Darren Caskey, the former assistant manager of Wrexham, has given a startling account of the club's struggles before its Hollywood transformation, admitting he and manager Gary Mills almost resigned within two days of arriving.
The Budget Bombshell That Nearly Ended It All
Speaking candidly on the Undr the Cosh podcast, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder recalled joining the Welsh club in April 2015 as number two to Gary Mills. The pair had previously found success together at Gateshead, but their new venture at the Racecourse Ground almost immediately hit the rocks.
Caskey revealed they nearly walked away after just 48 hours when the board made drastic, unexpected changes. "We'd gone there, got all the budget numbers, and we'd written it all down. It was all done," Caskey explained. "Then he [Mills] rang me back up."
The call brought devastating news: the club had cut £100,000 from their playing budget and, without consultation, sold star striker Louis Moult to Motherwell for £50,000 in June 2015. Caskey said Mills was furious and ready to resign on the spot, confronting the board with an ultimatum.
Impossible Promotions and Appalling Conditions
Despite the turbulent start, the duo stayed, with Caskey suggesting Mills wanted to prove a point. They guided Wrexham to an eighth-place finish in the 2015–16 National League season, playing an attacking style but ultimately missing the play-offs.
Caskey emphasised the near-impossible task of competing for promotion with meagre resources. "We were signing players there on £210 per week from three leagues below," he stated. "I mean, how are you supposed to get promoted out of the league?"
Off-pitch conditions were equally dire. Caskey alleged the standard of accommodation arranged by the then-supporter-owned club for new signings was "an absolute disgrace." He described visiting a house intended for four new players. "There must have been about 400 rats in there," he claimed. The coaching staff ended up spending a day cleaning the property themselves.
A Stark Contrast to the Hollywood Era
Mills' tenure eventually ended in October 2016 with the club in 15th place, leading to Caskey's departure alongside him. This period stands in dramatic opposition to the club's current reality under owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Since their February 2021 takeover, the Hollywood stars have funded a remarkable rise, securing three consecutive promotions to lift Wrexham from the National League to the Championship. Their investment in players and facilities, coupled with the global spotlight from the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, has rewritten the club's story entirely.
Caskey's revelations underscore the profound scale of the Wrexham transformation, painting a vivid picture of the challenges that preceded the current era of success and celebrity ownership.
