Phil Parkinson has warned Birmingham City there is a long way to go after the Tom Brady-backed club won the battle of the League One headline-grabbers against Wrexham. Parkinson’s Dragons remain top of the table, but suffered their first defeat of the season at St. Andrew’s as they went down, 3-1 in the match billed as the “Hollywood derby.”
Ollie Cooper went to the last World Cup, but his role was not one that grabbed too many headlines. The Swansea City midfielder was part of the Wales group that journeyed to Qatar almost two years ago, but his duties were as a back-up training partner, rather than an official member of the 26-man squad.
You don’t need to be a Hollywood scriptwriter to recognise that Wrexham have made a box office start to the season. Five matches played in League One and they sit at the top of the table, unbeaten, and with 13 points taken from a possible 15.
Jack Marriott has warned Wrexham’s League One rivals his team intend to keep their foot hard to the floor as they aim to drive themselves into the record books. No club has ever tyre-screeched their way from non-League to the second tier in successive seasons, but Wrexham continue to leave the rest in their exhaust fumes.
Phil Parkinson has insisted it is early days, but there is no denying his Wrexham team have quickly regained the Hollywood-fuelled momentum that carried them to back-to-back promotions. The Wrexham manager smiled broadly, but made calming gestures with his hands after his team moved three points clear at the top of League One, with an emphatic 3-0 derby victory over Shrewsbury at The Racecourse Ground. Parkinson’s side were told by many pundits to temper their expectations in the third tier, given that bigger clubs with larger budgets would be muscling their way to the top.
Steven Fletcher says he is looking forward to another season with Wrexham after signing a new one-year deal with the club. The 37-year-old former Scotland striker joined the club last summer after a spell at Dundee United.
Wrexham plan to host another promotion party when they welcome League Two champions Stockport County at The Racecourse on Saturday, in their final game of this season. In what could once have been a match where Wrexham might have won the League Two title in front of their own fans, it is now a game where, regardless of the outcome, both teams’ futures are sealed.
Wrexham may have promotion in the bag but manager Phil Parkinson has a clear warning for any of their new global fanbase who think every season from now on will have a Hollywood ending. The “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary series has mushroomed fan groups of the Reds in the most unlikely dark corners of the football universe.
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.
Wrexham could be hosting a promotion party on Saturday, but manager Phil Parkinson won’t be ordering the beers and champagne just yet. The Dragons manager insists it will be business as usual before their League Two home match against Forest Green Rovers, even though Wrexham may end up celebrating back-to-back promotions for their first time in the club’s history.
Phil Parkinson admitted Wrexham blew their big chance to shake off the chasers at the top of League Two. The Wrexham manager watched his team lose 1-0 at Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night – a result that leaves them four points behind leaders Stockport County and two points ahead of MK Dons, who lead the clubs in pursuit.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson admitted his team were handed a lesson by Blackburn Rovers after they followed the rest of Wales’ clubs in bowing out of the FA Cup. Wrexham lost 4-1 at Ewood Park, despite taking an early lead against the Championship club.