Credit: Wrexhamafc.co.uk
When Phil Parkinson was unveiled as Wrexham manager on July 1st, 2021, his words carried ambition tempered with realism. “Once the plans of the Chairmen were explained to me, the decision to join Wrexham was very easy,” he told the official club website. “Wrexham are an EFL Club in all but the one thing that matters, league status, and we have a very clear objective with the work starting immediately.”
That objective was clear: return Wrexham to the Football League after 13 years in non-league exile. What followed has exceeded even the most optimistic predictions. The 53-year-old arrived with nearly two decades of managerial experience and three promotions already on his CV, but what he has achieved at Wrexham has eclipsed everything that came before.
“The Club didn’t need selling to me, it sold itself and I wanted to be part of the journey this Club is about to embark upon”
Parkinson said at his unveiling. That journey has taken Wrexham from the National League to the Championship in three consecutive seasons, a feat no other club in senior English football has accomplished. The EFL status he spoke about restoring? Achieved. The Championship football that seemed a distant dream? Now a reality.
His immediate focus in 2021 was modest by comparison to what has been delivered.
“We have a lot to do to be ready for August 21 and in the next seven weeks the aim is to add quality players to the existing squad, and create an environment and culture which gives us the best possible chance of promotion”
He explained. He spoke of creating the right environment and adding quality. Four years later, that culture has produced three successive promotions, record points totals, and a win rate that stands alone in modern Wrexham history.
Parkinson arrived on a 12-month rolling contract. He remains on that same contract structure today, a testament to the mutual trust between manager and ownership. But the context has changed entirely. The man who took charge of a National League club facing another season outside the Football League now manages in the Championship, having rewritten Wrexham’s record books along the way. As he reaches 200 league games, the journey he wanted to be part of has delivered beyond all expectations.
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I think we will be in the playoffs but if not I’d rather be chasing or fighting relegation just to keep the narrative going.
It’ll be a big step up to compete against Premier League teams. To make the play offs would be a massive achievement and give us something to build on for next season.