‘I would say with the greatest respect that it’s fanciful to think about getting promoted again this season’ David Prutton on Wrexham’s Championship hopes following historic triple promotion

By published

The Hollywood-backed Red Dragons have won an unprecedented three consecutive promotions

Wrexham earned their third consecutive promotion last season and will play Championship football in 2025/26
Wexham celebrating their promotion to the Championship at the end of last season (Image credit: Getty Images)

Wrexham play their first match in the second tier for more than 40 years on Saturday, when they visit freshly relegated Southampton in a lunchtime Championship clash.

The Hollywood-backed Red Dragons were relegated from the old Division Two in 1982 and would go on to spend 15 seasons in non-league before the arrival of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who bought the club in 2020 and backed by a team of Disney+ cameras, oversaw a remarkable transformation both on and off the pitch.

The club’s three consecutive promotions up to the Championship is unprecedented and much of the pre-season hype this summer has been about whether or not they are capable of completing their rise to the top table and winning promotion to the Premier League.

David Prutton on Wrexham’s rise

David Prutton during a Sky Sports broadcast, August 2023

David Prutton has had his say on Wrexham's rise to the Championship (Image credit: Alamy)

According to former Southampton and Leeds United midfielder David Prutton, who fronts Sky Sports’ EFL coverage, the Welsh side are in for a whole new challenge this season.

“Wrexham’s ambition is admirable - it has been inspiring because of what they have achieved and what they still think they’re capable of achieving,” he tells FourFourTwo.

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have overseen three straight promotions (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Now they are up against teams with aspirations to get into the Premier League. Phil Parkinson knows the Championship, he will be pragmatic and he’ll make them defensively solid.

“Under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as well as CEO Shaun Harvey, they’ve been extremely savvy, but I would say with the greatest respect that it’s fanciful to think about getting promoted again this season.

“They’ll be a wonderful addition to the Championship, though.”

Following their opening weekend clash against Saints, Wrexham host West Brom and then crisis-hit Sheffield Wednesday, before seeing August out with a trip to Millwall.

Wrexham

Wrexham have gone from non-league to Championship under the current regime (Image credit: Getty Images)

This summer has seen Parkinson’s side make a number of eye-catching signings, including a swoop for proven Championship goalscorer Kieffer Moore, who joined for a reported £2million from Sheffield United.

Midfielder Lewis O’Brien has joined from Nottingham Forest, while the club have also added experienced defender Conor Coady from 2023/24 Championship winners Leicester City, plus attacking midfielder Josh Windass from Sheffield Wednesday.

Joe Mewis
Joe Mewis

For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.