Wrexham AFC make history by securing promotion to the Championship

Five years ago Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC. The once unfashionable club are now just one promotion away from reaching the Premier League.

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate Wrexham AFC’s promotion to the Championship. Picture: Kya Banasko/Getty Images

Wrexham clinched a record third successive promotion with a 3-0 win against Charlton that booked their place in the Championship in front of Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds on Saturday.

With their celebrity backers cheering from the stands, Phil Parkinson’s side took the lead at the Racecourse Ground through Ollie Rathbone’s 16th-minute strike into the bottom corner.

The Welsh side doubled their advantage two minutes later when Matty James set up Sam Smith and the forward volleyed in from close range.

Wrexham wrapped up the latest promotion of their remarkable rise with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Max Cleworth delivered a perfect cross to Smith, who guided it into the back of the net as McElhenney and Reynolds celebrated in the stands.

Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, hugged his movie star wife Blake Lively as fans in the 12,774 sell-out crowd swarmed the pitch after the final whistle to celebrate with the players.

Wrexham celebrate reaching the Championship. Picture: Jon Super/AP Photo

Wrexham are the first club from the top five divisions of English football to ever secure three consecutive promotions.

Just five years after Reynolds and McElhenney surprisingly bought Wrexham, the previously unfashionable club are now just one more promotion away from reaching the Premier League.

Reynolds, star of the blockbuster action move Deadpool, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor McElhenney’s transformation of the club after been the subject of a Disney+ documentary ‘Welcome To Wrexham’.

The pair have given Wrexham a global reach and cult status unimaginable when they were languishing in the fifth tier National League prior to the celebrity takeover.

Wrexham are second in the League One table behind champions Birmingham and have one game left to soak up the promotion celebrations before the end of the season.smg/nf

Originally published as Wrexham AFC make history by securing promotion to the Championship