How can Wrexham get promoted to League One? 2023/24 season

Normally 107 points is more than enough to secure automatic promotion from the Vanarama National League. However, as Notts County found out last season, that isn't always the case.

Such was Wrexham's brilliance in 2022/23, County had to settle for a play-off spot and ended up securing a route back into League Two with a penalty shoot-out win over Chesterfield.

For Wrexham, the side pushed into the fore by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's high-profile Hollywood ownership, there was to be no such play-off tension. The Welsh side earned automatic promotion to return to League Two with a staggering 111 points tally.

How far Wrexham can go up the football pyramid remains to be seen but they're well ahead of schedule after earning their second consecutive promotion.

Here's how Wrexham made it to League One in 2023/24.

What league are Wrexham in?

Having been promoted back to League Two, the fourth division of English football, Wrexham are enjoying the trials and tribulations of the English Football League for the first time since 2008.

The National League is a difficult division to escape as only one team can be automatically promoted and six teams enter the play-offs, while four teams are relegated at the other end of the table.

However, teams that get promoted to League Two often do well. Stockport County were promoted to League Two at the end of the 2021/22 season and reached the play-off final last season, while Sutton United finished just a place outside the play-offs following their first campaign back in the division in 2021/22. Wrexham's form is continuing that trend.

How can Wrexham get promoted in the 2023/24 season?

Wrexham will be hoping for another trophy lift this season / Matthew Ashton - AMA/GettyImages

League Two has more opportunities for promotion compared to the National League. The top three teams automatically go up and then a fourth side is promoted via the play-offs between the teams that finished fourth to seventh.

Wrexham, given the investment in the team following the takeover, were one of the pre-season favourites to get promoted to League One, alongside newly-promoted Notts County. Wrexham are in the top three, but Notts County have fallen off a cliff after a promising enough start.

Wrexham fell to an opening-day defeat, but they've since managed to stay towards the top of the table with fairly consistent results. They are currently third in League Two and were able to secure promotion to League One following a 6-0 thrashing of Forest Green Rovers on 13 April.

They have one game left and are level on points with second-place Mansfield Town. Phil Parkinson's side host title winners Stockport County on the final day.

2023/24 League Two table

Position	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	+/-	Goal difference	Points
1.	Stockport County	45	27	11	7	95:46	+49	92
2.	Mansfield Town	45	24	13	8	89:46	+43	85
3.	Wrexham	45	25	10	10	87:51	+36	85
4.	MK Dons	45	23	8	14	79:64	+15	77
5.	Crewe Alexandra	45	19	13	13	68:64	+4	70
6.	Barrow	44	18	14	12	60:53	+7	68
7.	Crawley Town	45	20	7	18	71:67	+4	67
8.	Doncaster Rovers	44	20	7	17	67:65	+2	67
9.	Walsall	45	18	11	16	68:68	0	65
10.	Bradford City	44	17	12	15	55:57	-2	63
11.	Gillingham	45	18	9	18	44:55	-11	63
12.	AFC Wimbledon	45	16	14	15	59:50	+9	62

*table shows just the top-half of League 2

Wrexham 2023/24 League Two fixtures & results

Date	Fixture/Result
05/08/23	Wrexham 3-5 MK Dons
12/08/23	Wimbledon 1-1 Wrexham
15/08/23	Wrexham 4-2 Walsall
19/08/23	Wrexham 5-5 Swindon
26/08/23	Barrow 1-1 Wrexham
02/09/23	Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Wrexham
09/09/23	Wrexham 2-1 Doncaster Rovers
16/09/23	Wrexham 3-0 Grimsby Town
23/09/23	Stockport 5-0 Wrexham
30/09/23	Wrexham 3-3 Crewe
03/10/23	Mansfield 0-0 Wrexham
07/10/23	Crawley 0-1 Wrexham
14/10/23	Wrexham 3-2 Salford
21/10/23	Bradford 1-1 Wrexham
24/10/23	Wrexham 2-1 Sutton
28/10/23	Notts County 0-2 Wrexham
11/11/23	Wrexham 2-0 Gillingham
18/11/23	Accrington Stanley 2-0 Wrexham
25/11/23	Wrexham 6-0 Morecambe
28/11/23	Harrogate Town 2-2 Wrexham
09/12/23	Forest Green P-P Wrexham (1-1 on 27/02/24)
16/12/23	Wrexham 2-1 Colchester
23/12/23	Wrexham 2-0 Newport County
26/12/23	Swindon 0-1 Wrexham
29/12/23	Walsall 3-1 Wrexham
01/01/24	Wrexham 4-1 Barrow
13/01/24	Wrexham 2-0 AFC Wimbledon
20/01/24	Newport County 1-0 Wrexham
27/01/24	Wrexham P-P Crawley Town (4-1 on 09/04/24)
03/02/24	Salford City 3-1 Wrexham
10/02/24	Wrexham 0-1 Bradford City
13/02/24	Sutton Utd 1-2 Wrexham
17/02/24	Wrexham 1-0 Notts County
20/02/24	MK Dons 1-1 Wrexham
24/02/24	Gillingham 1-0 Wrexham
02/03/24	Wrexham 4-0 Accrington Stanley
09/03/24	Morecambe 1-3 Wrexham
12/03/24	Wrexham 0-0 Harrogate Town
16/03/24	Wrexham 0-1 Tranmere Rovers
23/03/24	Grimsby Town 1-3 Wrexham
29/03/24	Wrexham 2-0 Mansfield Town
02/04/04	Doncaster Rovers 1-0 Wrexham
06/04/24	Colchester United 1-2 Wrexham
13/04/24	Wrexham 6-0 Forest Green Rovers
20/04/24	Crewe Alexandra 0-3 Wrexham
27/04/24	Wrexham vs Stockport County

How far can Wrexham go under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds?

Despite a 5-0 friendly defeat to Chelsea in pre-season, McElhenney tweeted after the game he hopes to see the Blues in "five years or so". Unless Chelsea suffer a serious nose-dive, the owner is clearly hopeful his side can make it to the Premier League at some point.

The likes of Brighton and Bournemouth have demonstrated how clubs can successfully climb the football pyramid and mix it with England's elite clubs. However, those stories are few and far between and it will take a lot of sensible and savvy decisions to convert the Hollywood script into reality.

After navigating League Two, Wrexham will be aiming to compete in the Championship for the first time ever. However, League One is a considerable step up from the fourth tier, so you'd expect the Hollywood hierarchy to once again invest big to ensure Wrexham will be competing towards the top of the table next season.