Explained: Why Phil Parkinson wasn't expecting Wrexham to secure League Two promotion as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney get party started

The Red Dragons are guaranteed to be playing third-tier football next season after bouncing their way from the National League and into League One over the course of successive campaigns. Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney continue to be given plenty to cheer in North Wales.

A crushing 6-0 win over Forest Green Rovers wrapped up Wrexham’s latest promotion, with Paul Mullin among the goals once again as a surge past the finishing post was made. Parkinson had not prepared himself for scenes of wild celebration in that contest, with two games still left to take in.

Parkinson told reporters of seeing Wrexham get the job done with room to spare: “I came into the game thinking let's concentrate on what we have got to do. I was not really expecting those results to both go in our favour. I think that is the best way to approach it. My mind was on going to Crewe next week and having to finish the job off. I could sense the crowd, it looked like a good day for us, but it wasn't until a couple of minutes to go I said to my son George, who is one of our analysts, 'just give me the run down', and he told me the scores. That was a great moment. Obviously then you know it's a done deal and I am so pleased. Last year we knew win and we were up; today it was win and we had to rely on other things around us but it was a great achievement for everybody connected with the club, it is not easy to get back to back promotions.”

Wrexham were promoted as MK Dons suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat to fellow top-three hopefuls Mansfield. There is now nothing riding on meetings with Crewe and Stockport, with Parkinson and Co able to start planning for 2024-25.