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Why does Wrexham keep making the headlines?

06 Feb 2023 3 minute read
Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney. Picture by Bradley Collyer.

Wrexham visit Sheffield United on Tuesday as the lowest ranked side left in this season’s FA Cup and the club will secure a lucrative fifth-round home tie with Tottenham by winning their Bramall Lane replay.

The Dragons were revitalised under Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and Wrexham continues to make the headlines.

Wrexham were starting a 12th season in the fifth tier of English football when Reynolds and McElhenney announced their intention to buy Wales’ oldest club in September 2020.

Deadpool actor Reynolds – one of Hollywood’s biggest stars – and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator McElhenney completed their £2million takeover from the Wrexham Supporters Trust the following February and life in north Wales has never been the same since.

The Racecourse Ground, home of Wrexham. – Photo: PA Media

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Heavy investment has now transformed Wrexham from National League stragglers into serious promotion contenders.

The fly-on-the-wall ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary which aired on American TV channel FX last year further cast a spotlight on the club, its owners, management, players and fans  and introduced them to an international audience.

The show was warmly received and Wrexham’s profile is now so great that their FA Cup tie against Sheffield United was the most followed football game that day across ESPN’s website and digital platforms in the US.

The Dragons lost a semi-final play-off to Grimsby last season after finishing runners-up to Stockport. They are currently battling with Notts County for the one automatic-promotion spot, three points behind the Magpies but with two games in hand, and dreaming of FA Cup glory.

Phil Parkinson has spent two decades as a manager and Wrexham is his seventh club. The 55-year-old has managed Colchester, Hull, Charlton, Bradford – whom he guided to the League Cup final in 2013.

Striker Paul Mullin has also had fans screaming from the stand of the Racecourse ground as Wrexham’s main man, scoring 57 goals in 73 games since being persuaded to leave Cambridge and drop down two leagues in July 2021.

Ben Tozer, Callum McFadzean, Elliot Lee and Ollie Palmer also supply plenty of Football League experience, while Wrexham have signed Irish defender Eoghan O’Connell from Charlton since the Racecourse tie against Sheffield United.

The club’s popularity is now soaring and Reynolds and McElhenney’s online antics and clear love of the club have become increasingly popular with fans as the pair post hilarious signing announcements and viral videos.


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago

These two ‘Hollywood’ stars could teach the Senedd a thing or two, believe me!

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
1 year ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

Reynolds is a marketing genius who took a gin brand from zero to selling it to Diageo for $610M and the first two fiilms he co-writes, produces and stars in have made $1.3Bn profit at the very least.
If the Senedd was in the position of selling sand to Arabs then yes you are correct.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 year ago
Reply to  Kerry Davies

Cor, I had no idea Ryan was that successful…lucky Wrecsam…Midas comes to town…and he comes across like the neighbour from heaven, still the boys have to win to make his dream come true…diolch am hwn

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