Phil Parkinson has shared details of the text he received from Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney after the 5-0 loss to Stockport earlier this season.
Wrexham returned to the fourth tier of English football for the first time in 15 years after winning the National League title last season.
Last year’s campaign will go down in National League history as one of the most exciting ever, as Wrexham and rivals Notts County fought tooth and nail to make it out of the division.
In the end, both teams were promoted – Wrexham via automatic promotion and Notts County via the play-offs – and are both flying high in League Two this season.
Phil Parkinson reveals text he got from Rob McElhenney after 5-0 hammering
Phil Parkinson’s side are third in League Two and unbeaten in nine games in all competitions. They advanced to the second round of the FA Cup at the weekend after beating Mansfield, and face Port Vale in their final EFL Trophy group game on Tuesday knowing progress in the competition has already been secured.
However, it hasn’t all been playing sailing this season; Wrexham shipped five goals in a defeat on the opening day of the season, and were hammered 5-0 by Stockport in September.
Parkinson spoke about that second defeat during an acceptance speech at the FWA Northern Writers’ Awards ceremony this week.
After the hammering, he revealed that co-owner Rob McElhenney was the first person to get in touch with him to reassure him that he had the owners full belief and backing.
“Every promotion or title or cup you win as a manager is hard,” Parkinson said. “It’s really, really, really tough. It’s tight dividing lines all the time and you need really good people alongside you.
“With the glitz and the glamour of the Hollywood owners, that’s great, but Rob and Ryan are really genuine people. Honestly, they’ve been so supportive to me and [assistant] Steve Parker, and I’m sure Steve will back me up on that, not only financially if we need to get a player in, but also moral support every time they come over or if we’ve had a bad result.
“We got beat 5-0 at Stockport a few months ago, the first text I got was Rob McElhenney [saying] ‘Phil, we’re right behind you, we’re right with you’. And that means as much as being supportive financially.”
It speaks volumes about Reynolds and McElhenney’s ownership
Rob’s message speaks volumes to his and Ryan Reynolds’ relationship with everyone involved at the club. It’s rare for a football club’s owners, manager, coaching staff and fans to all be aligned, but Wrexham are a rare case and prove what can be achieved with everyone pulling in the same direction.
From the outset, Rob and Ryan have made it their priority to immerse themselves in the culture and community of the club, and provide their full support wherever necessary.
There’s no doubt Rob’s text to Parkinson meant a lot, and since then Wrexham are unbeaten across all competitions.
We really do have some of the best owners in the game.