In 2020, the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney celebrities established the R.R. McReynolds Company and acquired the unsuccessful Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC from the National League of England. Many people questioned whether this was a Ted Lasso-inspired joke because the pair had no expertise of sports team ownership and weren’t, particularly experts on the game (known as football outside of the United States).
The two are actually quite committed to restoring the once-proud club to its previous splendor. the third-oldest professional football club in the world, which last won one of its 23 Welsh Cup triumphs in 1995, is the subject of the docuseries Welcome to Wrexham. They must gain the confidence of the staff and players (like as the forward Dior Angus), but equally crucially, they must win over the devoted fans in the working-class neighborhood who kept the Red Dragons afloat. They were the type of devoted supporters who initially gave McElhenney the idea to purchase a soccer team. He can remember watching a game on TV and noticing some familiar faces in the stands.
They rely on British actor Humphrey Ker (American Auto), who grew up dreaming he had the talent to play professionally. The two took over control of the club in February 2021. He recommended Wrexham as a deserving beneficiary and is currently the organization’s executive director.
According to Ker, “I transfer football into Hollywood and Hollywood into football.” “Wrexham was in pretty terrible conditions [when] we took over. I want people to understand that regaining that competitiveness has been one of our main goals.
Reynolds and McElhenney couldn’t witness the squad play live until October 26, 2021, because of pandemic travel restrictions. The owners of Wrexham couldn’t have been more pleased or committed in a news conference two days after their team’s heartbreaking loss.
“I think I passed away about 400 times during [that match],” Reynolds said. “I’m living, breathing, sleeping the agony and beauty of football…. It’s for better or worse.”
Spencer Harris, a former club director, claimed that Wrexham “battles against odds constantly”. In 2011, supporters kept it from collapsing.
The club lost in the play-offs last season for the sixth time, dashng dreams of rejoining the Football League. But with the actors’ assistance in crafting a fresh narrative for the team, Wrexham’s fan base keeps expanding both domestically and internationally. Since they took ownership, season ticket sales have increased by almost three times. The first two home games of this season for Wrexham saw crowds that were nearly at capacity. Fans are expecting that this will be Wrexham’s final season outside of the Football League as they enter their 15th season.
