The League One club are hoping to secure an easier route into continental competition, but just how realistic is that goal?
Wrexham might be playing in the Championship next season. That would have been little more than a pipe dream for most supporters three short years ago, but Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have changed everything.
When the Hollywood duo completed their £2 million takeover in February 2021, Wrexham were sitting in the National League play-off places. Now, the Red Dragons are second in League One after 18 games of the 2024-25 season, and a third-successive promotion is well within their grasp.
It's been nothing short of a fairy-tale story, further boosted by the success of the documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham', which has allowed fans a sneak peak into the Reynolds and McElhenney revolution. Their ultimate goal is to reach the Premier League, and if Phil Parkinson's team continue to improve at such a rapid rate, it could be achieved sooner than anyone expected.
But Wrexham also hold European aspirations. Conference League qualification is currently on the agenda at the Racecourse Ground, with "transformational" plans having been submitted to UEFA, the Football Association, the Premier League and clubs in the Welsh top-flight.
Getty Images Sport'Fantastic opportunity'
Wrexham, and Wales' three other English Football League clubs – Swansea City, Cardiff City and Newport County – could all be given a potential new route into European competition as a result of an initiative called Prosiect Cymru (Project Wales). Swansea commissioned the project on behalf of all four clubs and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) after an independent report conducted by consultancy firm Deloitte.
Wrexham, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport are requesting to play in the Welsh League Cup instead of the English equivalent. At the moment, there is no European place on offer for the winners of the Welsh League Cup – also known commercially as the Nathaniel MG Cup – but a revamp of the competition has been proposed that will change that.
Conference League qualification will be the reward for Welsh League Cup success if Project Wales is approved, with reporting that the new format could be in place from the start of the 2025-26 season.
“To bring European football back to Wrexham would be amazing,” Red Dragons boss Phil Parkinson has said of the potential shake-up. “Great to test yourself against teams from different countries around Europe. Be fantastic to have that opportunity.”
Advertisement'All of Wales is united behind this'
Wrexham, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport are all set to remain in the English football pyramid, meaning they can still compete in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy if they also enter the Welsh League Cup. It's yet to be confirmed exactly how the revamped competition will look, but the four EFL clubs would be competing alongside all the teams from Wales' top two divisions and Merthyr Town – who currently play in English football's seventh tier.
It has been reported that talks over the changes initially began 18 months ago, and Swansea City chairman Andy Coleman "is really excited to see what the next steps are". Coleman added to : "I think this is a perfect example of what can happen when people come together. All of Wales is united and behind this."
When pressed on whether he believes the project will be approved, Coleman replied: "I am confident we are going to do every single thing we can, myself included, to make sure we do what's best for Wales. We are in the process, and once we get through the process, we'll let everybody know."
Wrexham are said to be in favour of the plans alongside Swansea, which is no surprise, certainly from a commercial standpoint. Filming for series four of 'Welcome to Wrexham' is already under way, but a potential European journey would likely boost the chances of Disney and FX renewing the show for a fifth season.
GettyWrexham's stance
Indeed, Wrexham director Shaun Harvey is fully behind the prospect of potentially fast-tracking the club's return to Europe after a 30-year absence. "It’s not creating something new because the club has been there before, but it will give the new generation of fans the opportunity to share the same experiences that their predecessors had," Harvey told . "Every so often opportunities like this present themselves and we have got an obligation to both ourselves and football in Wales to look at them."
Harvey also admitted that the main motivations behind all those involved in the project is "unashamedly financial". Only 711 fans watched the 2023-24 Welsh League Cup final between Cymru Premier League champions The New Saints (TNS) and Swansea's U21s side, and an attractive increase in the stakes and overall quality of the competition is being sold as a driver in the growth of football in Wales.
“People ask why would the Cymru Premier clubs and the FAW support it,” Harvey continued. "The answer is that they are satisfied that it would be in the best interests of football as a whole in Wales. Value is measured in many different ways, but in this case, the measure is unashamedly financial. The more money that is available to develop and promote the game throughout Wales, the better it has to be for everybody.
"The FAW would hopefully receive significantly more funding as a result of improved performances to support the development of the women’s game and football below the Cymru Premier. There would be financial benefits for whichever club managed to win the Welsh League Cup, but only one of the four [EFL clubs] could win it and it doesn’t mean the Cymru Premier clubs can’t win it either.”
Proud European history
Wrexham actually boast a very proud record in Europe, which began in 1972 when they qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup by winning the Welsh Cup. The Red Dragons beat FC Zurich 3-2 on aggregate in the first round, only to exit the competition against Hajduk Split in the next stage.
Four years later, Wrexham enjoyed a memorable run to the quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten by Belgian giants Anderlecht. And in the 1984-85 season, while playing in English football's fourth tier, Wrexham produced one of the all-time great upsets by knocking Porto out of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Porto were considered heavy favourites as one of the best teams in Europe at the time, having made the final against Aberdeen the previous year. However, Sir Alex Ferguson famously provided then-Wrexham boss Bobby Roberts with videos he'd made to study the Portuguese giants before Aberdeen's victory, and the Red Dragons proceeded to edge a thrilling tie on away goals, despite losing the second leg 4-3 away from home.
“The club, like the other three clubs, is steeped in European history, albeit going back over a period of time," Harvey said. “If those days can return to Wrexham at some stage in the future then it’s another step on a remarkable journey."
