How a Proposed Radical Change Could Boost Wrexham’s Promotion Chances

The Red Dragons are hoping to make history with a fourth consecutive promotion.

Wrexham have dreams of one day playing in the Premier League. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

EFL clubs are reportedly voting on a potential expansion of the Championship playoffs to six teams, a change that could impact Wrexham’s hopes of securing a place in the Premier League.

As it stands, the top two clubs in the Championship come May are automatically promoted to the English top-flight, while the next four teams in the standings compete in the playoffs, with the winner ultimately becoming the third and final team promoted.

According to The Guardian, 72 EFL clubs are invited to the meeting, which will unfold on Mar. 5, to cast their votes about potentially allowing two more teams—those that finish in seventh and eighth—to participate in the Championship playoffs.

The new playoff format would take effect next season should a simple majority of the 72 clubs and the 24 Championship sides vote to instate the changes approved by the EFL board.

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How an Expanded Championship Playoff Would Work

The proposed changes could go into effect next season. | Izzy Poles/AMA/Getty Images

With two extra teams potentially thrown into the fight for promotion to the Premier League, the playoff format would need to undergo significant changes to the one currently in place. The Guardian report the league could adopt a format similar to the National League.

The clubs that finish third and fourth would automatically advance to the semi-finals. The teams that finish fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth, though, would have to play a knockout match to determine the two clubs that round out the semi-finals.

The fifth-placed team would play the eighth-placed team, while the sixth-place team would match up with the seventh-placed team. The higher-ranked club gets the advantage of playing the one-off tie at home.

The playoffs would then continue as normal, with the semi-finals unfolding across two legs, where the winners get to play in the final at Wembley Stadium.

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How the Proposed Changes Would Impact Wrexham

Ryan Reynolds has spearheaded a meteoric rise for Wrexham. | Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

The ultimate goal for Wrexham is to one day play in the Premier League, completing a sensational journey since co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over the club in 2021. In their first Championship campaign in 43 years, the Red Dragons have a chance to secure a record-fourth consecutive promotion.

Phil Parkinson’s men currently sit sixth in the standings through 31 games, the playoffs well within their grasp. If the team falls out of the top six by the end of 2025–26 or fail in the playoffs, though, it would extend its stay in the Championship for at least another season.

Should the proposed playoff expansion go through for 2026–27, then Wrexham’s chances of promotion are even higher. The Red Dragons would then only have to worry about finishing in the top eight to get a chance at playing in the Premier League.

Of course, it would still be on Parkinson and his men to come out on top in the playoffs, but they will no doubt welcome the added boost in their quest to do the unthinkable and compete alongside the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

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