Shaun Harvey has been one of the key driving forces behind Wrexham’s success in recent years.
When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney first purchased the club back in 2021, they astutely set out to build a knowledgeable team around them.
Phil Parkinson was appointed as the manager to guide them back to the Football League and Harvey was appointed advisor to the board.
Harvey had great experience in football before taking the job at Wrexham having had spells at Bradford City and Leeds United before a role as chief executive of the EFL for six years. He once revealed exactly what happened the first time he was contacted by McElhenney.
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Shaun Harvey and Rob McElhenney wanted to make a ‘positive’ difference to Wrexham community
Speaking on season one episode two of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series, Harvey once revealed that the first conversation involving him and McElhenney centred around the impact the duo could have on the town of Wrexham as a whole.
Harvey stated: “I remember my first conversation with Rob, it was more about how can we benefit the community and make a positive difference than it was ‘do you think we can be playing in the Championship in three years?’
“I said ‘have you got that in writing for when all this potentially pans out and they genuinely don’t make any money?’ In a moment of weakness, I committed to look after the club until such time as they are able to find a CEO and effectively look after their investment going forward.”
Fast forward four years and Harvey is now the director at the Racecourse Ground and looking to mastermind a fourth consecutive promotion.
The club’s rise goes beyond even his wildest dreams but he is still there alongside Reynolds and McElhenney trying to guide them through the treacherous waters of what is the English Football League.
Stability is key to Wrexham’s success moving forward
With the club about to embark on its first season in the Championship since 1982, it is important that key figures at the club are maintained moving forward.
A huge part of their success has been the consistency and clarity in decision making made by the owners and the likes of Harvey and Humphrey Ker.
Parkinson’s Championship record is not the best but he will be keen to rectify that this season and he deserves a full season to try and finish as high as possible.
There is no point in the club making wholesale changes to the structure of the club as they are still playing catch up with the majority of the other teams in the division.
Stability and consolidation really would be the best outcome for the club this season in order to allow time for projects both on and off the pitch to be completed, such as the new Kop stand.