Wrexham have been on quite the journey over the last 17 years, and the club is now preparing to celebrate after the final game of the League One campaign against Lincoln City on Saturday.
Spending 13 years in the fifth tier of English football was a nightmare for Wrexham fans, who had to endure a long period in obscurity despite the clubβs rich history.
Since the takeover of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Red Dragons have soared and are now heading back to the second tier for the first time in 43 years.
Back-to-back-to-back promotions have helped remove the bad taste of all those years of hurt, and with the upcoming fixture against Lincoln City this weekend, Wrexham can truly enjoy some catharsis in the best possible way.
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What happened between Lincoln City and Wrexham in 2008?
The impending away day against Lincoln City is one to savour for Wrexham fans now, but back in 2008, Sincil Bank Stadium was the venue for the Red Dragonsβ darkest day.
By the time Wrexham travelled there on the final day of the 2007/08 campaign, their fate had already been sealed thanks to a 2-0 defeat to Hereford United at the end of April.
Knowing the club would finish bottom of League Two and be heading for the Conference (now the National League), Wrexham fans made the journey to Lincoln to bid farewell to their Football League status.
Ironically, Wrexham produced a rousing performance and secured a 4-2 win away at Lincoln on May 3, 2008 to end the season on a slightly positive note at least.
One supporter, as part of the Fearless In Devotion team, recalled that day in a recent post on Twitter/X, discussing broken hearts and strong βspiritβ going into the game.
After being in a βdazeβ after seeing the team win in such bittersweet circumstances, they recall how one Lincoln fan showed βgrace and respectβ upon the final whistle, gifting them a scarf and consoling them through the pain of relegation rather than rubbing salt in the wounds.
Itβs a touching story, and one that underpins just how much of a strange and painful day that was for Wrexham. But now, things are very, very different as fans prepare for that exact same trip, exactly 17 years later.
Wrexham can play without pressure on Saturday and enjoy the occasion
We still donβt know for sure whether there will be a Wrexham promotion parade this year, but one thingβs for sure, there will be one hell of a party after the game against Lincoln on Saturday, regardless of the result.
Wrexham go into the game knowing they have already secured that historic back-to-back-to-back promotion, and while a win to sign off the season would be nice, it doesnβt really matter.
The players, owners, Phil Parkinson and his coaching staff, and of course, the supporters, have all done their part this season and got over the line to earn promotion, and they can all go into Saturdayβs game without any pressure at all.
Itβs a beautiful symbol of how far Wrexham have come over the last four years and indeed over the last 17 years. Through the heartbreak of relegation, almost complete financial ruin, and struggling in the doldrums of the fifth tier for so long, Wrexham fans deserve something to cheer more than most.
Saturday will be a momentous day for all involved, and weβre sure the Lincoln City fans will be just as gracious once again as they send Wrexham off to the Championship, 17 years on from sending them down to non-league football.