AFC Wrexham, under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has seen a remarkable financial and sporting revival, climbing the English football pyramid with strong investment and growing global appeal.
If they were to reach the Championship, financial sustainability would be a key concern due to significantly higher wages, transfer costs, and operational expenses.
If they were to reach the Championship, financial sustainability would be a key concern due to significantly higher wages, transfer costs, and operational expenses.
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00:00And what would that promotion mean for the club, for Wales as a nation as well? I mean,
00:09obviously, if Cardiff City avoided their relegation struggles, there'd be three Welsh sides in
00:14the championship. That's quite remarkable for Wales as a nation to be competing in the
00:19second division of English football. I mean, another promotion on top of what this Wrexham
00:25side are building. Where's the sort of limit for them? Do you think that they'll find their
00:31sort of level in the championship? Investment then goes up a hell of a lot. You see a lot
00:36of Premier League talent start in the championship. Will they have the resources to compete in
00:41the championship, do you think, if they are to make it there? And what would it actually
00:44mean for Wrexham as a club to just continue on this incredible trajectory?
00:49It would be massive because traditionally we have been a League One club. We've only
00:53had a few seasons ever at a championship equivalent level back when it was the Old
00:57Division Two. And, you know, that is the best Wrexham ever were. You know, you're talking
01:02about if we got promoted again this season, next season we could achieve our highest ever
01:08League finish. And that would mean that is the best ever Wrexham team by that definition.
01:13In terms of going up to the championship, we mentioned, you know, infrastructure is
01:16not quite there. The stadium still has a lot of work to be done. There's got to be work
01:19on the new stand. That would mean we'd be reduced back down to a three-sided stadium
01:24for next season. Not ideal if you're in the championship. Also means we've still got a
01:28training ground to finalise. The actual turnover in players would be enormous. The wages required
01:35would be huge. And you go from a football club, you look at someone who, I think they're
01:39sort of using an example, someone like Bristol City, and they lose so many millions every
01:44season just to survive and tread water in the championship. And Wrexham would have to
01:48do that as well. But again, the flip side is look at Ipswich Town. They went from League
01:53One to the championship straight up and now they're in the Premier League. So as much
01:58as Wrexham would be maybe a nosebleed territory and somewhere we've not been for a hell of
02:03a long time, we would then only be one step away from the Premier League. And Rob and
02:08Ryan very much see that as the objective. They said it when we were in the National
02:13League. If you can get to the Premier League, why would that not be the end goal? Why would
02:16that not be the aim? And that is what Wrexham will strive to do. And it seems ludicrous
02:21and it seems ridiculous to say, but look at the track record now. Look at how much we're
02:26winning. Look how quickly we've risen up the leagues. Wrexham will get to the Premier League
02:30by hook or by crook. If they've got to spend loads, I still think they will get there.
02:34They've got new investment from the Allen family. They are going to pump some big money
02:38into Wrexham if they do get promoted to the championship. If they got promoted, if the
02:41likes of Leeds United also did as well, just so the next season is maybe a bit of a more
02:45even playing field. So from Wrexham's point of view, promotion to the championship would
02:49be incredible. It'd be a huge, huge ask to stay up. But if they did that, well then why
02:55can't they dream of the Premier League? They will have already proven so many people wrong.