Wrexham are one of the most exciting clubs outside the Premier League as the League One side has plenty of ambition to surge up the English football pyramid.
Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney became the owners of the club back in February 2021, and the club have been on the ascendancy ever since.
The 2022/23 season saw them win the National League to finally escape the division, 15 years after slipping out of the Football League.
Last term, Wrexham made it back-to-back promotions as they finished second in League Two to secure their place in the third tier of the pyramid for the first time since 2004/05.
The onus is now on them to achieve promotion to the second tier – though this is unlikely to be the final aim, especially with the money that Reynolds and McElhenney have injected into the club.
With just a few months left of the campaign, Wrexham will need to be at their very best to secure either a first or second-place finish, thus making the move into the Championship.
Birmingham City have now been confirmed as champions, and Wycombe Wanderers are their main rivals for the final automatic promotion spot.
Will promotion be achieved this year, or will they require another year in League One? Here, we analyse the latest results and fixtures along with delving into whether they can achieve promotion this season.
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ByStephan Georgiou How League One works
There are 24 clubs in League One, with all teams playing each other twice for a total of 46 league matches across the campaign.
This is the same number of games as in League Two and the Championship, should they get that far – but there are some notable differences between the bottom two divisions of the EFL.
In League One, there are only two automatic promotion spots, compared to the three on offer in the division below.
Teams who finish between 3rd and 6th will qualify for the play-offs. There are also four relegation spots compared to two in League Two.
Last season, sixth-placed Barnsley earned 76 points to qualify for the play-offs, while Portsmouth and Derby County – who were promoted automatically to the Championship – both accrued over 90 points during the 2023/24 season.
At the other end of the table, Burton Albion survived with 46 points, just two more than relegated Cheltenham Town.
Can Wrexham get promoted from League One?
Wrexham will be making history if they secure promotion to the Championship, as three successive promotions has never happened at this level of English football.
Due to their financial backing, Wrexham were tipped as one of the favourites to secure a third promotion in a row before the season started.
The club started rather well in the third tier, taking 10 points from their first four matches, which included a win over promotion rivals Wycombe.
Now in the thick of the run-in, just a point separates Wrexham from the Chairboys, with automatic promotion in the Welsh side’s hands with four games remaining.
Elsewhere, Wrexham suffered penalty shootout heartbreak in the EFL Trophy, with a late Peterborough United comeback denying the Red Dragons a place in Wembley’s final.
The season is now at the business end, and every point counts. It appears that Wrexham or Wycombe will take the final automatic promotion place, though Charlton Athletic – who have to play both clubs before the end of the campaign – could yet have a say.
There is no doubt that Wrexham have acquitted themselves well in the third tier. The question now is whether they can make one more step on their journey to the Premier League.
Wrexham fixtures, results and standings
Rank
Team
P
GD
PTS
Birmingham City
40
+44
Wrexham
42
+27
Wycombe Wanderers
42
+30
Stockport County
41
+24
Charlton Athletic
41
+19
Reading
41
+8
Bolton Wanderers
41
+4
Huddersfield Town
41
+13
Leyton Orient
41
+16
Blackpool
41
+10
Via BBC Sport (last updated 12th April, 3pm)
As it stands, the table suggests the fight for promotion could go down to the wire – with the final round of matches taking place on Saturday 3rd May.
Birmingham City secured promotion and were confirmed as champions following Wrexham’s goalless draw at Wigan, but the Red Dragons are still in control of their destiny heading into the last four games.
Despite dropping points, Wrexham remain a point ahead of Wycombe, who grabbed a late winner to defeat Stevenage and heap the pressure on Phil Parkinson’s side.
Their final four opponents are mostly mid-table outfits, with their clash on the penultimate weekend against Charlton the trickiest on paper, particularly with the in-form Addicks harbouring promotion hopes of their own.
Date
Competition
Opposition
H/A
Kick-off (GMT)
Fri 18th Apr
League One
Bristol Rovers
H
3pm
Mon 21st Apr
League One
Blackpool
A
3pm
Sat 26th Apr
League One
Charlton
H
5.30pm
Sat 3rd May
League One
Lincoln
A
3pm
Via BBC Sport
Overall, Wrexham have been in solid form, losing just one of their last 10 matches and keeping eight clean sheets in that run. But with Wycombe breathing down their necks, they may need to win all four of their remaining fixtures to secure promotion to the Championship.
However, they may be encouraged by the Chairboys’ fixture list, with all of their remaining opponents inside the top nine ahead of kick-off on Saturday.
Date
Competition
Opposition
Result
Sat 12th Apr
League One
Wigan
D 0-0
Sat 5th Apr
League One
Burton Albion
W 3-0
Tue 1st Apr
League One
Cambridge
D 2-2
Sat 29th Mar
League One
Exeter
W 2-0
Sat 22nd Mar
League One
Stockport
W 1-0
Via BBC Sport
With just four games to go, it is all about getting over the line for Wrexham. With a point advantage, four wins will be enough to secure Championship football for next season, though one slip-up could let Wycombe in, particularly as the Chairboys have a better goal difference as it stands.
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