Wrexham have won promotion back to the Football League for the first time in 15 years. A 3-1 win over Boreham Wood was enough to seal the National League title on a day of high drama and emotion.
The crucial three points secured on Saturday means the Red Dragons have gained automatic promotion from the National League to League Two, with a game to spare.
Wrexham were bought by Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator Rob McElhenney in November 2020.
Footage shared on social media showed the actors embrace with an emotional McElhenney appearing to wipe tears away from his eyes after the final whistle was blown.
One fan hailed them for making “dreaming possible” as the club got the happy ending they hoped for.
The club was congratulated on their win by the Prince of Wales, who posted on the Kensington Royal Twitter account: “Congratulations @Wrexham_AFC! A club with such amazing history, looking forward to a very exciting future back in the Football League. Doing Wales proud. W.”
Reynolds revealed how he was “terribly nervous” ahead of the pivotal game at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground stadium in north Wales.
He and McElhenney were among a crowd of more than 10,000 – including fellow actor Paul Rudd, who delighted supporters with an unexpected visit to the nearby Turf pub.
Since it was purchased for $2.5m in 2021, the third oldest football club in the world has gained international recognition and new fans all around the world.
Wrexham’s budget and spending has dwarfed that of their National League rivals, with reports suggesting more than £10million has been ploughed into restructuring the club from top to bottom.
Training facilities have been improved with a new performance gym built on the ground’s premises, while there has also been major investment in the squad on transfer fees and wages, in a bid to lure strikers Ollie Palmer and Paul Mullin away from Football League clubs.
An FX documentary released on Disney+ in the UK – Welcome to Wrexham – follows the club’s journey from the early days of its new ownership.
The side have one match left of the season against Torquay, before facing Manchester United in a friendly in San Diego in July.
