The Hollywood owners of Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have masterminded the club’s incredible rise from National League mediocrity to global sensation.
As he begins his second MLS season, Lionel Messi’s craze in the US seems to be unabated, but it seems that Americans are as fascinated by Wrexham’s fantastical Hollywood makeover.
All parties were about to embark on a new journey when well-known actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took on the roles of co-chairmen at the Racecourse Ground back in 2021. The popular films on screen didn’t seem like a good fit for a historic but unfashionable team that wasn’t in the EFL.
But in just three years, the couple’s relationship with the Red Dragons has blossomed into one of the most captivating stories in recent British football history. During this interval, the two have shown themselves to be active stewards of the third-oldest club in the world.
Having orchestrated an unforgettable promotion by default back to the fourth division the previous season, the ownership has made significant investments to rejuvenate the playing roster with high-profile recruits. But perhaps their greatest contribution to the team’s history to date has been introducing the Reds to new fans both domestically and abroad.
During their chairmanship, the Welsh group’s struggles, victories, and triumphs have been captured on camera in popular docuseries, including the critically acclaimed “Welcome to Wrexham.” The FX programme, which is about to release its third installment, has contributed to the town and club’s widespread recognition among the American public.
Due to the club’s recent international success, they have developed a cult following. This popularity was evident when the team visited the US on a preseason tour last summer. Fans rushed to watch them play Premier League heavyweights like Manchester United and Chelsea on the trip, a novelty for a club that was playing non-league football just the previous season.
Director of Wrexham, Shaun Harvey, has now stated why the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ series has been as successful in the US as other modern major documentaries with more well-known stars. Reaction to the show has been strong, on par with ‘All or Nothing’ on Amazon and ‘Messi Meets America’ on Apple TV, which follows the World Cup winner as he moves to Inter Miami.
Harvey tried to explain why the American audience has taken a deep interest in the north Wales outfit by saying, “The town is the underdog in this story, more so than the football club,” to the Guardian. Our documentary is about a football team that is travelling towards
Harvey continued: “It’s a story that resonates with many, many people who can relate to what Wrexham and its supporters are going through in some part of their own life.”
Regarding Wrexham’s live streaming, it seems the Dragons are also significantly outperforming their competitors in this area. “There are probably 5,000 US households that have an annual subscription to watch Wrexham games live,” the club director went on. That may not seem like much in and of itself, but when compared to most other EFL clubs, it is a huge amount.”
In addition, Harvey—a direct advisor to Reynolds and McElhenney—explained why the US is a crucial market for football leagues other than the Premier League. He urged lower division teams to take advantage of the popularity of the top flight. He had previously held the position of chief executive of the EFL.
He went on to say: “The US will always be extremely important to the EFL because there is a huge market and football fan base there, and the Premier League has already made significant efforts to establish itself. The EFL clubs’ current task is to take advantage of that connection and use it to grow their own fan bases in the US.”
