Superstar football players like Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Portman, and Tom Brady are embracing the new trend, as they own and invest in teams from Los Angeles to Wrexham.
Consequently, what happened?
Serena Williams, Will Ferrell, Magic Johnson, Portman, and other celebrities are among the ownership teams of Los Angeles’ men’s and women’s teams. Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Brady, JJ Watt, Michael B. Jordan, and others have invested in Wrexham, Bournemouth, Birmingham, and Burnley on the other side of the Atlantic.
WHAT EDWARDS SAID
Are they a possible distraction or beneficial to the game because they increase visibility and commercial appeal? When that topic was posed to him, former Wrexham, Ipswich, and Luton player Carlos Edwards responded to GOAL on behalf of OLBG, saying, “I think it’s good exposure.” If players view it from a viewpoint other than the football aspect, it could be a little distracting. These men are businesspeople, but they also have a passion for sports; 99.9% of them are not really familiar with soccer, as it is known in the United States. They might have a semblance of the essence of what English and European football are all about, along with the fervor of the supporters. I believe they recognize that and
“The players must realize that they have a responsibility to perform their job because there are many American owners in our league, even at the highest levels. They are paid to perform to the best of their abilities, live up to the expectations placed on them by their employer, and uphold the standards they must set both on and off the field. I don’t think it will divert the players once you have that strong mentality. They need to focus and step away from what the board and owners need to do. People will inevitably say things, both good and bad, but that’s the reality of the world we currently live in.
THE LARGER IMAGE
More than most, Wrexham has embraced this brave new world; they are now featured in their own documentary series. After hearing that Reynolds and McElhenney were investing in the team back in 2021, Edwards continued, “It was a breath of fresh air, because they have suffered for a long time.” They were going through a lot of turbulence even before I left, and all they were trying to do was find the proper individual or organization to take over the club and steer it in the correct path.
“I believe that everyone’s alarms went off when Mr. Reynolds entered the room; you were left wondering, ‘Is this true or not?'” You just don’t know what to trust. Furthermore, it seemed out of a movie script for a team like Wrexham to have investors like Mr. Reynolds and the others. His arrival, in my opinion, provided supporters and everyone else involved in the team the added confidence that, at the very least, we had someone financially secure in place to take the team to the next level, which they have accomplished over the previous two or three years. In retrospect, I consider it a godsend because, having left Trinidad behind, I often refer to Wrexham as my home away from home.
WHAT NEXT?
At Wrexham, Reynolds and McElhenney have fulfilled their promises, and the Red Dragons want to complete back-to-back promotions in 2023–2024 as the neighborhood continues to prosper. Though there is still work to be done at Burnley and Birmingham as they attempt to stave off the prospect of relegation out of the Premier League and the Championship, respectively, those in California have also enjoyed real success.
