Arthur Okonkwo has claimed the opposition would do something ‘unbelievable’ when Wrexham lost a match last season.
The latest chapter of Wrexham’s story closed with promotion back to League One.
It’s a level they’ve not played at since 2005 and plans are currently underway to prepare the Reds for the fast approaching summer transfer window.
Wrexham’s passage out of League Two was plain sailing in the end, but it wasn’t easy throughout the campaign as Phil Parkinson’s men were embroiled in a tussle with Stockport County, Mansfield Town and MK Dons for the top three spots.
Many saw the Reds as a target in the fourth tier as they comfortably had the biggest budget in the division and were able to outspend their opponents.
It meant that when they came up against a side with a much lower budget, the opposition would do everything in their power to claim a scalp.
Wrexham faced this treatment throughout their short time in League Two, and on loan Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has now said how supporters would act after beating his side.
Arthur Okonkwo reveals the ‘unbelievable’ thing opposition fans did to Wrexham
Wrexham had pressure on their shoulders as soon as they entered League Two. With the financial muscle of Hollywood owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, Parkinson was expected to deliver promotion.
The 56-year-old did just that amid the backdrop of teams treating a match against the Reds like a cup final, with Okonkwo claiming fans would celebrate when his side lost, even if they weren’t involved with the game.
Speaking to The Mirror, Okonkwo touched on jealousy as being the main driving force behind opposition fans behaviour, saying: “I don’t think there’s a lot of teams who like us in the division. Just because of the club, there’s some jealousy and I think every game we played was like a cup final.
“If we lost a game then they would celebrate. It would be unbelievable.
“With the fans jumping into crowds, fighting us at the end of games, pushing us and saying to us, ‘You’re rubbish’ and stuff like this. It’s definitely a different experience! We had pressure on our shoulders, we were determined to get promoted and we showed we can handle it.”
Wrexham no longer a big fish in a small pond
Although Wrexham were able to outspend their opponents in the National League and League Two, landing proven players to rapidly move through the leagues.
Their latest promotion however, will see the gap close significantly and the Reds will no longer be a big fish – in terms of their budget – in a small pond.
They’ll be battling against some battle-tested League One teams, such as Barnsley, Peterborough United and Bolton Wanderers.
Birmingham City and Huddersfield have also dropped into the third tier, two sides who have played Premier League football since the last time Wrexham were in League One.
Indeed, McElhenney and Reynolds will need to make some major signings for their side to compete against some of the division’s powerhouses, otherwise, a third promotion in a row looks a difficult ask.
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