Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney shocked the footballing world when they completed the takeover of Welsh club Wrexham AFC in 2021. The Hollywood pair realised their dream when their bid to buy the National League side was successful back in 2020 – but officials at the club were adamant the new owners would lose money when taking the reins.
The sensational deal came about when the friends decided they wanted to buy a football club in the United Kingdom. British actor, football fan and friend of McElhenney, Humphrey Ker, was dispatched back to the UK by Reynolds and McElhenney to establish criteria which would help the pair decide which football team to purchase.
Wrexham came out on top with a score of 38 out of 50, which was based on facilities, fanbase, history and finance.
Interestingly, the Hollywood actors also included narrative in the criteria, with Wrexham falling into hard times after becoming the first team to be docked ten points in Football League history in 2004.
After almost 20 years of scandal, which included the club almost being kicked out of the league in 2011, the club was taken over by the Wrexham Supporters Trust when they generated enough funds later that year.
Ryan and Rob later bought the club from the Supporters Trust for £2m as part of the deal after winning 98.6 per cent of the vote cast amongst members.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon ahead of their FA Cup replay against Sheffield United on Tuesday night, club officials were quizzed over their illustrious takeover.
Shaun Harvey, advisor to the board at Wrexham, revealed that he had not been told the identity of the would-be purchasers – and was left flabbergasted that someone was willing to invest in the club.
It led to a brutally honest assessment to Steve Horowitz, a partner in the investment bank, who he had got to know well when chief executive of the EFL.
Harvey revealed: “I told Steve, ‘I don’t really understand this thing because all that is going to happen is these new owners will lose money.’ Steve is saying to me, ‘They know that, it’s fine – they are prepared to invest and lose money.’
“But I’m still looking at the business case and thinking, ‘This just doesn’t make sense’. That only changed when they told me who was behind the offer and their plans with the Welcome to Wrexham documentary and so on. Then it made perfect sense.”
Wrexham currently sit in first place in the National League, the fifth tier in the English football league, with potential promotion into EFL League Two on the horizon. They’re also the only non-league side remaining in the Round of 32 of the FA Cup, whose original field began with 732 teams.
Wrexham came within minutes of knocking out the Championship side in the original tie at the Racecourse, but John Egan’s late goal secured a 3-3 draw and a replay for the Blades.
The winners of Tuesday’s replay at Bramall Lane will host Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur in the next round.
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