Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will need “deep pockets” and thick skin at Wrexham, but Hollywood stars aren’t expected to get “bored” any time soon.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Stunning takeover completed in 2021Back-to-back promotions enjoyed since thenCan success in North Wales be maintained?Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
A remarkable journey has been enjoyed by the Red Dragons since seeing an unexpected takeover completed in 2021. There have been trips to Wembley, a record-breaking title win, back-to-back promotions – delivering two trips to Las Vegas – and many famous visitors to SToK Racecourse across three-and-a-half years.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Reynolds and McElhenney are fully invested in the most ambitious of projects – on and off the field in North Wales – with talk of a push towards the Premier League and a potential new stadium still doing the rounds. Would interest be retained, though, if ultimate targets became difficult to hit?
WHAT SAUNDERS SAID
Quizzed on whether there is any fear regarding a waning of interest from Reynolds and McElhenney in a stunning sporting venture, ex-Wrexham manager and former Wales international Dean Saunders – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “It’s how deep are your pockets. After watching how much it cost to run Wrexham in the Conference, I could see how much was going out and coming in. They will be putting their hand in their pocket now but, because of who they are, they have managed to get sponsorship deals from all angles – TikTok, the TV show has made them millions.
“I would actually guess that they haven’t had to put that much money in because they have so much coming in from commercial deals that it’s probably balancing the books. But when you start putting your hand in your pocket for a number of years and you start getting stick off the crowd, you start getting dodgy results, the money you are putting in is not showing on the pitch, some owners get bored. If they are in it for the wrong reasons then they can get bored. But I think these two lads, it’s like a hobby that has turned into something they love. It does mean you put more money in than you want to, but I can’t see them getting bored of it. I can see them expanding it.”
DID YOU KNOW?
There is still plenty for Reynolds and McElhenney to achieve, with success on the field and an award-winning documentary series helping Wrexham’s fan base to grow at home and abroad. Saunders added on the benefits there: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they built a new stadium. They have talked about making the stand bigger, but they can lift Wrexham.
“From Wrexham to Cardiff is like three hours and in that space there is no Football League clubs. The catchment area for Wrexham is amazing. Once it catches fire, they could get 30-40,000 in the stadium. They might see the potential in that. I don’t know what they are thinking, and they are a long way away as well – they aren’t there every day – but so far, so good.”
