Phil Parkinson enters the new Championship season as the division's longest-serving manager, yet the Wrexham boss refuses to settle. "There is a lot more work" ahead, he insisted, framing the club's current stability as a platform rather than a finish line. His message underscores a club still chasing parity with rivals who have spent years consolidating at this level.

Progress off the pitch is finally matching the on-field rise. Construction of the new Kop Stand at Stok Cae Ras is visible, while a pavilion takes shape at Colliers Park — the former training ground now jointly owned by the Football Association of Wales and Wrexham University. Parkinson admitted facilities have lagged behind League One standards, let alone the Championship. "To have our own base there now is going to be a huge advantage," he said, noting the complex should be ready when the squad returns from the United States.

Pre-season begins Saturday against Wisla Krakow in Poland, followed by a glamour friendly versus Manchester United in Helsinki. A subsequent U.S. tour pits Wrexham against Sunderland, Liverpool, and Leeds United. Parkinson framed the fixtures as essential revenue drivers: "That helps generate the revenue which we need to put into the budget to help us going forward."

Wrexham's Championship survival hinges on converting commercial reach into competitive depth. The facility upgrade addresses a structural weakness; the friendlies fund the squad. But Parkinson knows better than most that standing still in this division means sliding backward.