Wrexham AFC is a bit of a glitch in the matrix.
You’ve got a club that, just a few years ago, was basically a ghost of its former self, rotting away in the National League. Now? They’re sitting in the English Championship, staring down the barrel of the Premier League. It’s wild. Honestly, if you told a Wrexham fan in 2019 that they’d be 9th in the second tier by January 2026, they’d have asked you to seek medical help.
But here we are.
The "Hollywood" label gets thrown around a lot because of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but that actually does a disservice to what’s happening on the ground in North Wales. It’s not just a TV show. It’s a massive, multi-million dollar business pivot that has completely redefined how a "small" club can operate in the modern era. People keep waiting for the bubble to burst, but the numbers suggest the foundation is actually getting stronger, even as the stakes get dizzyingly high.
The Championship Reality Check
Life in the Championship is different. It's a meat grinder. You’re playing against clubs like Leeds United, Norwich City, and Sheffield United—teams with parachute payments and stadiums that look like spaceships.
As of mid-January 2026, Wrexham AFC is holding its own. They have 40 points from 26 matches. That’s 10 wins, 10 draws, and 6 losses. It’s a solid mid-table position that has them flirting with the playoff spots. Is it as dominant as their League Two or National League runs? No. But it shouldn’t be. The jump from League One to the Championship is widely considered the hardest gap to bridge in English football because of the sheer financial disparity.
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The squad has had to evolve quickly. You can’t just rely on heart and "Welcome to Wrexham" vibes when you're facing strikers who cost £15 million. The current roster is a mix of the old guard—yes, Paul Mullin is still there, though his role has changed—and high-tier talent like Kieffer Moore and Nathan Broadhead. Arthur Okonkwo remains a literal wall in goal. It's a more expensive, more professional, and frankly, more clinical version of the team we saw on FX three years ago.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Money
There’s this persistent myth that Ryan and Rob are just "buying" success.
While they’ve definitely injected cash—and the club only recently repaid about £15 million in shareholder loans to the owners—the real story is the turnover. In the financial year ending June 2024, the club's turnover hit a staggering £26.7 million. That was a 155% increase from the year before. By some estimates, that revenue could be pushing toward £50 million now that they’re in the Championship.
Here’s the kicker: more than 50% of that money comes from outside the UK.
Basically, Wrexham is a global brand disguised as a local football club. They’re selling 100,000 shirts a year. For a city with a population of about 66,000, that is statistically insane. They have sponsorships with United Airlines and HP—brands that usually wouldn't look at a team outside the Premier League. This commercial engine is what allows them to compete with teams that have much larger gate receipts.
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However, it hasn't all been private cash. There was some local controversy recently when it came out that the club received around £18 million in Welsh government grants. Critics argue that "Hollywood-owned" businesses shouldn't get taxpayer help, but the counter-argument is the "Wrexham Effect" on the local economy. Tourism in the area has seen a massive spike, contributing nearly £200 million annually to the region. The Turf pub has basically become a holy site for North American travelers.
The Racecourse Ground is Growing Up
If you've followed the journey, you know the Kop Stand has been the big, empty elephant in the room. For years, it was just a concrete wasteland.
Well, as of January 2026, construction is finally in full swing. They broke ground on the new redevelopment in December 2025. It’s not just about adding seats anymore; the plans were actually revised to be bigger because the club's rise was faster than anyone expected. We’re looking at a 5,500-seat structure that will push the total capacity of the STōK Cae Ras toward 18,000.
The goal is UEFA Category 4 compliance. Why does that matter? It means international football can come back to Wrexham. It turns the stadium into a year-round asset, not just a place for 23 home games a year. They’ve already spent millions on things you don't see on camera: a £1.7 million pitch with undersoil heating, better drainage, and upgraded media facilities. They are building a Premier League infrastructure in a Championship timeframe.
Why Wrexham AFC Still Matters
The novelty should have worn off by now. Usually, these stories peak and then people get bored. But Wrexham is different because the "Welcome to Wrexham" documentary—which is now heading into its fifth season—has become a symbiotic part of the club.
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The show provides the marketing, the marketing provides the sponsors, and the sponsors provide the players. It’s a closed loop of growth.
But beyond the business, there’s a human element that keeps it grounded. Whether it's Ryan Reynolds checking in on Paul Mullin’s son, Albi, or the owners showing up for random community events, they’ve avoided the "absentee billionaire" trope that plagues so many other clubs. They actually seem to give a damn.
Phil Parkinson remains the perfect foil to the Hollywood glitz. He's a "no-nonsense" manager who has managed to keep the locker room focused despite the cameras everywhere. He doesn't care about the Emmy awards; he cares about the three points on Saturday. That balance is probably the single most important reason the club hasn't collapsed under its own weight.
Practical Insights for the Future
If you’re a fan or an observer, here is what to actually watch for in the coming months:
- The January Transfer Window: With Wrexham sitting 9th, expect some aggressive moves. They need more depth in the midfield if they want to push for a top-six playoff spot.
- Stadium Progress: Watch the "slip-form" concrete cores of the Kop Stand. If those go up on schedule this spring, the 2026/27 season will see the Racecourse return to its four-sided glory.
- Season 5 Premiere: The new episodes will likely drop in May 2025, covering the current Championship struggle. This is usually when we see the "real" behind-the-scenes drama of the transfer negotiations.
Wrexham isn't a fluke. It's a blueprint. They’ve proven that with enough visibility and a competent back-office, you can shortcut the traditional decades-long climb up the pyramid. The Premier League is no longer a "maybe." It’s a "when."
To stay ahead of the curve on Wrexham’s progress:
- Monitor the EFL Championship table weekly to see if they can maintain a top-10 pace through February, which is historically their "slump" month.
- Track the Kop Stand construction updates via the club's official site to see if the 18,000-capacity target remains on track for the 2026-27 season.
- Keep an eye on the club's retail announcements, as new global memberships and international kit shipping logistics are currently the primary drivers of their "Financial Fair Play" (FFP) headroom.