Phil Parkinson has shared his grand plans to propel Wrexham to the zenith of English soccer.
The club’s 56-year-old manager stated, “You’ve got to want to get right to the very top,” as he aims for a third consecutive promotion this season with the Red Dragons. Wrexham’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, thanks to being bought by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Since the high-profile takeover, Wrexham has shot up from the National League to League One in a mere four years. They currently hold third position in the division, trailing leaders Wycombe Wanderers by just four points, with a game-in-hand over second-placed Birmingham City.
Parkinson confessed that the ethos at Wrexham is to “dream”. However, despite his ambitious goals, the ex-Bolton manager is fully cognisant of the formidable challenge awaiting him and his squad this season.
“I think you’ve always got to dream,” Parkinson told William Hill. “You’ve got to want to get right to the very top and be ambitious; that’s what it’s all about. That’s not us getting carried away by any stretch of the imagination. We know we’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us this season.”
“I’m putting structures in place, in terms of the squad, for years to come, and the owners are building the club behind the scenes to make us a strong, sustainable club for years to come. Of course, we want to keep progressing, but so do a lot of other teams. We’re doing everything we can to continue taking the club forward.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The sky-high ambitions aren’t just limited to Parkinson either, with the positive atmosphere around Wrexham permeating every level of the club. Plans to refurbish the Racecourse to provide Wrexham with the home they would require if they ascend to the top tiers of English soccer have been on the table for a while.
Due to their success on the field and the massive popularity of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary, home matches at the Racecourse are frequently sold out. Reynolds and McElhenney are now prioritising a complete overhaul of the club’s famous old ground.
A new 5,500-capacity stand at the Kop end of the stadium was proposed even before the new owners took over. Once the Kop’s revamp is finished, the stadium’s capacity is expected to jump from 13,000 to around 15,000 seats.
McElhenney isn’t coy about his grand aspirations, either. The star has confessed he’s targeting a staggering 55,000-seat capacity – a figure that would compete with some of the Premier League’s top clubs.
(Image: Getty)
Insiders suggest a more realistic estimate post-expansion would be in the region of 36,000 to 38,000 seats, however. Despite its impressive climb from soccer anonymity to prominence, Wrexham has encountered some setbacks.
The Red Dragons suffered a 1-0 defeat to League Two’s Harrogate Town in the FA Cup first round this month, a result that stunned everyone at the club. Harrogate, who sit 38 places below Wrexham in the soccer hierarchy, delivered a stark reality check, prompting manager Parkinson to acknowledge the team’s need for improvement amid it lofty goals.
Speaking after the game, he conceded: “It’s so early in the season to start talking about promotion. We’re a quarter of the way into the season, and there’s a lot of football to play. We’ve got a lot of improving to do, and this is a reality check for us.”
