Wrexham AFC moment v Notts County truly kickstarted the Reynolds, McElhenney era | OneFootball

The moment Wrexham AFC turned around their fortunes

In football, sometimes all it takes is just one moment to completely change a club’s fortunes for the better.

That was the case for Wrexham AFC, who were in the non-football leagues for nearly two decades before Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney became the new owners in February 2021.

Together, the A-list actors have helped transform the little Welsh club into a global brand with their share of iconic matches that even a casual supporter won’t forget.

For as much early success as the Red Dragons enjoyed under their new owners, they could still be in the National League today if not for one heroic moment in 2023.

Wrexham experienced heartbreak early into the takeover

Those who’ve only recently begun paying attention to Wrexham would be mistaken in believe this club have only experienced highs under Reynolds and McElhenney. The truth is getting to where they are today took time, and players and loyal supporters went through a tough first two seasons.

The Red Dragons finished eighth in the 2020-21 campaign, with Reynolds and McElhenney only being in charge for a few months at that time. Their first big move they made as owners came at the conclusion of that season when Dean Keates was sacked, and Phil Parkinson took charge.

While they suffered just three National League defeats from the beginning of the 2021-22 season until the end of 2021, Parkinson’s side dropped points on 10 occasions over that stretch. They only lost four league fixtures from the beginning of 2022 until the end of that campaign but failed to overtake Stockport County for first and the lone automatic promotional place.

In the play-off semi-final, they lost a heartbreaking home contest versus Grimsby Town. They conceded the winning goal in the final minute of second-half stoppage time and were beaten 5-4. That meant they would have to return to the National League for an eighth consecutive season, while Wrexham hadn’t been in the EFL since 2007-08 (League Two). It was also the second time since their first season in the National League in 2015-16 that they lost in the play-offs, with both defeats occurring in extra-time.

Although they had owners with deep pockets who had bought in players with vast experience well above the National League level, Wrexham still couldn’t get over the line in 2021-22.

Wrexham fans, players, and staff were gutted by how that season ended and wondering what on earth it would take to finally get promoted out of the National League.

The epic campaigns of Wrexham and Notts County

As disappointing as the previous season was, Wrexham began the 2022-23 in sizzling form, losing just one of their first 12 league fixtures, dropping points on only three of those occasions.

They tore through most of their opponents domestically, losing just one of their first 41 games.

Unfortunately, Notts County, managed by Luke Williams at the time, were even better than the Red Dragons throughout a good portion of that season. They lost just two of their first 42 league contests and claimed maximum points from 30 of those matches, one of which came at home to the Red Dragons in October 2022 (1-0).

Both sides were clearly the class of the National League in 2022-23, with Macaulay Longstaff the Notts County talisman, while the Red Dragons had Paul Mullin.

It was clear that throughout this season, there would be a two-horse race for that one automatic promotion, and it appeared as though we’d be in for a photo finish in what turned out to be one of the most memorable National League title races of all time.

Ben Foster’s return at Wrexham

In March 2023, Wrexham’s National League title hopes took a massive hit when their experienced first-choice goalkeeper, Rob Lainton, suffered a knee injury that would keep him out of the lineup for at least six weeks.

There were only eight games left in the National League at that time, and the Red Dragons were still behind Notts County for first place. It was desperation time for a club looking to get an albatross off their back. With so much riding on their getting promoted, their club owners made a Hail Mary play by signing former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster to a short-term contract.

It was a curious move, given that Foster had announced his retirement in September 2022. He’d also turned down a contract offer from Premier League side Newcastle United to drop into the fifth tier of English football, while the Daily Mail reported that Tottenham had also tried to persuade him to join them as a temporary replacement for the injured Hugo Lloris just a month earlier.

Foster’s previous ties to the Red Dragons and maybe Reynolds and McElhenney’s powers of persuasion, and likely a lot of money, ultimately won the day with the former two-time Carabao Cup champions at Manchester United returning to North Wales.

“I’m over the moon,” Foster said on the BBC after signing with Wrexham.

“I’ve been at the club an hour this morning and it seems a really nice place. Everyone is down to earth, and the manager’s top class.

“It’s changed a lot since I was last here, but it’s nice to be back, and it’s nice to be back as a player too. It will be interesting to see how my body feels after training today.”

Nearly 20 years earlier, Foster was a part of the Red Dragons squad which captured the Vertu Trophy in the 2004-05 campaign.

The man who made eight appearances for the England senior squad had not played in over six months, and suddenly, the weight of Wrexham was on his shoulders.

Wrexham’s memorable match with Notts County

After a pair of comfortable victories for the man born in Leamington Spa in his return to Wrexham, the Englishman was beaten three times in a 3-1 defeat versus Halifax Town. That kept his side in second place and set up a massive showdown at the Racecourse Ground between Wrexham and Notts County.

Parkinson’s men needed to win to move into first but found themselves behind in the latter stages of the opening half. Three minutes into the second half, though, they drew level through Mullin, before Jacob Mendy put them in front 21 minutes from the end. Kyle Cameron equalized on 75 minutes, but Elliot Lee scored a go-ahead marker three minutes later.

Knowing the number of narrow defeats this side had experienced in the past, supporters had to feel like their title aspirations were slipping away when Eoghan O’Connell was whistled for a handball in the box in the latter stages of second-half stoppage time.

While it’s not likely what Parkinson wanted to see, this was Foster’s chance to go down in Wrexham history and be a hero. The veteran cooly obliged, making a fantastic penalty save off Cedwyn Scott to secure a 3-2 Wrexham triumph.

It was like something out of a movie, though, given this club’s long history of painful defeats, many probably hadn’t anticipated it’d have the predictable happy Hollywood ending.

“I’ve never done that before, never saved a penalty last minute to win the game,” said Foster to the BBC afterwards.

“So that’s just vindicated my decision to come out and carry on playing.”

That save enabled Wrexham to finally leapfrog past the Magpies in the table, with the Red Dragons winning the title with 111 points.

Ben Foster’s save was the beginning of the Reynolds/McElhenney era

This is not to diminish anything from what Mullin, Elliot Lee, and Ollie Palmer, among others, did for Wrexham in 2022-23, but it was Foster’s penalty save that ultimately changed the course of that campaign.

That save instilled a belief in the club and the fanbase that no matter what was thrown at them, they would find a way to win. In football, we often look back at a decisive moment in a match, be it a big comeback, a breathtaking goal, or an incredible moment of magic, as the turning point in a season. Foster’s save was that for Wrexham.

Before that, there seemed to be a close but no cigar mentality with this team, but after that save, it changed completely. Wrexham have gone into many big games since then and often come out on top. They have also usually come through when needed, earning a second consecutive promotion in 2023-24 from League Two.

Like Foster’s last-minute save, this team has had several other Hollywood-like finishes since then, including numerous last-gasp winners.

Reynolds and McElhenney’s time as Wrexham owners may have begun in 2021, but that Foster penalty save was the beginning of a new era of winning for this long-suffering club.