a red card, a substitution error and a humbling loss in the National League.

That match on October 26, 2021, proved a stark introduction. Paul Mullin and Jordan Davies scored for Wrexham, but the team played a man down after the dismissal and lost to goals from Kane Ferdinand, Jay Mingi and Josh Kelly. "I remember exactly what happened," McElhenney said. "There was a red card, and the wrong player got taken off who didn’t commit the foul." Ryan Reynolds recalled the day as a fun one that also sparked doubt. "I think that I had a bit of an existential crisis at that match because I thought, ‘What are we doing here?’" he said.

From that starting point, the club's ascent has been remarkable. An initial £2 million investment from the Hollywood pair fueled a journey that saw Wrexham win the National League title in 2023, secure promotion from League Two in 2024 and return to the Championship in 2025. That final promotion, sealed with a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic, made them the first club to achieve three consecutive promotions through England's top five tiers.

Current challenges

Now established in the second tier, the scale of the challenge has grown. Manager Phil Parkinson reflected on the transformation this week, noting the immediate fixture list. "This week alone, it’s Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Wolves," he said, referencing teams with Premier League pedigree. Wrexham sit 16th in the Championship with 17 points from 14 games, having scored 17 and conceded 19. Their recent form has been mixed, with a 2-0 home win over Middlesbrough on November 4, thanks to goals from George Thomason and Oliver Rathbone, coming after losses to Sheffield United and Blackburn.

Their next test is at home to Wolves on November 7. The club's progress has been documented in the Emmy-winning series 'Welcome to Wrexham', renewed for an eighth season. As they prepare for that match, the journey from that eventful day at Maidenhead continues. Top scorer Kieffer Moore, with five goals this season, will be key as Wrexham look to build on their mid-table position.

First reported at North Wales Chronicle