Wrexham FC’s promotion back to the football league feels like a Hollywood underdog story.
Just like in the movies though, the club has been brought back from the brink in the most unlikely way - by A-List actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
From the sidelines, Wrexham FC’s win on Saturday may seem like the stuff of fairytales, but actually, millions have been invested to save the struggling Welsh club.
Understandably, the biggest payout was when Reynolds and McElhenney first bought the struggling side back in late November 2020.
However, it was far from a done deal when the Deadpool star invested nearly $2.75 million (approximately £2.2 million) for the virtually unknown club.
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In a recent interview, the 46-year-old actor revealed that he hadn’t actually told his wife, Blake Lively, about his latest venture.
When he spoke about the poorly planned buy-out, he jokingly told Jimmy Kimmel: "We’re still working through that one."
However, that would only be the beginning as Reynolds and McElhenney have since invested an insane £10 million during their takeover of the club.
This even included buying back Wrexham’s beloved grounds: Racecourse Ground stadium.
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Having been sold off over a decade ago to Wrexham Glyndwr University, it cost the comic duo a staggering £3.67 million – according to the club’s accounts in June 2022.
Reynolds and McElhenney have also recently unveiled ambitious plans to redevelop the ageing site as Wrexham FC’s popularity soars.
Estimated to cost up to £90 million, the pair will rebuild the Kop stand with seating for an additional 5,500 fans, with new offices and a hospitality wing to host even more of their A-List mates.
In a taste of things to come, MCU star Paul Rudd was seen watching on as the Welsh team triumphed over Boreham Wood and re-joined the league.
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As they gear up for the big leagues though, Reynolds and McElhenney have begun to heavily invest in their players - signing on Paul Mullins for an estimated £4500 per week.
It’s been possibly the best investment for Wrexham, as the Mullins has scored an insane 38 goals over the last season.
Teammates, Ben Tozer and Aaron Hayden, are thought to be on a similar fee, costing the club a reported £3000 per week.
Whilst it’s relatively cheap for football, Wrexham has still spent over £2.3 million on wages.
All this expenditure has meant that the actors have lost an eye-watering £2.9 million since joining the club.
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They are also waiting on additional revenue to come in from the English Football League, £1.1 million from them for competing recently, and an additional £10-20k per game from SkySports for every game aired.
However, this doesn’t seem to have damped their passion for the club as the Hollywood stars are finally set to see a return on their investment.
Yet, it doesn’t seem to be about the money for Reynolds and McElhenney, who seem to have connected with footie fans on and off the pitch.
They’ve even set aside money to get a round in, with Reynolds putting over 365 gin and tonics behind the bar for fans recently.
Topics: Football, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, TV and Film, Wrexham FC
Katherine Sidnell