BRADFORD City chief executive officer Ryan Sparks believes that Birmingham City and Wrexham’s recent rise from outside the top two divisions represents a ‘seismic’ development for the English Football League – and offers hope to others.

Backed by wealthy North American ownership groups and global ‘A listers’ in Tom Brady, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, both Championship clubs have their sights firmly set on the Premier League following promotion from League One in 2024-25, a season that expanded the profile of the third tier onto the global stage.

The presence of Sheffield Wednesday, backed by US owners, and 2015-16 Premier League winners Leicester City means there will again be a fair amount of cachet in the division in 2026-27 – and Sparks is all for it.

“I think what Birmingham and Wrexham brought to the EFL was seismic,” Sparks told The Yorkshire Post.

Bradford City chief executive officer Ryan Sparks (right), pictured with manager Graham Alexander. Picture courtesy of BCAFC.

placeholder image — Bradford City chief executive officer Ryan Sparks (right), pictured with manager Graham Alexander. Picture courtesy of BCAFC.

“They deserve a lot of credit for it. Wrexham probably led to Birmingham and that’s led to others.

“The interest in the EFL globally is dramatically increasing and it's becoming a far more viable asset globally, in my opinion.

“We have to get the balance right on that. We don't turn the interest off.

“It's an exciting industry. They (clubs) want to be that next Wrexham or Birmingham, but you can't mirror what they've done because they have their specific way of doing it. They've got global superstars involved with their brands.”

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, co-owners of Wrexham are interviewed prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Wrexham AFC and Swansea City at Racecourse Ground on March 13, 2026 in Wrexham, Wales. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

With the likes of former top-flight clubs such as Luton Town and Huddersfield Town also present in League One, alongside another in Bradford, competition will again be strong in a division which contains five Yorkshire teams.

While relegated Championship clubs are able to spend 65 per cent of their turnover on wages under amendments to the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP), standard League One clubs are now capped at 50 per cent.

It has prompted the Professional Footballers’ Association to take legal action against the EFL's plans – on the basis it could damage players’ earning potential, in their view.

In response, the league governing body has criticised the players’ union for their stance on cost controls.

Regardless of the changes – and subsequent challenge – what can be taken as read is that the Bantams have raised the bar after their outstanding feats last term on the back of League Two promotion in 2024-25.

City were one of the EFL success stories after finishing in fourth place in League One – their highest finish in the league pyramid for 23 years.

Equally, Sparks now accepts that the club will only be judged on the new campaign, which begins on Saturday at home to Peterborough United.

He continued: “Can we keep moving the club forward? Strategically speaking, it's a pretty short-term business in that respect. We will only be judged on this season.

“When you're winning, everyone will say everything at the club is wonderful. When you're losing, others will point out that everything is the opposite. Neither of those two things are ever true. It's never perfect and it's never broken.”