Once upon a time in Wrexham…
Last year two Hollywood celebrities purchased Wrexham A.F.C. out of the blue, but what happened next?
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The small town on the border between England and Wales soon had the eyes of the world upon it.
@VancityReynolds and @RMcElhenney, famous for their roles in Deadpool and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, submitted a deal to take 100% control of the club last year.
Their plan?
According to their mission statement… ‘Our goal is to grow the team, return it to the English Football League in front of increased attendances at an improved stadium while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham.’
The partnership has invested £2m in Wrexham so far and the pair have been heavily promoting the club on their social media accounts.
Due to the publicity, FIFA, the world’s leading football video game, added Wrexham into their latest edition of the franchise, FIFA 22 🎮
Why did the star-studded pair choose Wrexham to enter the world of sports business?
Well, Rob has compared the town to the industrial city of Philadelphia, the place of his birth and upbringing.
In fact, the truth is a lot more complicated, the celebrity pair rated clubs across the UK based on the fanbase, growth, and potential marketability, and apparently, Wrexham scored the highest 🏴
Since the takeover, the partnership cleared the debt of the club and has signed a deal with FX to film a documentary, following the team and ownership as they aim to make it out of the National League and will be aired on Disney+ in the UK 🎥
Phil Parkinson, Wrexham manager said: ‘A lot of fans are really excited. And I’m really excited because sports documentaries are increasingly popular now – we’ve seen it with Netflix’s Drive to Survive, it brings in a whole new audience.’
Since the takeover gate receipts at the club have peaked at over 8,000, a remarkable achievement for a fifth-tier side.
The pair have also committed to investing in all areas of the club, from the women's team to the youth development set up and the town of Wrexham itself.
The club’s home stadium has seen improvements and there are plans to increase the capacity of the Racecourse Ground 🏟
Ryan Reynolds may have said it best after attending his first Wrexham home game.
‘Football is a staggering, heartbreaking, gorgeous, Tommy-gun of soul-deadening, evil and beauty – and I’m never sleeping again ever, ever.’
Read the full article 👉 trib.al/DxPxHEL
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