Wrexham AFC have completed their fairy-tale season in EFL League One after securing a huge win over Charlton Athletic with one game left to play. After clinching promotion to the EFL Championship, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have made history in English soccer with the Welsh club.
Wrexham hosted Charlton at the Racecourse Ground, aiming to secure their place in England’s second tier. Earlier on Saturday, chasers Wycombe Wanderers lost 1-0 to Leyton Orient, giving the Red Dragons a golden opportunity to seal promotion with a victory.
The home side enjoyed four minutes of magic, beginning in the 15th minute when Oliver Rathbone fired a spectacular strike from outside the box. Three minutes later, striker Sam Smith connected with a brilliant volley to double the lead. Smith then sealed the 3-0 win with a header in the 81st minute.
With 89 points through 45 games, Wrexham have secured their return to the second division for the 2025–26 season. Hollywood owners McElhenney and Reynolds were in attendance and celebrated passionately as the club earned its first promotion to the second tier in 43 years, having last played there in the 1981–82 season.
Wrexham set historic record in English soccer
With their promotion to the EFL Championship, Wrexham have become the first club ever to achieve three consecutive promotions across the top five tiers of English soccer. Since McElhenney and Reynolds completed their acquisition in February 2021, the club has experienced an unprecedented period of success.
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The journey began in the 2022–23 season, when Wrexham earned promotion out of the National League, returning to professional soccer in EFL League Two. Their stay in the fourth division lasted just one season, as they secured automatic promotion to League One in 2023–24. Now, they have repeated the feat to reach the Championship.
Phil Parkinson: A master of promotions
While former Premier League players like Jay Rodriguez and Steven Fletcher have joined Wrexham to bolster the squad, another key figure behind the club’s success is head coach Phil Parkinson, who has now achieved the sixth promotion of his managerial career.
Parkinson’s first came with Colchester United to the Championship in 2006, followed by Bradford City to League One in 2013, Bolton Wanderers to the Championship in 2017, and now three consecutive promotions with Wrexham. He continues to be a vital pillar in the Red Dragons’ remarkable rise.
