The best place to start a Hollywood love story is at the beginning, with a question: What would happen if Rob McElhenney, star of TV, and Ryan Reynolds, star of movies, wanted to revive ailing club football in North Wales?
Why invest in any team, especially this one, when they are lost in their own town, fighting for attention on the school playground, surrounded by Liverpool and Manchester United shirts, and languishing four tiers below the Premier League, with no clear direction?
The solution entails tedium and chance, mystery and motivation, tactics and a touch of romance as well.
In this story, there is a third character who is a British comedian and writer named Ker Humphrey, and none of this would have happened without him.
Before moving to the US to write TV scripts for pilots, McElhenney worked on his new show, Mythic Quest. I have seen him appear on shows like You Have Got News for You and panel shows. Ker went to Eton and began a career in entertainment with an award-winning show at the Fringe. He studied at the University of Edinburgh.
At Anfield, during the gripping semi-final match of the Champions League, Liverpool’s extraordinary performance evoked intense emotions, intriguing him. However, Ker would playfully mock McElhenney’s love for soccer and steal an hour of his lunch break to watch his beloved Reds. This time around, Liverpool’s side under Jurgen Klopp reached their zenith.
During the pandemic, McElhenney sat down to watch “Die I ‘Til Sunderland” series on Netflix, as recommended by Ker McElhenney, in order to understand what football was really about and why it resonated more deeply in communities than most US sports franchises. They weren’t taken in by the first episode, but they switched it off and watched it with Kaitlin Olson, the actor’s wife.
Right away, McElhenney sent a message to Ker and binge-watched two TV shows during the start of the lockdown when Olson left town for a few days to see relatives.
Despite his scepticism, Ker’s contagious enthusiasm was soon evident as he began to surf the computer game Football Manager in search of potential candidates for his shortlist. McElhenney, gripped by the jeopardy of relegation and promotion, wanted to make his own documentary with his own club, which he considered an alien concept to most American sports fans.
They served a giant catchment area without any major club in miles for direction; and among them, Macclesfield and Hartlepool stood out as two reasons why Wrexham retained a passionate and loyal fanbase, still turning out for their thousands in National League games. Ker identified a dozen and a half clubs in need of a new life, so he certainly didn’t have billions to purchase a Premier League giant, but McElhenney had made some money with his TV hit show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
Ker, after making contact with Wrexham’s trust supporters, discovered that the club was in need of financial backing following the pandemic and was receptive to suggestions. In the meantime, McElhenney, who owns several brands, approached Hollywood star Reynolds and sought a prominent sponsor. “We required funds for filmmaking, not just any funds,” clarified McElhenney. “Television financing was already at my disposal.”
I desire to purchase those items alongside you. I have no intention of financially supporting Wrexham. This audacious and absurd notion was on the verge of receiving worldwide recognition, which made them understand the surge of excitement experienced by McElhenney and Ker, who responded accordingly. It’s Always Sunny, his preferred moment, was followed by a complimentary message concerning Reynolds, sent after they had established an online friendship, even though McElhenney and Reynolds had never met in person.
It was not what happened, but he set his eyes on the old Ground Racecourse and his jaw dropped, saying it was love at first sight. Following a poll among the club’s 2,000 members, who overwhelmingly voted in favor, AFC Wrexham was bought by McReynolds RR LLC for £2m in November 2020.
People from Aberystwyth to Colwyn Bay gathered in Wrexham, signing shirts and taking selfies. The town warmly embraced the new visitors, who brought a sense of excitement and confusion. Reynolds didn’t need to be concerned about the community’s reaction, as he expressed it, “what on earth are these two individuals doing here?”
The action on Netflix often felt dull and unexciting, but they had been watching it for a long time and felt a sense of excitement. They didn’t know much about winter in Wales, but they had bought a non-league football team and were playing a game, along with two famous actors. This was the reality they were experiencing.
On their journey, they enjoyed drinks at The Turf pub and lodged in the town. Similar to Wrexham’s disability liaison officer, the fresh proprietors employed unpaid personnel and allocated resources to community initiatives. Instead of being driven by passion, Reynolds and McElhenney considered it to be an act of philanthropy at this stage.
Wrexham faced off against Stockport in the semi-finals of the FA Trophy on 2 April 2022, and everything took a different turn. The match encompassed all the necessary elements: a heated rivalry, an intense ambiance, and a coveted spot in the final at Wembley Stadium. Wrexham managed to snatch victory in the 91st minute, igniting chaos at the Racecourse Ground, which overwhelmed Reynolds, leaving him in tears in the corner of his exclusive box. This experience marked his initial encounter with the thrill of football, and he became captivated.
Philadelphia is developing, and as he was growing up, he was familiar with similar communities where the working class thrived. He loves the “series” that describes these communities and knows that Hollywood stars are involved. However, it is possible that these communities may be seen as fluff and PR. A cynic might view it that way. Reynolds and McElhenney wanted to make a documentary that goes behind the scenes to showcase Wrexham, perhaps to challenge any skepticism. They were open about their intention to build a business and were determined to do it their own way, starting from the beginning.
Captivating narratives have the ability to captivate and communicate, and they possess charismatic and well-liked qualities. They are aware of their strengths, but they also acknowledge their weaknesses – Reynolds jests that “the typical five-year-old in Wrexham has a greater knowledge of football than we will ever possess.”
Reynolds and McElhenney effectively generated publicity by promoting the club’s shirt sponsor, Ifor Williams Trailers, and encouraging viewers to consider purchasing a trailer for a loved one this Christmas, particularly if they own livestock. They utilized humor as one of their primary strategies.
In the neighboring town of Marford, Reynolds is allegedly taking an additional step and seeking to purchase a residence, while McElhenney acquired knowledge on how to pronounce the town’s name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. They have fully immersed themselves in all aspects of Wrexham, actively participating in the community and even picking up fragments of the Welsh language.
They have also been strategic in their approach, but alongside that, they have enthusiasm. The leading sponsor of the club, TikTok, soon replaced the trailers, which brought a tenfold increase in revenue. Appearing on The Late Late Show in the US and The One Show in the UK, McElhenney and Reynolds cranked up the publicity, just like major brands such as Expedia. Other major brands also came on board, like Expedia.
After a wait of 15 years, Wrexham has finally achieved promotion to the Football League for the first time. Paul Mullin, who was named League Two’s player of the year, and Ollie Palmer from his hometown club AFC Wimbledon greatly improved the team’s performance, attracting highly skilled players. They brought in Shaun Harvey, the former chief executive of the English Football League, to assist in managing the club, while Ker oversees contract extensions and player transfers.
Meanwhile, the proprietors have developed a strong emotional attachment, expressing symptoms resembling those of a lovesick adolescent.
Reynolds expressed his strong dislike for it, but now he has developed such a deep affection for this sport that he despises it. It has become a vivid and intense source of terror for him. Initially, he and his companions were completely ignorant about the sport, but now they are consumed by it. He considers it one of the most remarkable experiences of his life, while also acknowledging it as truly one of the most dreadful.
Delving through fan forums earlier this season, you could still occasionally find the sceptical fan who yearned for the old days when there was no delineation between the owners and supporters of the club, and decisions were made in the pub by the same people standing on the terraces.
It is not an exaggeration to suggest that they might have followed the new investment without the wall, and in 1864, Turf The was founded in Wrexham. Cultural artifacts are carefully preserved, not just by community century-old institutions, but also by businesses. They are not just sports teams, but football clubs, especially ones with historic significance. McElhenney and Reynolds have taken the time to learn that delicate things like football clubs require careful preservation. There is more to the new ownership than just on-field success, but winning certainly helps. Critics are few and far between.
The Racecourse Ground in Wales, which hosted its first international football match in 1877, is still the oldest venue for international football. There are plans to increase its capacity to 16,000 and renovate the stadium in order to make it a regular host for international football matches once again. The Turf, which used to be a favorite pub in Reynolds’ days, has now been transformed into a bustling tourist hotspot.
Despite all these changes, there is still recognition of what locally matters, but Ifor Williams Trailers may have usurped the main sponsor shirt as they remain visible on the players’ shorts and around the Wrexham stadium, but the best thing is someone who understands why the ideal owners of a football club are always supporters with money.
How does this story end? It is the beauty of football that there is no ending. It is the beauty of football that there is no ending. It is a new beginning each season, with the hope of a fresh start. The McReynolds RR story will continue to be played in front of their dedicated fans, even after the credits roll. But it is a safe bet that McElhenney and Reynolds will leave the club for a better place. The playgrounds are once again filled with Wrexham shirts, and the team is back in the Football League. It is true that there is still much to come, but it has only been two years.