Wrexham celebrate victory and promotion into League One. Pic: Getty Images

Wrexham Ride To League One Is A Reward For The Fans, Says Phil Parkinson

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By David Williams

Ryan Reynolds has said that he and Rob McElhenney are having the “ride of our lives” following another Wrexham promotion.

The Deadpool star, 47, co-owns the club with fellow Hollywood actor McElhenney.

They previously secured promotion to League Two last year, and a 6-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers on Saturday means they will play in League One next season, as they cannot now finish below the top three automatic promotion places.

Elliot Lee opened the scoring for Wrexham before Paul Mullin scored twice, either side of Ryan Inniss’s own goal, as the hosts hit four before the break. Ryan Barnett and Jack Marriott then found the net in the second half.

On X, Reynolds wrote: “A few years ago, if you told me I would be crying tears of joy over a football match taking place in North Wales, you would be Rob McElhenney. Congrats to Wrexham and to my co-chairman in crime. Double up the town! This is the ride of our lives.”

Reacting to the Welsh team beating Forest Green 6-0, McElhenney wrote on social media site X saying: “No words” along with a heart emoji.

Since McElhenney and Reynolds’ takeover in February 2021, they have contributed to worldwide attention for the team.

The FX documentary show Welcome To Wrexham, which has had two seasons with a third series to air in May, has earned five Emmys including outstanding unstructured reality programme.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “I am immensely proud of the lads today. If you look at the Tuesday performance and today, when it mattered most we put in two of our best performances of the season.

“Some of the football was of a very high standard today.

“Realistically, the game should have be over at half-time but it was just about keeping our focus and seeing the game through.

“It’s nice to do it in convincing style, with a really good performance.”

Reynolds and McElhenney took over the club in November 2020 and after losing in the play-offs in their first full season at the club, ended their 15-year absence from the EFL by edging out Notts County to clinch promotion with a record-breaking 111 points.

Nine victories in their last 15 league games, with just three defeats, saw them power into the top three this season and reach League One for the first time since 2005.

Parkinson added: “It’s never easy with Forest Green’s low block making it difficult but it was important we showed that we’d learned from when we played them last time, and I think some of our football was of a very high standard.

“I came into the game not expecting other results to go our way – I think that’s the best way to approach it.

“It wasn’t until about two minutes to go when my son George, who’s our analyst, gave me the rundown and obviously then you know it’s a done deal. I’m just so pleased.

“It’s a great achievement for everybody connected with the club. There is a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

“It really is a team effort at Wrexham – everybody pulls together and I have to include the supporters in that because, home and away, they’ve been absolutely magnificent for us.

“They’ve stayed with us, kept the faith and the belief and they’ve got their rewards.”

Stockport fans were also celebrating, after their 2-0 win over Morecambe confirmed their promotion, with fans celebrating on the pitch at the end.

County, who had been in the top three since October, only needed only a point to guarantee going up.

 

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