Wrexham's Marvellous Story Under Hollywood Owners
In modern-day football, underdog stories are often rare. Wrexham, currently in the race for the automatic promotion spots to League One, are one of those rare instances where you see a fairytale rejuvenation of a much-celebrated side as an underdog. And it is all thanks to Wrexham’s new owners, the unlikely Hollywood superstars. Until Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham, they were languishing in the non-league tiers of English football. Since then, however, they have won back-to-back promotions up to League Two and are vying to reach League One, the third-highest tier of English football.
How did Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney meet?
Reynolds and McElhenney, both actors in Hollywood, were not friends before they became the club's owners. It was, in fact, his co-star, Humphrey Ker, who was behind the idea of building a documentary about a football club that made McElhenney get interested in Wrexham in the first place. Around this time, he found that Reynolds’ was a fan of his show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and pitched him the idea for the documentary while talking. Reynolds’ unlikely response was to instead want to buy the club and fuel its rejuvenation. On 9 February 2021, the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed the takeover of Wrexham, one of the oldest football clubs for $2.5 million.
Welcome to Wrexham
The start of Reynolds and McElhenney’s ownership of the club was not smooth, to say the least. They felt that their ambitions were too high and instead decided to take it as an exercise in philanthropy. This, however, changed with Wrexham’s victory over Stockport in the FA Trophy in 2022, which gave the new owners their first taste of the euphoria of footballing miracles. Thus began the production of Wrexham’s FX documentary, available on Disney+Hotstar in India, titled Welcome to Wrexham.
National League Victory and Rejuvenation
The following season, Wrexham ended up setting a record for the most points ever recorded in the league to win the National League. This was a story for the history books, as the side managed to skyrocket back into the top tiers of English football within 3 years of the new ownership, ending its 15-year absence from the professional leagues. For a club that was only worth a few million pounds back in 2020, this was a massive achievement. Here too, they have shown their quality, being in the top half of the table for much of the season. There is no better case for the wonderment of this achievement than Luke Young, a Wrexham player who has been with the club since its non-league days, who has often said that just being a part of this journey is more special than anything.
Football Star Ben Foster’s Involvement with Wrexham
Perhaps Luke Young is not the only football player truly inspired by the club’s success. Former Watford and Stoke goalkeeper Ben Foster has just as much been on the ride for the club. The footballer, who announced his retirement in 2022, came back to football to play for Wrexham as a goalkeeper after Rob Lainton, their first-choice keeper, injured his knee ligament. Foster had spent his early years as a youngster for the club before joining Manchester United, and hence always had a close bond with them. Foster also starred in some episodes of Welcome to Wrexham, particularly those involving the final part of the season, where he made some crucial saves, including a 96th-minute penalty save against Notts County in a top-of-the-table fixture.
Wrexham vs Manchester Untied
The revival of the club and the documentary have made them the talk of the town for football, especially in the United States. Due to its growing popularity, the club was invited to play against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly in 2023. Though the Premier League club fielded its second squad with many stars missing from the starting lineup, Wrexham's 3-1 victory over the Premier League club was not what anyone would have expected.
Wrexham's Current Valuation
According to reports, the valuation of Wrexham has increased by over 300% since its $2.5 million acquisition in 2021. However, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have further pumped in almost $9 million into the club to acclerate Wrexham's progress. With an overall investment to $11.4 million and current club valuation of $7.5 million, the owners are currently in a deficit of $4 million. Nevertheless, the Hollywood stars have set their eyes on a potential returns on reaching the top tier of English football with Wrexham as the average value of a Premier League club is over $500 million.
Under the new owners, Wrexham's story has been nothing less than a Hollywood movie. It has gathered a lot of media coverage and audience attention in a very short period of time through its performances both on and off the pitch. And with the club’s performances in League Two, it is sure to say that these conversations are not bound to die down anytime soon.
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