'No restrictions on what we can achieve' - Wrexham's story so far as they prepare for Football League challenge

"We don't want to put any restrictions on what we think we can achieve," Wrexham's first team coach and reserves manager David Jones told MEN Sport in May after their dramatic promotion to the Football League.

Before their eventual National League title success, the Red Dragons had suffered 15 years of misery in the wilderness of the fifth tier. A once proud club blessed with legends like Mickey Thomas had tread water in what was formerly known as the Conference, for too long.

However, in February 2021, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney assumed full control of the North Wales club in a move which gained headlines across not only the UK but the globe. One of the leading questions for many though was why?

Executive director Humphrey Ker went some way to explaining the decision in October of the same year. He told FourFourTwo: "This sounds a bit naff, but we also wanted to buy somewhere that deserves it.

"Wrexham needs a break, the fans need a break, and the same goes for the town." Ker was of course referencing the plight Wrexham found itself in December 2004 when the club was docked ten points after going into administration under the reign of Alex Hamilton and Mark Guterman.

The ruling from the EFL was key to Wrexham's demise as they were relegated to League Two by a margin of eight points later that season. By 2008, they were relegated to non-league.

Upon their arrival at the Racecourse, Reynolds and McElhenney were keen not to make wholesale changes immediately. Dean Keates remained in charge for the remainder of the campaign which would ultimately end in disappointment as the Red Dragons missed out on a place in the play-offs on the final day. Keates was sacked in May.

To replace Keates, the Hollywood duo managed to