By Lori Ewing
(Reuters) -Wrexham’s storybook rise under the ownership of Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has left them on the cusp of a remarkable third successive promotion, a tale that has captivated fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
While Reynolds, a Canadian, and his American co-owner McElhenney have turned the club into an international phenomenon with the success of their “Welcome to Wrexham” TV documentary, the Red Dragons have kept pace with their performance on the pitch.
On Saturday local media say both actors are expected to be at The Racecourse Ground for a potentially historic match against Charlton Athletic with direct promotion to English soccer’s second-tier Championship within reach.
They need to beat Charlton while Wycombe Wanderers must drop points against Leyton Orient.
“Oh my God, I literally have an eight-inch ulcer in my stomach right now,” Reynolds, best known for his superhero character Deadpool, said at this week’s TIME100 summit in New York. “It’s the end of the season, and it all comes down to the next two weeks. They just can’t do it easily…
“We’re all losing it and the stress is killing us all. Everyone keeps saying that (it makes for better TV) but that’s not a consolation at all. Winning is.”
Birmingham City — of which NFL great Tom Brady is a minority owner — top the League One table on 102 points, 16 points above second-placed Wrexham, who have two games remaining. Birmingham sealed promotion earlier this month.
A huge viewing audience will surely tune in on Saturday from North America, where Wrexham are wildly popular thanks to the documentary and the team’s owners.
The club’s annual report for 2023-24 released last month showed a geographical split of turnover of 52.1% generated from outside the UK, primarily North America, up from 24.6% in 2023.
‘GREAT HISTORY’
Charlton boss Nathan Jones fanned the flames and angered Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson this week when he said the team’s
environment resembled a “circus”. He later told BBC radio he was “misquoted or misunderstood” and that Wrexham were “a very well run, excellent club”.
Parkinson said the remark showed a lack of respect.
“I think not just for our current owners, players, staff and supporters, but (it showed) lack of understanding of the history of this great football club,” Parkinson told reporters on Friday. “This club has been here for many years. Have got a great history, proud tradition, and I think it was a bit of a lack of understanding of that really.”
Parkinson, who was hired by Reynolds and McElhenney ahead of the 2021-22 season, said the club was fortunate to have a special connection with their very present owners.
McElhenney, best known for his role in the comedy series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”, delivered a speech to the north Wales team before Monday’s crucial 2-1 win at Blackpool.
“When Rob and Ryan come over and they connect with the lads, I think it’s absolutely crucial that the lads see how pleased they are with the job the lads have done this season,” Parkinson said.
“When Rob’s over, he always messages me, says, ‘Look, is it OK if I come down, have a bit of lunch and have a chat with the lads?’ Even the training, they’re in the background. They let us get on with our job brilliantly, but when they contribute it’s so important. I think any football club has got to have togetherness to be successful, I really do.”
Parkinson has urged his players to seize the opportunity but enjoy the moment on Saturday.
“I want to enjoy watching us play tomorrow, I want the lads to enjoy it,” he said. “We’ve got to savour these moments of these big occasions.
“We’ve had quite a lot of them over the years, but this is top end of League One, and we’ve worked very hard to get here, and I want to make sure that we do everything we can to finish the job off.”
Wrexham spent eight seasons in the National League before their promotion to League Two for the 2023-24 campaign.
(Reporting by Lori EwingEditing by Toby Davis)
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