Is another automatic promotion a sequel or just the latest chapter in the unanticipated tour de force that has become Wrexham AFC? Not that anyone will really care about the pedantry if all goes the way of the dragon on Saturday.
The simple version goes like this: Wrexham need five points from their remaining three matches to secure back-to-back automatic promotions and ensure League One football at the STōK Cae Ras come next season.
Permutations invariably ratchet up the spice levels come the weekend. If Wrexham claim all three points against League Two stragglers Forest Green Rovers at home, and promotion-hunting MK Dons and Barrow fail to beat rivals Mansfield Town and Gillingham respectively, Hollywood co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds will taste the sweet, sweet nectar of successive promotions up the English football pyramid.
The feat would represent the first time Wrexham have relished successive promotions in their 159-year history, and not since the 2004-05 season have the Red Dragons featured in the EFL’s third division.
A tub-thumping victory against Crawley Town on Tuesday night has supercharged Wrexham’s automatic promotion hopes. Star striker Paul Mullin notched a brace in the 4-1 victory, Crawley Town’s lone goal nothing more than a consolation in the end.
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The victory puts Wrexham second in the League Two table four points off leaders Stockport County, who tout a game in hand. As it stands, Stockport are outright favourites to claim the title.
But unlike the anarchic state that is the National League, Wrexham only need to finish in the top three of League Two to earn automatic promotion. And with 79 points from 43 games thus far this season, five points from the club’s three remaining fixtures would be enough to clinch it, starting with their home clash against Forest Green on Saturday.
McElhenney and Reynolds bankrolled Wrexham to the National League title last season (AFP via Getty Images)However, if third-place Mansfield Town (76 points from 42 games) don’t lose to fourth-place MK Dons (74 points from 43 games) and sixth-place Barrow (67 points from 41 games) fail to beat 13th-place Gillingham (60 points from 43 games and still in contention for a play-off place) and Wrexham also beat Forest Green, then promotion will be secured on Saturday.
Back-to-back automatic promotions are not unthinkably rare. Since the start of direct promotion from non-league, 10 clubs have managed to achieve the jump from fifth to third tier in the space of two years, the last to do so being Tranmere Rovers five years ago.
Yet, the profile afforded Wrexham since their Hollywood takeover makes this season’s exploits all the more unique. The owners were thrust into the spotlight upon the revelation of their most recent accounts, which saw annual turnover nearly double to a staggering £10.478million, operating losses leap from £2.913million to £5.113million and moneys owed to the new co-owners spike to £8.9million (up from £3.71million).
Andy Cannon celebrates after Paul Mullin's second goal against Mansfield (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)Even so, the club insist the losses suffered “shouldn’t be repeated”, owing to the vast and unrivalled income generated by the club’s retail (£3.43 million) and the fact the most recent accounts don’t provide for the United Airlines, Expedia and TikTok sponsorships, nor last summer’s expansive US tour.
Throw in automatic promotion to League One and the club’s recent expenditure quickly becomes vindicated.
The season has been a tumultuous, emotional and thrilling one, attributes becoming custom as time has worn on. The 5-3 opening day loss to MK Dons confirmed that nothing would be straightforward in the 2023/24 season. But the club went on a scintillating run of form to surge to second in the table, losing two of their next 22 league matches before finally slipping up to Walsall on 29 December.
From there, Wrexham sustained their first poor run of form as they suffered three successive defeats. Since, manager Phil Parkinson and co recovered to win five of their last eight matches and seeing off a frustrating away form to put automatic promotion in their hands.
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