WREXHAM, Wales (Reuters) -Wrexham earned promotion for a record third straight season with a 3-0 home win over Charlton Athletic in League One on Saturday, the latest chapter in a stunning rise under the ownership of Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Sam Smith struck twice after Ollie Rathbone opened the scoring to send the Red Dragons up to the Championship (second tier) next season in front of a jubilant Racecourse Ground crowd that included Canada's Reynolds and American McElhenney.
They are the first team ever to enjoy three successive promotions in the top five tiers of English football and return to the second tier of the country's football pyramid for only the second time after relegation in 1982.
Phil Parkinson's side, who hail from North Wales, clinched second place with 89 points and one game remaining in the season. Birmingham City, who top the League One table with 102 points, had already sealed promotion as champions.
"When the big games come and you produce one of your best performances, we did it last week at Blackpool (5-1 win) and backed it up today with a really strong performance, that makes me very proud," a beer-drenched Parkinson told Sky Sports.
"I just want to savour it. Everyone's talked about the history, it can never be taken away from this group of players and the staff."
Wrexham dominated from the start and Rathbone put them ahead in the 15th minute when James McClean worked a short corner to the midfielder, who fired home from the edge of the box.
The home fans were still celebrating when Smith doubled the lead with a spectacular strike three minutes later.
Matty James chipped a long pass over Charlton's back line that Smith volleyed in with his left foot. Smith completed his brace in the 81st when he latched onto Max Cleworth's cross and fired just over the head of goalkeeper Will Mannion.
"Two goals, promoted, job done," said Smith. "It's been an incredible few months and I signed for times like this. There's been a real calmness in the group since we have been here."
The final whistle sparked mayhem as thousands of fans poured onto the pitch carrying banners saying "Back to back to back" and hoisting grinning players on their shoulders amid clouds of red smoke, while Parkinson cracked his first smile of the game.
"What a feeling, it's incredible," Wrexham forward Steven Fletcher said. "For this club to go back to back to back is amazing and something special, it gets better each time.
"We want to go again. It's a big ask but we'll reset and the sky is the limit with this club."
Fans were undoubtedly cheering on the other side of the Atlantic as well on Saturday as the team is wildly popular there thanks to the "Welcome to Wrexham" documentary and the team's North American owners, who bought the club in early 2021.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
