The last game of the 2021-2022 season left Wrexham crushed, narrowly defeated by Grimsby Town and unable to be promoted. Nonetheless, for the first time in many years, fans were hopeful. This second season of Welcome to Wrexham will show if their hopes were well-founded or if Wrexham is to be doomed to mediocrity.

‘Welcome Back to Wrexham’ picks up at the start of a new season – the team has brought in a new goalkeeper and midfielder – and club owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have set their sights on renovating the Kop. To do so will require 20 million pounds and require public funding. To that point, it’s a blessing that King Charles III will be visiting the Racecourse to honor Wrexham becoming a city. The increased exposure of the Wrexham football club could make a difference when it comes to pursuing funding from the Levelling Up Fund. 

As such, the episode sees Reynolds and McElhenney subject to a royal etiquette course, something the two approach with bemusement. Reynolds pokes fun at McElhenney’s discomfort with anything that suggests structure or conformity.

‘Welcome Back to Wrexham’ makes clear that the goal for the season is promotion or bust. The board of directors have expressed concerns that the costs of player salary and renovations are unsustainable, and if Wrexham is to maintain its payroll then it will need to be promoted to League Two. Reynolds and McElhenney have one year of ownership under their belts and cannot be complacent. Fortunately for Wrexham, they are ever ambitious to make this the year for promotion. And if they are to receive the funding to renovate the Kop, then the Racecourse could operate at increased capacity and enable the city to become a football hub.

So… like any true underdog story, we must start with disappointment. A loss against Chesterfield and a rejection from the Levelling Up Fund seem like a good place to start. Reynolds and McElhenney will need to get creative, and the team must maintain their resolve after a tough loss.