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Ryan Reynolds’ Mastermind to Create ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Boosted the Club’s Fanbase According to Reports

Published 02/09/2023, 11:30 AM EST

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It was a typical Instagram direct message between the Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney that sparked the significant investment decision. The two came together back in 2020 and started the process of taking over the world’s third-oldest soccer club, Wrexham AFC from Wales. 

The duo took over the Welsh club in February 2021, and their bid was backed by the majority of season ticket holders. Reynolds and McElhenney were clear from the start that they will buy a club from a lower division. They wanted to build it from the scratch over the years to make it a force to reckon with.

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It looks like the duo has started well, with Wrexham narrowly missing the promotion last season. However, they are on track to get a promotion this year and have already made a name for themselves in the FA Cup. Meanwhile, the celebrity stature of both owners has helped the club to gain popularity. But, the masterstroke in making the club known to the world was the Welcome To Wrexham documentary series. 

‘Welcome To Wrexham’ was the masterstroke by Ryan Reynolds

Wrexham announced the documentary in 2021, and the first two episodes premiered on August 24, 2022. It focused on the attempts of the owners to revive the third-oldest club, formed in 1864. Wrexham was mismanaged and was in a dire state when the duo took over. The duo started to revive the club with their efforts directed at investment in the club and the Wrexham community. 

Owners were trying to increase the popularity of the club, and their attempts were successful when Welcome To Wrexham premiered. The documentary brought in massive social media following for the club across all platforms. Instagram followers of the club before the documentary were 131,000. As of today, the club has over 434k followers on Instagram.

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The documentary not only increased the social media following of the club but also increased the revenue through the club’s retail website. It also affected the sales from the club shop. Overall, it was a masterstroke by the owners to release the documentary. They have already started working on the second season of the documentary that will release this year. 

Wrexham AFC, from strugglers to performers under new ownership

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Wrexham AFC was struggling in the National League before Reynolds and McElhenney took over. They finished 20th in the 2019-20 season. However, they made it to the top 10 next season, finishing 8th in 2020-21. It was in 2021 the A-listers took over the club. 

In their first complete season as owners, the duo saw the club narrowly missing promotion after finishing second in the league. Wrexham is on the right track this season and looks good to top the league. Currently, they are second behind Notts County by three points but have two games in hand. The club was also in scintillating form this season in the FA Cup and made it to the fourth round. And Ryan Reynolds seems especially proud of his involvement in the club.

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The popularity of the club is increasing with every passing day. Wrexham fans are already waiting for the second season of the Welcome To Wrexham series, with the first season being already a hit helping the club grow its fan base. 

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Written by:

Nikhil Nibe

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Nikhil is a Soccer writer at EssentiallySports. He is a pharmaceutics graduate holding a PG degree in management with marketing as a specialization. A sales professional since 2011, he decided to change the course of his career into a sports writer to follow his passion for Soccer.
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Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale