Wrexham CEO Reassures Fans After Backlash Over Proposed League One Game in USA

Wrexham AFC recently found itself in a major crosshairs. Earlier, the Welsh club, owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, was alleged to have scheduled one of its League One fixtures against Tom Brady’s Birmingham City in the United States. While the idea was met with a lot of outrage even without an official confirmation, club’s CEO Michael Williamson has shed light on how they can schedule matches overseas while ensuring that fans ‘still feel connected.’

Ardent fans wouldn’t like to see the beautiful game get too much commercialized. However, in the end, Williamson sees the clubs as ‘global brands,’ making it necessary for them to explore overseas markets, something which a sport like the NFL has already cracked better. “EFL clubs are playing 50-plus matches during the course of a season, between all the cups. There is wear and tear on players and a lot of demand on the staff,” said the Welsh club’s new chief executive while speaking with The Athletic.

There’s no denying that logistic issues are there in foreign games, compared to these bulk domestic matches. Though the possibilities are unlimited, Williamson made a reassuring claim: “The challenge that you have to balance is how do you make sure that your local fanbase and your local community still feel connected and that you’re not just moving an important game away from them for marketing or commercial purposes.”

Expressing the importance of this factor, he acknowledged that with the league being open, promotion and relegation have a genuine influence. “You want the best opportunity as a club to be able to create an environment where it’s difficult for an opposing club to come into,” concluded Williamson.

Even though the Wrexham CEO shared the advantages of playing overseas matches, the owners already ruled out the possibility.

Ryan Reynolds won’t go against his ‘guiding principals’ amid Wrexham-Birmingham US Tour rumors

When the rumors of Wrexham and Birmingham City organizing one of its fixtures in the US were hot, the Hollywood owners were grilled vocally by a netizen. Both Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were reminded of their own ‘guiding principals’ which they pledged to entail in their holy grail of club owners. The netizens had further warned them to not break their promise and get ‘greedy’ over the commercial market opportunities.

Interestingly, Reynolds stepped up to pour cold water on all the rumors by replying, “I agree. And that’s why there have been no talks.” While the Deadpool star’s clarification is appreciated, if the actor had eventually desired this, it would have been instantly rejected by the EFL. Regardless, after Reynolds’ statement, Michael Williamson’s words certainly bring relief to the concerned fans.