Wrexham FC’s fairytale rise under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney is on the verge of another incredible chapter. After a crucial win over Blackpool, the club is inching closer to securing promotion to the EFL Championship, England’s second division.
Blackpool hosted Wrexham on Monday at Bloomfield Road in Matchday 44 of the 2024–25 EFL League One season. With the hosts eyeing a playoff spot and Wrexham pushing for automatic promotion, the stakes were high. With McElhenney in attendance, second-half goals from James McClean and Ollie Rathbone in the 61st and 64th minutes sealed a 2–1 victory. Rob Apter pulled one back for Blackpool deep into stoppage time (90+5’), but it wasn’t enough.
The victory moved Wrexham into second place with 86 points from 44 matches—currently occupying the final automatic promotion slot. The timing couldn’t have been better, as third-place Wycombe Wanderers suffered a 4–0 loss to Charlton Athletic, allowing the Welsh club to leapfrog them in the standings.
With just two games left, Wrexham’s fate is now firmly in their hands. A third consecutive promotion—after climbing from the National League and then League Two—is within reach.
Wrexham’s promotion path: What needs to happen
Birmingham City have already clinched the League One title with 99 points through 42 games, locking up their place in next season’s Championship. That leaves just one automatic promotion slot up for grabs—and Wrexham are currently holding it.
The Red Dragons control their own destiny. With 86 points and six still up for grabs, they only need to hold off three potential challengers: Wycombe (84 points), Charlton (82), and Stockport County (81).
Wrexham’s next game is at home against direct rivals Charlton Athletic next Saturday—a clash that could define the season. If Wrexham win and Wycombe drop points against Leyton Orient (currently sixth), Reynolds and McElhenney’s side will officially secure promotion, marking their return to the second division of English soccer for the first time since the 1981–82 season.