- Wrexham, the football team owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will return to the fourth division for the first time in 15 years.
- Reynolds brought Hollywood to Wrexham with the «Welcome to Wrexham» docuseries, which made the team’s players and manager household names.
- The team is now preparing to begin a tour of the United States, where they will play in North Carolina, California, and Pennsylvania.
Ryan Reynolds has already brought Hollywood to Wrexham. Now the Welsh soccer team is on its way to Tinseltown.
The club, which was down on its luck and languishing in the fifth tier of English soccer before Reynolds and co-owner Rob McElhenney gave it the top-notch treatment, will embark on a tour of the United States this month, when fans from all over the world: broadcast docuseries «Welcome to Wrexham» will be able to see their unlikely stars in person.
The series has created household names from the likes of manager Phil Parkinson, a coach who has spent his entire career at the lower levels of the sport.
Similarly, Paul Mullin, a striker who has never come close to playing in the Premier League, but who is testing David Beckham’s exposure levels courtesy of appearing on Reynolds’ Instagram feed, which has 49 million followers. .
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Wrexham will play matches against Chelsea, Manchester United, LA Galaxy II and Philadelphia Union II at venues in North Carolina, Los Angeles, San Diego and Pennsylvania.
While it’s a chance to catch up before the team returns to the fourth division for the first time in 15 years, it’s also a chance to develop their fan base in the United States.
Because, with Wrexham, it’s about more than football. It had to be if Reynolds and McElhenney were to generate the level of interest necessary to make their property more than a self-financing passion project.
His $2.5 million acquisition in 2021 was followed by relatively big money signings and stadium investments, leading to a highly anticipated promotion last season. But more money will be required to build on that success. Beyond its loyal fan base in Wrexham, it relies on the stellar appeal of its owners and continued interest in «Welcome to Wrexham» to attract sponsors such as TikTok and others.
Many other fourth division teams could only dream of attracting such important business partners.
Deals with United Airlines, Stok and Betty Buzz have been announced since the promotion and are evidence that Reynolds and McElhenney are successfully getting their message across beyond the pitch. The second series of «Welcome to Wrexham» is also eagerly awaited, particularly given the dramatic way in which the team secured promotion, with a 3-2 win against Notts County in the closing weeks of the campaign proving pivotal.
Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds, centre, celebrates with members of the Wrexham FC football team in Wrexham, Wales on May 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)
Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, now 40, was the hero that day with a penalty save in added time. He had been talked out of retirement just weeks before and has since signed a one-year deal to extend his playing career.
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«At the end of last season it was obvious I was enjoying being at the club, I loved being part of the team and everything Wrexham stands for,» Foster said. «I decided before the end of last season that I wanted to do it, because I feel at home.»
Foster, who has embarked on a promising career in podcasts and YouTube since his original retirement, has also benefited from being associated with Hollywood royalty. A video of the post-game celebrations that earned the promotion, including Reynolds congratulating Foster outside the locker room, has had more than 4.2 million views.
The party continued with Reynolds and McElhenney joining a parade of open top buses from Wrexham before the team flew to Las Vegas for more fun.
Now he’s back in business.
The National League’s rise was secured by players like Mullin, who had been convinced to drop to a lower tier by the lure of finances and the once-in-a-lifetime project put together by two Hollywood stars learning the ropes of sports. team ownership.
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The goals should still flow for Mullin even in the fourth division, but he is certainly a step up in class. Consecutive promotions cannot be guaranteed.
Reynolds and McElhenney have already shown their ambition and the idea of languishing in the fourth division is unlikely to fit with their vision for Wrexham. Nor is he likely to hold the interest of viewers watching the documentary.
It may be too much to expect regular matches against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea any time soon. But with two Hollywood stars penning the script, Wrexham fans might think anything is possible.