The Welsh outfit are back in the big time after a 15-year absence – but can they keep their Hollywood fairy tale going?
When Hollywood A-Listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed a £2 million takeover at the Racecourse Ground in February 2021, few could have predicted how far Wrexham would come in such a short period of time. The Welsh side made it all the way to the National League play-offs the following season, only to suffer a heart-breaking penalty shootout defeat against Grimsby Town, but it only strengthened their resolve.
The Red Dragons bounced back to win the National League title in 2022-23 with a record-breaking points haul, as they narrowly pipped Notts County to the finishing line. It has been a remarkable journey for the club, who have certainly made the most of the generous investment from their world-famous owners to secure a return to English football's fourth tier.
They're in great shape to keep progressing, too, with the second series of the hugely popular 'Welcome to Wrexham' documentary set for release later this year and work on a new stand at their home stadium – recently renamed the SToK Racecourse due to a sponsorship deal – already underway. Reynolds and McElhenney have made no secret of their ultimate goal to reach the Premier League, and the foundations are certainly in place for a bright future.
Wrexham will be playing League Two football next season, for the first time since their relegation back in 2008, and they're already being billed as dark horses for the title, with head coach Phil Parkinson expected to dip into the club's sizeable transfer budget to bolster his squad in the summer window.
After a highly anticipated pre-season tour of the U.S., Wrexham will focus all their efforts on securing back-to-back promotions, and their full schedule for the 2023-24 season has now been revealed. GOAL is on hand to run down the Red Dragons' most unmissable matches, starting with a home fixture against fellow League Two new boys…
GettyAugust 5: MK Dons (H) – The opener
Wrexham will open their campaign with a difficult clash against MK Dons, who suffered relegation from League One in 2022-23. It will be a historic occasion for the hosts as they take to the pitch in the Football League for the first time in 15 years, with Reynolds and McElhenney likely to be in attendance.
The Hollywood duo have been regular visitors to north Wales since purchasing the club, and Parkinson has said of their potential return to the SToK Racecourse: "It wouldn’t surprise me if they come over because it is – in the history of the football club – a huge game. To be out of the league for 15 years, this signals the return of the club into league football. I’m sure if they can possibly be here, they will be over.”
Wrexham have a dismal record in League Two against MK Dons, having won just one of their previous six meetings in the division, but they will go into their latest clash as slight favourites with squad morale still sky-high after their National League triumph.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesOctober 14: Salford City (H) – Battle of A-List owners
Wrexham supporters would have been looking out for this fixture straight away, as they are set to welcome the Class of '92-owned Salford City to the SToK Racecourse. Manchester United legends Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt pooled together to buy Salford in 2014, and the club subsequently enjoyed their own impressive rise up to the pyramid.
They've been stuck in League Two for three seasons now, though, which should serve as a cautionary tale for Wrexham, with their latest setback coming in the form of a play-off semi-final defeat to Stockport County.
Gary Neville and Co. won't want to be beaten to promotion by Wrexham, but the former United defender has admitted that he is a great admirer of how Reynolds and McElhenney have gone about their business in Wales. “They turn up there," he said on . "They’ve done it well at Wrexham and they’ve got obviously a long way to go to get to probably where they want to be, Championship, Premier League, and probably that might take three years, eight years, 12 years, who knows."
GettyOctober 21: Bradford City (A) – The biggest test
Seven days after their encounter against Salford, Wrexham will face arguably their biggest test of the season against the biggest club in the division: Bradford City. Former Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City boss Mark Hughes guided the Bantams to the play-offs last term, and they will be gunning for promotion once again.
It will be an emotional return to Valley Parade for Parkinson, who is still a hero to Bradford fans after serving in their dugout between 2011 and 2016. The Englishman led the club to promotion to League One and the 2013 League Cup final before masterminding a huge FA Cup fourth-round win against Chelsea two years later.
Wrexham met Bradford on four occasions during their last stint in League Two, winning once, losing once and drawing twice. Fireworks will be expected in West Yorkshire and the final result could go a long way to deciding who ends up finishing higher in the table.
Getty ImagesDecember 23: Newport County (H) – The Welsh Derby
The first Welsh derby of the season will take place two days before Christmas, and Graham Coughlan's Newport side will likely be underdogs under the bright lights of the SToK Racecourse. It will be the teams' first meeting since a second-round FA Cup replay in 2018, which Newport won 4-0 at Rodney Parade.
Newport finished 15th in League Two last season, though, and Wrexham will be expected to pick up all three points in front of a rocking home crowd. The only man who might be able to spoil the party is Omar Bogle, who made a big impact after moving from Hartlepool to Newport last summer.
The 29-year-old has bags of Football League experience under his belt, having played for 12 different English clubs over the course of his career, and his 17-goal return for the Exiles in 2023-23 was more than respectable. Wrexham will need to keep him quiet in order to earn bragging rights.