Wrexham director Shaun Harvey has openly acknowledged that a colossal reconstruction effort would be essential if the club ever secures promotion to the Premier League, emphasising that such advancement cannot occur prematurely. The Red Dragons have enjoyed a phenomenal ascent in recent seasons, progressing from the National League to the Championship via three consecutive promotions.
Stadium and Squad Overhaul Essential
Phil Parkinson's team is currently positioned strongly within the Championship play-off race, striving to extend their remarkable journey. This rapid rise has inevitably sparked conversations about the extensive preparations required should Wrexham achieve top-flight status, with the challenges extending far beyond mere on-pitch performance.
Racecourse Ground Upgrades
The club's historic Racecourse Ground presently operates at a reduced capacity of around 10,500, rendering it the smallest stadium in the Championship this season. Construction is actively underway on a new Kop Stand with a 7,750 capacity, although completion is not expected until the following year.
Significant enhancements would therefore be imperative to ensure the venue meets Premier League standards, alongside crucial investment in the playing squad to compete with elite clubs.
Harvey's Candid Assessment
Speaking on the Fearless in Devotion podcast about the prospect of reaching the Premier League, Harvey stated: "You can never get promoted too early. We've proved over the last three seasons that we've managed to go from one league to another and prosper."
"Now, there would be a mammoth amount of work to do inside the stadium. There would also be a mammoth amount of work potentially to do with the playing squad, but I don't think you'll find anybody at the Racecourse Ground who isn't actually looking forward to having that opportunity should it come our way."
Hollywood Owners' Evolution
Five years ago this week, when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney formally acquired Wrexham, the club was a non-league entity merely dreaming of a Football League return. According to Harvey, the scale of subsequent events has fundamentally transformed the owners' outlook.
He explained: "They were very nervous when they first came in. You think, 'How can two people who spend the majority of their time in front of a camera actually be nervous?' But they were. The bottom line is they are now fans at heart."
"They wanted to love it when they started and fell in love very quickly. The only thing that's really changed is their view on what the magnitude of failure is. They've bought into Wrexham, its story and its success."
Harvey added: "The price of failure is such now that I think their biggest concern is just letting anybody down. The hardest part for all of us has been managing the success and the speed of it."
Adapting to Rapid Progress
Harvey further noted: "We've had numerous plans that have been ripped up, not because the plan was flawed, but because we'd gone beyond the scope of that plan."
"That's on the field and off the field. We're still catching up and we'll probably always be catching up in reality."
The director's remarks underscore the immense logistical and financial hurdles Wrexham would face in transitioning to Premier League football, while simultaneously highlighting the club's readiness to tackle such obstacles head-on should the opportunity arise.
