Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have done a pretty good job at Wrexham AFC. The soccer world lauds both superstars, who took over the club in February 2021.
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A club that once was struggling in the fifth division of English clubs has now become quite popular and has witnessed a few milestones of success.
In their debut takeover season, the Red Dragons were impressive in the league as they finished second. Now the club is just three points away from the leaders and is eyeing a promotion to the fourth division. It was a tough journey, yet they stood fiercely to bring the club back to its feet.
Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham was left in the dark
Back in 2021, Wrexham was facing uncertain times. Although the club was in the middle of the takeover, it faced another setback.
The British government launched a sports survival package for the clubs in the National League and League North and South. In this, the clubs were offered an £11 million loan in order to cover their expenses from January to March.
However, out of the 66 National League clubs, Wrexham was the only club that was excluded from the sports package. Since the club was in Wales, Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST) was told they were not eligible for the package, despite being in the English league system.
Hearing this, the club’s co-owner, Rob McElhenney, was furious at the UK government. He took a dig at their decision on Twitter, saying, “We don’t need their money.“
We don’t need their money. 🏴 😊 https://t.co/7HjHcbivl1
— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) January 30, 2021
The clubs from all three divisions were also offered a chance to vote on what would be done for the rest of the 20-21 season. But, when restricted from the sports package, Wrexham decided to refrain from voting.
“Following an emergency board meeting tonight (Friday), the position of Wrexham Supporters Trust is that we will abstain from voting on this resolution,” said the owners of WST.
“It is not relevant to Wrexham AFC due to us being the only club excluded from funding. We have previously voted on every resolution that has been presented to us.”
The new face of Wrexham
Both Ryan and Rob have done a wonderful job at the Welsh Club. They are putting all their chips on the table to invest in the club’s development.
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Goodbye old girl. You will not be forgotten. Hopefully that’s promotion at the end of your rainbow 🙂 ❤️ 🏴 #Kop pic.twitter.com/YL3QA3Sqrh
— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) January 15, 2023
The duo recently took the decision to renovate their popular stand, called the Kop of the club’s stadium. The stand was demolished as Rob shared the picture with the caption, “Goodbye old girl. You will not be forgotten. Hopefully, that’s promotion at the end of your rainbow .“
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The legendary stand getting demolished will pave the way for new stands that will get 5,500 additional seats. The club wanted to take this decision for a long time, but it was the power duo who made it all happen.
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