Does the Wrexham story interest you? 👇

The significance of not sacking Parkinson when others were baying goes missed. A great decision by fledgling owners. They'll be fine if they keep making calculated decisions like that.

If Wrexham make it from the National League to the Championship within 5 years, it will be a massive achievement.

Even thinking of the PL is horribly premature. I'd be amazed if they can reach the Championship in the next 5 years. PL is 10 years+ away, the amount of regeneration in the club, the ground, the town, in order to make them competitive in the PL is enormous. Back to back promotions leaves you very vulnerable to immediate relegation because the step up is huge, and if you do it too quickly it will leave you exposed. If they take it slowly, carefully, it might happen eventually, but no-one that gives a crap about them seriously should even be talking about this now, take it one step at a time, and if it happens, amazing, if it doesn't then, they won't collapse under their own weight like Gretna did in the Scottish leagues.

You could have compared Wrexham with the Swans. Saved by the Supporters Trust. Almost relegated to the conference in 2003. Finally promoted to the Premier League in 2011.

"Wrexham could be a Brentford or even a Brighton." I'll have to admit at first I didn't believe that since Wrexham is only about 60,000 or so people. But I read how they effectively have the market of North Wales to themselves, so in theory they could have like 700,000 "local" supporters if they continue to operate their club well. I think they can do it.

Currently slipping down a Wrexham You Tube rabbit hole and I've just clicked here after watching a clip of Ryan Reynolds conducting the crowd from the Directors Box as they serenade Rob McElhenney with his birthday song that RR especially produced for him a couple of weeks ago. This is just before kick off for Boreham Wood by the way, quite an important game. Reason for mentioning this is that Matt mentioned football fans "can be a bit mean and a bit prickly" but there is a comment on the video (credit to a Dave Whatt) that for a level headed football supporter I think sums up how a lot of us are feeling. It reads, "I'm jealous of Wrexham in the best, most loving kind of way! What an amazing gift those two fuckers have been to your club. I wish them all the success in the world and I'm so invested in the journey!". I get the feeling that this is the start of something very special we are witnessing here and good luck to them!

Wrexham will probably get promoted from League Two next season but League One will be a much tougher challenge. There are some big clubs in League One. Two or three seasons in League one but then Wrexham will be at a level that they will have to be at there best to stay at. The Championship is a killer division with some very big clubs that are effectively Premier League Clubs in the making. Look at some of the clubs that have recently been in the Championship: Newcastle, Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Blackburn, Norwich, Fulham, Brighton and the list goes on. Good luck to them but it's a long hard road to the Premier League.

Very insightful discussion. As an American who has followed English football for 20+ years, the Wrexham story is truly something to behold. It is also true, as you note, that Ryan and Rob are not just great actors/producers, but very shrewd businessmen. As evidence? Even if Wrexham stayed down this year, they would still have the story, the human side, the fan side. I also think they fully understand both the drama and the elation, AND the potential heartbreak that is the essence of football. They were genuinely thrilled at the Wrexham getting promoted not just as owners, or as shrewd business guys leveraging the drama, but as guys that have become fans of the game. That is obvious. Yet I also think they understand something that true insightful observers know: that success is on knife's edge for teams that are not the giants in English football. It is not inconceivable that Wrexham could have been headed to the playoffs and not Notts county. And playoffs are a crapshoot: weaker teams in any game can beat stronger teams. It could have easily been another National League year in 23-24. The margins, even at the lower levels of the pyramid, are thin. I think Matt Slater is right about the quality of Wrexham's side, especially on the attack. Paul Mullin, for example, is an exceptional finisher, but on the wrong side of 25. Moreover, the higher up in the leagues you go, the better the defenses. But in the next three years, the squad will have to turn over. Clubs don't always live or die on who is coaching -- sometimes managers get sacked because stupid fans call for their heads. Sean Dyche should have never been fired from Burnley, and while I am sure Kompany is a good manager, is he the reason they are kicking ass and heading back? No, it is the PLAYERS that are largely responsible for success -- or failure -- not coaches. Talent assessment, player acquisition, and player development are THE essential qualities of a successful team. Pep Guardiola is a good manager, obviously, but he did ZERO to make Erling Haaland the player he is. If City win the title it will be very much due to Haaland. Wrexham has a long road ahead, and there will be serious bumps in the road, creating good documentary drama, because such drama is inherent in running a club. But the margins are very very thin.Wrexham could stay in League 2 for three years, or they could go right to the top next season. To get to the Prem by successive promotions has very very VERY long odds. No matter what, it will be fun to watch!!

As an American who never cared about football (aka soccer) I have to hand it to Rob & Ryan for making me get invested in the future of an obscure Welsh football club. Bravo.

They're not getting to the Premier League... They did extremely well by organizing and investing enough to get to a more organized category but they'll need a TOOOOOOON more to go through League 2, League 1 and especially the Championship. I think targeting the Championship in the next 5 years is realistic and an actual goal to look forward to.

I'm from the US, and I'm definitely interested. It's a fantastic science project, and I like watching to see if they'll succeed. The owners are invested in the team and community. What's not to like? They're like owners SHOULD be...invested (time and money) and use whatever you can to pump your team up. They've done that.

Awesome video. Cannot wait for the second season and how they perform in League 2.

Matt Slater's summary at the end....absolutely NAILS IT! I've followed Wxm for 50yrs, but - like a lot of other lower league clubs that are _near_ Prem teams, they're often drawn to theose. Since the takeover - and us doing well again...I've bumped into *umpteen* friends and ex-workmates at the games who were Utd, L'pool, Everton etc... 'fans', but have now started following - or in many cases - 're-following' Wrexham again. We always get the (now boring) 'Where were you when you were "... chant chucked at us...but it's like ANY club on earth - when you're winning, rather than getting battered week-in week-out...your gates will always get better! I've been at Wxm games where there was anywhere between 1500 and 20 to 25,000, as I'm sure a lot of fans of their 'local' club have too....but the point Matt makes is bang-on, there's a catchment area in N Wales of over half a million. Ryan & Rob aren't millionaires for no reason....they're smart guys!

Really enjoyed this conversation

I went to a stag do near Wrexham recently and it genuinely was nice seeing loads of kids with Wrexham shirts, rather than the big 6

Ah man, just as it was getting great it ended! I didn't realize the geography and potential aspect of North Wales. Very interesting.

I was brought up in North Wales in the early 80s. The big followings were by some distance for Liverpool, then Everton, then Man U, Chester and Wrexham. Perhaps I was in an area that was semi English, but we were barely ten miles or so from Wrexham. I wouldna get too carried away with: they will get the Welsh backing. But add some Hollywood dust, and they might. Twas a long time ago, and wonder how much support gores to the Manchester clubs now

To all those pooh-poohing the idea of Wrexham getting into the Premiership, perhaps should consider other unlikely clubs that have just done that: Barnsley, Oldham, Swindon, Wigan… And, of course, Bournemouth and Brentford.

Bristol Rovers achieved back to back promotions from non league recently, Stockport almost did the same last season. Wrexham and Notts County performed to levels never seen before in National League history and we all saw how well Wrexham competed against Championship clubs in the FA Cup. The minimum they'll achieve is playoffs but wouldn't be surprised if they go up. It's in League 1 onwards where we you play against good quality teams with Premier League pedigree.

First time on this channel, great analysis.

Great podcast!

Im more interested in a well run league 2 team than a corrupted premier league team.. Its much more significant to support the first properly run ownership, rather than supporting a team because they once had 11 good players back in the 90's.. They are singlehandedly driving a sort of open, inclusive and transparency agenda, that football is desperate for in this point in time and we must support it at all cost as long as they stick to it..

Great analysis. Brentford, Bournemouth are very fair comparisons. In 90/00s they played in the same league these as well as Brighton, Fulham, Man City. Other teams such as Watford, Swansea, Cardiff, Wigan, Burnley, Stoke, Huddersfield. All have been in the Premier League since Wrexhams decline 20 years ago from League 1. If they can do it, why not Wrexham?

The general manager of Wrexham said that the've been approach with many investment offers so this guys have a brilliant future.

It's mad that the biggest story of football is Wrexham. City going for a treble is getting pushed aside for a National league title winner. I love it.

At the beginning of this conversation, I had in my mind that Wrexham could possibly go up again in two years max, and then have around 5 years in League One and mayyybe get to the Championship by the 2030s. But when you made the point about the support and backing they could get from basically half a country, not to mention the increased global fan base they will have accrued by the end of next season & with continuation of the documentary, and good decisions, surrounded by good people, I really think they could do what Luton did and have a shot at Championship playoffs in six years.

I think the teams capped at the point where the locals can afford to buy tickets. As long as the locals can afford tickets and the team is profitable, that’s the right budget and that budget will define how successful they can be. I haven’t seen anything to suggest they are investing youth development so they can field more homegrown talent to help keep long term player costs down, but that would be the other way to improve and maintain their ties to the area. It seems like the teams ties to their fans is really what has sold the story. Keeping that has to be their biggest concern.

I think they can get 3 consecutive promotions. I really do. If Stockport can get to the league two playoff final this year, Wrexham can certainly finish top three in league two. League one would be toucher than league two, but if the owners can put some more cash into the transfer budget to rebuild the squad they could do it. If the Kop stand is done on time, they can take a big step up in match day revenue just as they go up into league one which would allow them to spend more.

I don't think they're in a rush and they certainly don't have the funds to breeze through the leagues but I think that's a good thing. Most Wrexham fans would prefer steady progress with a sustainable financial model in place that doesn't mean their owners will be out of cash. Most fans worth their salt want stability over unrealistic pipe dreams with risky financial ventures that could backfire and send them spiralling again

Brighton and Brentford have a pretty unique stats based recruitment approach from two people who worked together

I fancy Wrecsam to go straight up again, then maybe spend 2-3 seasons in League One but I do think they could get as far as the Championship within about 6-7 years for sure. After that they could reach the Premier League, as they will get a lot of investment, but it's no guarantee, and could take a while

Top analysis

This is from an American POV, this is why US sports look so much at potential territory when determining sports franchises. If you compare Wrexham vs Salford, Wrexham has a beautiful ground and north wales. Salford is a Manchester suburb with United, City, Oldham, Stockport… Wrexham has a much bigger ceiling than Salford

I remember as a kid in the 70's growing up in Colwyn Bay (who also gained promotion to the Welsh Premier League this season), Wrexham were a big deal and a well loved club, an uncle of mine from Llanberis who died recently in his 90's, would always talk about that goal Mickey Thomas scored against Arsenal, Wrexham were a big deal across North Wales, what happened to them was so sad so I couldn't be happier to see them get all this attention now, it's a great story and I think they have owners who want to do things properly, it will be so nice to see them back in the second tier again and I have no doubt they'll manage it, whether they get beyond that, well I think that truly will be a fairy-tale ending, I can't see the Rob and Ryan train slowing down or coming to an end any time soon, it looks like they're in it for the long haul.

They need to setup a solid second squad (Wrexham Reserves started playing in the Central league this year; 2-6-2), start on a youth program, upgrade facilities and scouting, save for rainy days and future transfers. It's going to be difficult to get international players to decide to go to north Wales, Ryan and Rob and guest stars will help with this, as will the matchday crowds. Depending on how these things go they can add squad depth for cheap and start working on offsetting costs through transfers out. If they only ever bring people in, it'll be very expensive. Imagine this team if Mullen had gotten injured. They don't have the squad depth yet, and they'll need it more in the next few years. Should challenge for promotion out of league 1 in 5-7 years. Sooner if they don't care about crashing back out.

I think everyone is getting ahead of themselves about Wrexham getting into the Premier League, probably best to be setting realistic and achievable goals and targets first and taking it from there. It's going to take an awful lot of money 💰.

I honestly think they can make it to the Championship, another 2 jumps, in 3-4 years. Trust my experience, I looked up the Tier pyramid back in February!

Talking about Genius - how about Rob McElhenny? What a stud!

Spot on

The guy at the end nailed it,,,got a fan base of half a country,,,it is only by miraculous mismanagement and dire performances that they ended up in non league,,,,,,personally would rebrand as the “gogs “. Short for gogledd cymru,,,,,and have it as the north wales team.

This show made my girlfriend (who barely understood the rules) actually watch the Wrexham games by herself on TV, learn the players' names, and text me minute-by-minute updates.

The thing that gets overlooked is that since Rob and Ryan have bought Wrexham, just by coincidence, Ryan has sold Avation Gin for $600 mio and Mint Mobile for $1.3 bio. So his wealth has exploded. It’s not just “Hollywood money” any more, he is a proper billionaire. The potential spend on Wrexham has unlimited upside now.

It won’t be a smooth rise. I’d be very surprised if they get multiple successive promotions. Will be an interesting journey. But 8/10 years is best case scenario I’d say

Need more wrexham stories

I don't know about getting up to Brighton/Brentford levels, but there's nothing at all wrong with being a solid Championship team.

At the very best and with massive investment I think 2 seasons per promotion, one into the division to stay stable then the next to go up. More realistic I say championship in 5-10 years and stable prem 20

Possibly a little bit dismissive of the North Walian population that drift towards the big Merseyside and Manchester clubs. Convoys of coaches regularly departed North Wales to both areas on match days. It's not a given that that support will easily shift to Wrexham. And, yes whilst they may be the only club in North Wales, 3/4 of the population live in the South. Otherwise they've absolutely got the potential to rise high in the game if they keep being run well and building on what they've achieved so far. Bournemouth are a perfect example of a club no bigger than them who got to the top and held their own.

Unless the two owners are going to be incredibly generous, they can't get to the premier league on finances alone. It will be essential to get a really good scouting network, youth development, and really beef up the commercial revenue, just to compete at Championship level, and they'll be facing teams with much bigger budgets than them, including just just down from the premier league with parachute payments. It's certainly not impossible, but their success so far is based squarely on outspending the opposition, by quite a large margin. That blueprint for success won't be an option for them in the championship.

Never is the most probably answer to that question. They've never been in the top flight in their history.People are getting carried away with this , if the 2 owners were just normal business men nobody would be mentioning to possibility of Wrexham getting in to the EPL , the novelty of Wrexham will probably ware off fairly soon for all but the proper fans they have in that area.

Its not going to happen. Not unless the current owners have an exit strategy or dilution of shares... maybe to Brian Fantana and Frank The Tank. Div 1 yes, possibly push on to the Championship, but the infrastructure and squad costs to the Prem.....no. Wxm fan btw.

I think a 6 year plan should be good

Probably never. The owners of Salford have far more money than the owners of Wrexham, where are they?

It will take min 8 years, especially difficult when hitting championship league. We are talking 100s of millions of dollars in transfer fees, wages and running costs across the board sky rocket wtc. Not so easy.

Historical it has been done 7 and 11 yearn for Wimbledon and Wigan.

Being realistic it won't happen. But we like an underdog story that turns good here

I didn't know Nick Frost did football podcasts

I think Wrexham has a bright future - but this myth that they're going to reach the Premier league in two years seems a little ahead of itself. There is a lot of work and detail that needs to happen before Wrexham could compete at that level (including cash). I think they need to focus on League 2 first.

I would say they're going to need a bigger bankroll to get to the Premier League. They don't have a multi-billionaire or wealth fund. Which even the SkyBet teams have. They also don't have the database of a Brighton to help them find bargains. So they're going to have to scout the old-fashioned way. Also, the question becomes at what point does the novelty wear off. No, they're not artificial. But they are marketing themselves on the story. But Hollywood meets Wales only plays for so long. At some point, they're going to have to adjust the business model. Now, perhaps that's when they're in the Championship and the club remains stable. But if that transition happens in League 1, things could be tight for a time. Still, I think Luton is a fair point of comparison. And this is definitely sustainable long-term. If things are handled the right way in the future.

the thing is they will start to get realy good has been super star footballers wanting to play after all this is a reality tv show the first ben foster who next harry kane even ronaldo or messi

Yeah, the Hollywood lads can get them to the Championship but they'll need bigger bucks than they have to push them further unless they find a couple of naive billionaires who will pay premium for minority shares...not likely but probably the blue sky valuation will come down significantly without Deadpool and Sunny Philly around.

Everyone forgets about Merthyr 😂

Their fan base potential is north Wales + USA + any Disney+ subscriber globally who loves the underdog story

3 seasons. That’s how quick. A little maths.

I think 10 years.

Ryan Reynolds and the other guy are very clever, if they get promoted once or twice more, they sell for a HUUUGE profit, and it works for the buyers and sellers, buying a huge brand, inflated by them and can carry on, but the sellers make SO much money

Any source on the claim Wrexham had more eyeballs than Arsenal Liverpool? Not having that.

Like most bankrolled projects, they’ll hit a wall when they reach league 1.

Bale,Ozil,Zlatan,Kane ..

They will need extra investment to push into the top end of the championship and premiership.

Calm down. League 2 isn’t too bad to get out off but League 1 is so tough.

3 years if they have the greatest team in history

Welcome to Wrexham Season 2 will push Wrexham publicity into the stratosphere..🎉😊😊😊

It's fantastic to see North American owners who are actually passionate about their club.

Not before we CFC with lunatic owner will reach the championship.

In the short term, Wrexham will follow Salford's path. But! Interest will wane & that's when the club will rely on a structure for longevity that hopefully is being put in place. Forget the EPL. *Let's hope a structure for independent survival is forged for Wrexham.*

Yes, hopefully all Plaid Cymru in Notth Wales will stop supporting Everton and put their heart where their mouth is and support Wrexham for ever.

Wimbledon and Wigan were best example of non league success story, reaching PL and winning the FA Cup.

Can? 4 years Will? Realistically, 10 years maybe

3 years do the maths

Important to remember that Rob and Ryan are not billionaires who can just throw money at the club. Looks like they actually care and want to do good, but the difference in the money involved from where they are at and the top levels are huge. It will not be that easy to get into premier league im afraid.

Its not known as scouse Wales for no reason. As a taff its been great watching another Welsh club climb out of non league footy. They may go up, they may not but you cannot deny having that pair as Owners is going to draw bums on seats, tv interest, sponsorship deals the lot and as mentioned it could snowball and have its own life. Or there could be a honeymoon period and when that finishes then what? The Swans getting to a staying in the prem was fairytale stuff this could be even better.

Us wrexham fans just glad to be bck in league Premier league is way off an different money to what Rob an ryan have wel take it season at a time utst

They will get into League 1. Thats where they have always been.

Wrexham can be the Newcastle of Wales

I think Wrexham can get to the Championship sooner than people think. Then it will be a mammoth task to get to the Prem.

Quite slowly.

year 3000

Answer is easy! NEVER Unless in some point it get sold to a billionaire. PL is billionaires club NOT millionaires clubs

Six days

The answer is 3 seasons

Not less than three seasons.

3 years. There you go, no need to watch the video

Salford are 4 years and counting in League 2 despite their financial resources. Pump the brakes on Wrexham hype

They won't reach the premiership. It's a flash in the pan. If they progress in the divisions they'll need more revenue to compete and they'll run out of road.

How quickly can Wrexham reach the Premier League? That all depends on how big the cheque book is. The only thing that matters these days in football is MONEY!!

Luton town is very well known outside of England because TOMMY ROBINSON

Waiting for the day when folks are crying “waaah, they got Hollywood money, waaah”

I can't help feeling the Wrexham story is going to falter when the TV show ends and the bluechip sponsors go away.

Not until at least 2030. Anyone that knows soccer, knows that Wrexham is right now the flavor of the month. The next few years will not be easy and they won't be able fix things by buying a few players to get promoted. Relax and enjoy the ride and realize it is reality over hope.