In November 2020, in the midsts of a global pandemic, Wrexham AFC, one of the few professional Welsh football clubs to play in the English pyramid, made worldwide headlines when Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced they planned to purchase the club. Why? The answer to that question is still somewhat unclear although since that moment six months ago, “RR McReynolds Company LLC” have been very active on social media promoting the club, sometimes in a comedic way and sometimes serious. They have stated they have big plans for the club and it’s rumoured that they have some kind of Netflix style documentary lined up. They received 98.6% backing from the 2,000 members of the Wrexham Supporters Trust after outlining their plans and officially took control on February 9th 2021.
Now there are many wealthy foreign investors in English football. Stan Kroenke of the LA Rams owns Arsenal, John Henry of the Red Sox owns Liverpool, the Glazer family of Tampa Bay own Manchester United etc but there are very few the lower down the leagues you go. Wrexham are currently in the fifth tier of English football, along with my beloved Stockport County. They’ve been there for over a decade after dropping out of the football league in 2008. The height of their glory came in the 70s when they reached the second tier and in 1992 they famously dumped league champions Arsenal out of the FA Cup, a game that included a stunning free kick from Welsh legend Mickey Thomas.
Founded in 1864, they are the third oldest club in the world. The takeover has been received by the football world with a mixture of surprise, admiration, mocking and cynicism. Whatever happens next is unclear but the journey Wrexham are about to go on will undoubtedly be entertaining and they might just prove the doubters wrong. Reynolds and “his mate”, which a bit unfair as McElhenney seems to be the more active and grounded one, are desperate for the travel restrictions to be over so they can meet the fans face to face.
Side note. I’m a bit of a plastic Welshman myself. My Mum is from Flint which makes me half Welsh. I’m a distant cousin of Ian Rush - his Dad was first cousins with my Grandfather (that was a tough sell at school in the 80s let me tell you, nobody believed me!) I’m also claiming two time Olympic gold medalist Jade Jones due to my first cousin being married to her Aunt. Shut it, i’m claiming it.
My Uncle Ron, my Godfather is also a big Wrexham fan and me and him might be on an emotional collision course in the next month as both our teams look destined for the play offs with a couple of games to go and both clubs deserve nothing less than league football.
In order to get a Wrexham fan’s perspective on this recent carry on, i spoke with Tom Lewis, self confessed Wrexham nut and co host of the very entertaining podcast, ”Alternative Wales”. He’s also from the same era as me and loves Oasis so obviously a top top bloke.
Tom, how has the pandemic been in Wales and what are the current rules and restrictions?
It's been a tough time here much like everywhere else really, the situation as it stands is that pubs and hospitalty are about to re-open indoors and most areas of public life are returning to some form of normality but with talk of the 'Indian Variant' of Covid emerging there's still an element of uncertainty about whether we'll have to return to lockdown sometime in the future.
Why Wrexham and how long have you supported them?
I come from a family of mostly Evertonians but myself and my Taid (Welsh for Grandfather) are both Wrexham fans and being a fiercely proud Welshman there was no way I was ever going to support an English club! I attended my first game in about 1999 as a 12 year old and haven't looked back since. Its been a bumpy ride but I wouldn't change it for the world.
Tom with Wrexham and Wales legend Mickey Thomas after a win against deadly rivals Chester.
Greatest moment watching Wrexham?
There's been a few but for me probably winning the LDV Vans Trophy in 2005. The club was in administration at the time and was a complete mess off the pitch but on the pitch we had a good side with the likes of Darren Ferguson and Carlos Edwards the main men. To win the trophy of front of 20,000 Reds at our national stadium was special.
Favourite player(s)? (note: we bought Wayne Phillips off you in the 90s and you robbed us blind there so cheers for that!)
Haha! Wayne Phillips was a great player for us so it was a surprise that he was a bit of a flop at County! We've had some brilliant players over the years but Carlos Edwards is my favourite, the man was a genius and it was no surprise that he went on to have a good career at Premier League level.
Best away day?
Again so many to choose from but beating Tranmere away in 2003 sticks out for me. We scored two goals in the space of a few minutes and it was absolute bedlam in the away end. We've always had a bit of a rivalry with Tranmere so that was a great day.
What was your initial reaction when you heard Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were interested in taking over your club?
I just couldn't believe what I was hearing! I've been a big fan of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia for some time so it was just incredible to hear that the creator of one of my favourite sitcoms was taking over the club I love. Also Ryan Reynolds is a huge name in the celebrity world as well (and more importantly he's got a few quid!) so it was amazing.
What’s your opinion now six months on?
Still very much the same! I'm not convinced I've fully got my head around it yet but all the signs are positive and our new owners are making all the right noises so there's still a huge sense of positivity around the club at the moment. Especially with the club seemingly getting it together on the field also.
I personally love how they interact with you the fans online but during your home game against us I saw a few Stockport fans mocking the “cringeworthy“ advertising hoardings. To me it’s two comedic actors having a laugh, what’s your take on that?
Yeah i get how opposition fans might see it as a bit cringey but I think its a bit of light hearted humour and I quite enjoy seeing it. County fans should have been happy that we handed them the 3 points on a plate that day, that was one of the worst performances of the season!
(oh we were don’t worry!)
How realistic is the “global power/brand” stuff and what are your hopes for Wrexham in the near and long term future?
I'm quite left wing so I don't really like terms like 'global brand' used in relation to football. I think if the club gets it right on the pitch and sufficiently improve the stadium I doubt most Wrexham fans will care about the global appeal or commercial success of the club on a global scale. Having said that, its probably inevitable that the club will receive a lot of attention in the coming years due to the media interest our owners will inevitably bring.
Tell us about your “Alternative Wales“ podcast. Thanks for this opportunity for a cheeky plug! Its basically a Welsh cultural, political and football podcast with a mixture of serious interviews and light hearted nonsense! We're having a lot of fun with it and it seems to be pretty well received so long may that continue.
What are your hopes for Wales in the upcoming Euros?
Its going to be a strange one this time around with no fans (or limited numbers) so it doesnt feel anything like the amazing experience we had at Euro 2016. I think with the turmoil surrounding Giggs etc we'll do well to get out of what is a tough group so if we get to the last 16 I'll be happy. Anything more than that would be a welcome bonus.
Tom at the Quarter Finals of Euro 2016 in Lille, France, the scene of Wales’ stunning 3-1 win over Belgium.
Tom can be found on Twitter @tomicaws and his podcast www.alternativewales.com is available on Apple and Spotify and other streaming monopolies.