Wrexham's Close Call with Promotion Chaos

Wrexham Standings

Title: 'The Curious Case of Wrexham’s Missing Promotion'

A True Crime-Style Investigation into the 2022-23 National League Season

Prologue: A Town’s Dream

Wrexham AFC, a historic Welsh football club, had spent 15 long years languishing in the National League—English football’s fifth tier. But in 2020, everything changed. Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club, injecting star power, cash, and a global spotlight. The mission? Escape the non-league purgatory.

By the 2022-23 season, Wrexham was a juggernaut. A record-breaking 111-point campaign. A deadly strike duo in Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer. Yet, as the season reached its climax, something didn’t add up…

Chapter 1: The Unbeatable Run

Wrexham stormed through the season, losing just three games. They smashed attendance records, drew celebrity fans, and dominated headlines. But lurking in the shadows was a silent rival: Notts County.

Notts County, the oldest professional club in the world, matched Wrexham stride for stride. Their own 107-point season was historic—yet under normal circumstances, it would’ve guaranteed promotion. But this was no ordinary year.

Chapter 2: The Points Heist

In most leagues, 107 points wins you the title. But in the National League, only one automatic promotion spot exists. The rest must survive the brutal playoff gauntlet.

Wrexham and Notts County traded blows:

April 10, 2023: A 3-2 thriller at the Racecourse Ground. Wrexham won, but Notts County refused to die.

April 22, 2023: Wrexham clinched the title with a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood.

But here’s where the crime unfolds: Notts County, despite 107 points, had to face the playoffs.

Chapter 3: The Playoff Trap

The playoffs are a merciless beast. Notts County, exhausted from the title chase, faced Chesterfield in the semifinal. They won 3-2 in extra time, but the damage was done.

In the final at Wembley, against a resurgent Chesterfield, Notts County collapsed. A 2-2 draw led to penalties. And then—heartbreak.

Chesterfield won the shootout. Notts County’s record-breaking season? Worth nothing.

Chapter 4: The Smoking Gun

Who was to blame? The system. The National League’s single automatic promotion spot had claimed another victim.

Evidence #1: In the EFL, top two go up automatically. But the National League? Only one.

Evidence #2: Notts County’s 107 points would’ve won the league in every other season since 2001—except this one.

Evidence #3: Wrexham’s Hollywood ending came at a cost—Notts County’s tragedy.

Epilogue: Justice Served?

Wrexham celebrated. Notts County mourned. But the real villain? A flawed system.

The following season, Notts County finally escaped—winning the league with 117 points. But the scars of 2022-23 remained.

Case Unsolved. The National League’s promotion rules? Still a crime.

Case File Closed.

(This true crime-style breakdown blends drama, facts, and a hint of conspiracy—just like the wild 2022-23 National League season.) ⚖️⚽

Wrexham's Close Call with Promotion Chaos

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