Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have spent big at Wrexham, but fans are not “naive” and accept that Hollywood co-owners intend to make money.
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Takeover completed in 2021Back-to-back promotions enjoyedIntend to reach Premier LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?
A stunning takeover at SToK Racecourse was completed in 2021. Quite the journey has been enjoyed since then, with back-to-back promotions lifting the Red Dragons into League One. Reynolds and McElhenney have taken a financial hit when funding a meteoric rise, with their intention being to reach the Premier League at some stage.
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If that target is hit, with extra investment found along the way, then the Welsh outfit should move out of the red and into the black. Lifelong fan Rob Clarke, who figures in the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series, has told of having famous chairmen on board: “Rob and Ryan are nice fellas. They’re shrewd businessmen, too. They wouldn’t have got involved with Wrexham if they were not going to make money. I’m not naive. They’ve built the brand up brilliantly but we’re benefiting as a club and a town, too. Just look at the good times we’ve had these past couple of years. We’re riding on the coattails of this and everyone wins.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Wrexham supporters were left pinching themselves when news of Reynolds and McElhenney’s bid for power first broke, with Clarke saying of how his family reacted to those reports: “I got this message saying, ‘It’s Ryan Reynolds who is buying the club’. I told my dad but he didn’t have a clue who he was. I told him, ‘Think Tom Cruise and he’s as famous as him’. Straight away, Dad replies, ‘What does he want to buy us for?’ I must admit I’d asked myself the same question a few weeks earlier, back when the suggestion in town was Russell Crowe wanted to buy Wrexham.”
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There was never any substance to the Crowe rumours, but Wrexham found their A-list owners and are now reaping the benefits. They have made a positive start to life in the third tier of English football, with more shrewd transfer business helping to ensure that they remain fiercely competitive.
