The world watched with curiosity – well, some with skepticism, when Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney decided to buy a small Welsh soccer club. The story couldn’t feel more cinematic when Ryan recently opened up about the warning he received from a fan after the Wrexham takeover back in 2021. Wrexham has become a force, climbing its way from non-league obscurity to the cusp of a third consecutive promotion. So how did this fan’s warning fuel their determination to revive the team? 

When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney stepped into the world of soccer by purchasing Wrexham AFC, the decision left many scratching their heads. A struggling National League side with little to its name—why Wrexham? For the fans, the reaction wasn’t just confusion, it was disbelief. As Reynolds recalled during the Obama Foundation 2024 Democracy Forum, one phrase stuck with him from those early days: “Why us?”

And Reynolds shared the story of a Wrexham supporter who told Rob McElhenney, “Nothing good ever happens here and nothing good will ever happen to me.” Her words captured the gloomy mindset of a community long resigned to mediocrity.

For Reynolds, however, this wasn’t just a statement; it was a call to action. While he acknowledged the weight of her sentiment, he refused to accept it as truth. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to shift the narrative “I just thought… that is so not true but wow, that is a statement. “It was very pervasive at the time but the high tide raises all boats.”

Three years later, that tide is lifting the Red Dragons higher than anyone dared to dream. Currently with a five-game unbeaten streak in all competitions and hopes for a third straight promotion. The Hollywood duo’s vision was never just about soccer, with their various commitments from acting to other investments, it’s great to see how invested they are in Wrexham as a whole.

What is Ryan and Rob’s secret to Wrexham’s unexpected tourist boom?

They say “The roots of struggle grow the tallest trees of success.” So did the story of the Red Dragons as they were investing in more than just a soccer club. Rob McElhenney openly admitted that he never saw himself as a soccer, but now the sport and the town have become a central part of his life. “Never considered myself a football fan – and now, I have devoted my entire life and a good portion of my business and an exceptional amount of my time & effort into the sport and into the town.”

Today that gamble has paid off in ways even they might not have fully imagined. Wrexham has seen a remarkable surge in tourism, with visitor numbers climbing by 21% last year alone. As per recent stats, Tourism revenue soared to a staggering $220 million, an increase of $120 million compared to a decade ago. Wrexham is no longer defined by the hopelessness that one fan expressed to Rob years ago. Where everything seems unrealistic, this is nothing less than a Hollywood script – What do you think?  

Whether on the field or in the heart of the town, Wrexham’s story is far from over as they take on Cambridge United in the next EFL League One showdown this weekend at home.