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Emotional Wrexham AFC fan sets out reasons for accepting Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bid

16 Nov 2020 3 minute read
Ryan Reynolds. Picture by Dick Thomas Johnson (CC BY 2.0).

An emotional Wrexham AFC fan has set out his reasons for accepting the bid from Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Stalwart supporter and Wrexham Supporters’ Trust member, Marc Jones, described his “rollercoaster of emotions” following the interest from the Hollywood duo in a heartfelt post on Facebook.

The fans’ votes are in and a decision is set to be announced by the club at 2pm this afternoon.

According to Jones, the club has in the past had poor owners “who saw pound signs not passion, a quick buck not community”, but he believes that Reynolds and McElhenney “are different.”

Reynolds and McElhenney shocked fans when they expressed interest in buying the historic football club.

If their bid is successful, they have pledged to plough £2 million into the club and have said that they want it to be a “global force”. They have also pledged to “always beat Chester”.

 

‘Rollercoaster’

Formed in 1864, the club is the third oldest professional football team in the world.

It now competes in the National League, which is the fifth tier of the English Football League system. It is hoped by many supporters that Reynolds and McElhenney can bring back the glory days if they do takeover the club.

Jones, who is a Wrexham County Borough Councillor, and helps run the Wrexham community pub, the Saith Seren, said: “Every Wrexham fan will understand the Racecourse rollercoaster of emotions.

“I’ve been on it since seeing Wrexham beat Brentford in 1969-70. A dire game enlivened by a late Arfon Griffiths penalty at the Tech End. We were in the Kop and it took a second for the noise to carry. Hooked.

“So I listened closely to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny as they bid to become our new owners. We’ve had some poor ones – people who saw pound signs not passion, a quick buck not community. These two are different.

“But let’s never forget – Fan ownership saved our club. The WST (Wrexham Supporters’ Trust) – made up of thousands of volunteers – deserve our thanks for that.

“Despite being a passionate advocate of fan ownership, the new buyers offer a new and potentially thrilling turn on the rollercoaster.

“I’ve voted yes to the buyout but will keep paying my WST membership – knowing that when their time is up we, the fans, will need to step up again. Because owners come and go, managers come and go, players come and go. Only the fans remain – the one constant in our 156-year history.

“So strap yourselves in for the next turn on the Racecourse rollercoaster. UTST (Unite To Save the Town).”


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