Wrexham’s incredible journey under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds continues having secured a third straight promotion.
Wrexham beat Charlton Athletic 3-0 on Saturday afternoon, securing a place in the Championship next season.
As the sun set over the STōK Cae Ras, Wrexham fans were on the pitch yet again, celebrating promotion number three.
Phil Parkinson has cemented himself as one of the EFL’s very best managers, guiding Wrexham to three straight promotions.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have backed Parkinson handsomely along the way, but money does not guarantee success.
Wrexham will be rubbing shoulders with some huge clubs in the Championship next season, and McElhenney believes there is more success to come for Wrexham.
It’s easy to forget that McElhenney and Humphrey Ker explored other clubs before settling on Wrexham, so let’s dig into how those clubs have fared as Wrexham celebrate another promotion…
Carlisle United
Aaron Hayden experienced back-to-back promotions at Wrexham but has now suffered a relegation with Carlisle United.
After relegation from League One last season, Carlisle were hoping to bounce back.
Instead, the season turned into a disaster as Paul Simpson was sacked in August and replacement Mike Williamson lasted less than five months in the job.
Wrexham-born Mark Hughes became Carlisle manager in February, but couldn’t pull off a great escape.
Hayden found some goals in Carlisle’s relegation battle but they will be playing National League football next season.
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool suffered relegation to the National League in 2023, dropping down as Wrexham came up.
Getting back to the fourth tier has not been easy, with Hartlepool finishing 12th in the National League last season.
A quick look at the National League table will show you that Hartlepool sit 12th once again, bang in mid-table.
Jeff Stelling claims McElhenney and Reynolds wanted to buy Hartlepool, but ended up going for Wrexham.
That was a true sliding doors moment for Hartlepool, who will try and find a way out of the National League mid-table mix next season.
Aldershot Town
The Shots were Ker’s ‘rogue’ shout, and they have been stuck in the National League since relegation from League Two in 2013.
Aldershot have only managed three top-half finishes since their relegation and sit 18th in the National League with one game to play.
The league season is ending in frustrating fashion for Aldershot, taking just one point from the last five games.
Tommy Widdrington’s side will, though, have an FA Trophy to play for, meeting Spennymoor Town in the final next weekend.
Shamrock Rovers
McElhenney suggested buying Shamrock Rovers and taking the project to Ireland.
We can only imagine the ‘Paddy’s Pub’ tie-ins if that had materialised, but Ker shot the idea down.
The 21-time League of Ireland Premier Division champions – who last won the title in 2023 – are gunning for more success this season.
After 12 games of the new season in Ireland, Shamrock Rovers sit fourth in the table, just one point off top spot.
Buying a club like Shamrock Rovers, who tend to be around the top of the table, just wouldn’t have provided the same story or growth as Wrexham.
Ker had the right idea in terms of avoiding Shamrock Rovers and focusing on the English pyramid, with Wrexham’s incredible rise truly showing that he got it right.