Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney delight fundraisers with unexpected donation to random charity football match

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have donated £5,000 to a charity football match in Wrexham, delighting fans.

It's one of those rare stories which is just utterly heartwarming. Two Hollywood actors travel to Wales, where they fall so deeply in love with the community that they buy the ailing football team.

That football team then goes on to recover from a bad patch and achieve success.

FC United of Wrexham

That's exactly what happened with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham.

Now, the pair have further delighted fans by donating £5,000 to a charity match, with the proceeds going towards the paediatric wing at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

The match will see amateur teams Wrexham Police FC and FC United of Wrexham go up against each other in a fundraiser. A JustGiving page has been set up for the match, which initially had a target of £5,000.

However, that target has now been doubled after the unlikely football club owners donated £5,000 themselves, meeting the target immediately. The generosity has left the community delighted.

Andrew Ruscoe, chairman, co-founder, and manager at FC United of Wrexham, told PA news agency: “We didn’t expect it.

“I just went on social media and people were going wild. When I saw the donation from Ryan and Rob, I was absolutely overwhelmed with happiness.

“Having his continued support is surreal really."

FC United of Wrexham

“I know the police would echo this – and the community too – we just can’t thank them enough and I think this recent donation signifies that they both truly care about the Wrexham community and the people within it.”

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney went on an unexpected journey when they purchased Wrexham FC in 2020. Initially, they had thought it might be a philanthropy project, donating to local causes and supporting the community.

However, in 2022 Wrexham played off against Stockport the semi-finals of the FA Trophy. When Wrexham won in the 91st minute, Reynolds was reportedly left sobbing in his executive box from the drama.

Since then, the club has made it back into the Football League, securing a promotion, and fans are back into the stands once more.

There are even plans to renovate the historic ground to accommodate international games once again.

Now, the pair have shown their continuing support with their donation. It's not just about success on the pitch, but recognising the importance of the club and the ground at the heart of the community.