Wrexham AFC came to the mainstream media when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney decided to produce a show on streaming services so everyone could see the inner workings of a lower-league English football club. Viewers got to know the city of Wrexham, the people behind the scenes, coaching struggles, players and their families, and the story of the team’s promotion back into the Championship.
In the most recent season, we were treated to watching the women’s team partake in their league and their lives outside of football. Since the Welsh professional league is not quite as professional as you might see in England, Germany, or France, the players here have full-time jobs, go to school, and need to make time to play football.
Now, there are new players on the squad, new dreams for the club, and new aspirations going into the new 2024-2025 season.
Wrexham AFC Becomes Semi-Professional
Go behind-the-scenes of @WrexhamAFCWomen's Bute Energy Welsh Cup Final clash against Cardiff City, in our final Triple A of the 2023/24 campaign 📺
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) May 7, 2024
Last year, we saw Wrexham AFC dominate their league, the Adran North. The Welsh league was split into different geographical sections, based on the location and driving distance between clubs. Wrexham AFC won 12 games in their league on an unbeaten run, set a new attendance record for Welsh domestic football in the women’s side, and had the pleasure of having Rob and Ryan in attendance at the Racecourse in March 2023.
Due to their dominance in the league, they were promoted to the Welsh Premier League for the following season. They were able to utilize a new stadium, the Stok Cae Ras, which had a capacity of nearly 13,000 people compared to the non-league pitch they were on before.
Wrexham AFC invested in their team to create a semi-professional atmosphere and backing that would, no doubt, pay off in the long run. For players who want to continue training and playing at the highest level, becoming semi-pro was only the next logical step – ideally, followed by fully professional in the years to come.
Instead of traveling the day of a game for multiple hours on end, which is horrible preparation for running around for 90 minutes, funding and planning were acquired so Wrexham AFC could travel the day before. They also had more pitch sessions, extra facilities available during additional times, and gym sessions throughout the pre-season and in-season times to keep the players fit and healthy.
In their first season as a semi-professional team, they finished third out of 11 teams, which is a huge accomplishment for the first year after being promoted. Although they lacked consistency, the fight, determination, and drive of the players and coaching staff helped them succeed in their first year in the Adran Premier League.
Looking to the Future of Wrexham AFC
Now, Wrexham AFC hopes to capitalize on their first year of success in the Adran Premier League and the remarkable achievement of making a cup final during their first year in the higher league. There is no doubt that Ryan and Rob will have to continually progress the women’s side of the club so they can become fully professional and truly dominate the Welsh domestic league in the next couple of years.
The head of women’s football operations, Gemma Owen, thinks this is possible.
‘I wouldn’t say there’s a timeline as such. It’s definitely an ambition. I think it would be wrong of us to not want to get to that point. We’ve made the progress we have already, and it would be a miss of us not to want to continue heading towards professionalization, which hopefully will happen in a not-too-distant future.’
Plus, Wrexham AFC is going on a pre-season tour in the United States due to their media presence, new player signings, and famous managers. They will face off against the Vancouver Whitecaps, AFC Bournemouth, Chelsea, TST team, Angel City, and USWNT alumni.
The exposure of the team and desire to grow the women’s game is looking exciting for Wrexham AFC.
Also Read: Phil Foden vs. Martin Odegaard: Statistical Comparison of Their Incredible 2023-2024 Seasons
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
