Wrexham AFC Head Coach Shockingly Resigns After Unexpected Mid-Season Rift with Club Owners
Wrexham, Wales – April 25, 2025
In a bombshell development that has left fans and pundits stunned, Wrexham AFC’s head coach, Thomas “Tommy” Granger, has abruptly resigned from his post, citing “irreconcilable differences” with the club’s owners, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. The announcement came via a terse, late-night statement from the club and was immediately followed by a flurry of speculation about the future of the team.
Granger, who took over the helm just eighteen months ago, had been widely praised for guiding Wrexham through one of their most successful campaigns in recent history. Under his leadership, the team sat second in the League One table, just two points off top spot with nine games remaining. His tactical acumen, coupled with a no-nonsense managerial style, had endeared him to players and supporters alike.
So what went wrong?
Sources close to the club suggest the fallout stemmed from a heated disagreement during a closed-door meeting earlier this week. According to insiders, Granger had clashed with McElhenney and Reynolds over player recruitment and the increasing involvement of Hollywood-influenced marketing initiatives that, in Granger’s view, were beginning to compromise the footballing ethos of the club.
“He felt like the football was taking a backseat to the show,” said one club staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity. “There were more conversations about documentaries, celebrity appearances, and branding partnerships than there were about tactics, development, and the January transfer window.”
Granger, a former League Two stalwart turned tactician, was never one for theatrics. Known for his stoic demeanor and straight-shooting interviews, he came to Wrexham with a clear vision of restoring the club’s competitive pedigree. Early signs indicated he was succeeding—Wrexham’s style on the pitch was disciplined and efficient, and for the first time in years, promotion felt not just possible but probable.
But behind the scenes, tensions were mounting.
Reports suggest that Granger’s decision to bench star striker Luca Bennett in March for disciplinary reasons sparked the initial divide. Bennett, a fan favorite and the club’s top scorer, had allegedly missed multiple training sessions and arrived late to team meetings. Granger dropped him for three consecutive games, despite pressure from the board and the owners to “find a compromise.”
“It wasn’t about ego for Tommy,” said a source close to the coach. “He wanted to set a standard. No player, no matter how famous or marketable, was above the team.”
Yet, as the season progressed, the off-field spotlight grew brighter. Cameras returned to the Racecourse Ground for a third season of the club’s hit docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham, and with it came new sponsorship deals, international media attention, and frequent on-site visits from McElhenney and Reynolds. While the owners have been widely praised for revitalizing the club and the town, some insiders believe their growing involvement in footballing decisions created an untenable environment for Granger.
“Rob and Ryan care deeply, no one doubts that,” said a former Wrexham assistant manager. “But they’re entertainers. They want good football, yes, but they also want good stories. Tommy just wanted to win matches.”
The breaking point came during Monday’s board meeting, during which Granger reportedly laid out a summer transfer plan that included cutting ties with several high-profile, high-wage players in favor of developing academy prospects and acquiring lesser-known, hardworking talent. The proposal was met with resistance.
“They wanted another marquee signing to keep the momentum going,” the source explained. “Tommy thought that was short-sighted.”
Within 48 hours, Granger had submitted his resignation. By Wednesday evening, his office had been cleared out. A short message posted on his personal social media account read: “Thank you to the fans, players, and staff who believed in the football. I wish Wrexham nothing but success.”
The club, for its part, released a three-paragraph statement thanking Granger for his contributions and confirming that assistant coach Darren Hill will take over in the interim. The statement made no mention of the alleged internal conflict.
Supporters have reacted with a mix of outrage, confusion, and sadness.
“This is madness,” said longtime fan Gwyn Evans outside the Racecourse Ground. “We were finally on track, and now it’s like déjà vu. We’ve seen this before—club politics derailing something special.”
Social media has been ablaze with speculation. While some fans back the owners and their long-term vision, others have rallied behind Granger, accusing the club of prioritizing entertainment over sporting integrity. The hashtag #BringBackGranger was trending across UK football Twitter by Thursday morning.
Even pundits from major networks weighed in. Former Premier League midfielder turned analyst Alex Scott called the situation “deeply concerning,” adding that Wrexham risks “undermining the very progress they’ve worked so hard to achieve.”
As for McElhenney and Reynolds, the duo have remained tight-lipped, save for a cryptic tweet from Reynolds late Wednesday night: “The show must go on. But not at the cost of the game.”
Whether it was an attempt at reconciliation or a subtle jab remains unclear.
The immediate concern now shifts to the team. With promotion hanging in the balance and dressing room morale reportedly shaken, interim coach Hill faces a daunting task. Rumors have already begun swirling about potential candidates to permanently replace Granger, with names like Paul Hurst, Karl Robinson, and even a potential return for Phil Parkinson being floated.
But for many Wrexham supporters, the damage may already be done.
“We didn’t need a soap opera,” said Evans. “We needed a manager who could take us to the Championship. And we just pushed him out the door.”
As the sun sets over the Racecourse, one thing is clear: the fairytale of Wrexham AFC is entering a turbulent new chapter.