Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s 2020 decision to buy the tiny Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC raised eyebrows. The relatively obscure team is one of the oldest in the United Kingdom, had suffered a long and slow decline to the point where it was in danger of vanishing completely, and was occupying a lowly position in the lower leagues.
Three years on, and the pair have resuscitated the team, raising awareness with the excellent Welcome to Wrexham documentary, celebrating being promoted into the EFL League Two after 15 years away, and inviting many celebrity buddies along to matches.
But it’s not been an easy ride after their promotion. Their League Two debut against MK Dons saw them lose 5-3, and their following match against Wimbledon AFC was a 1-1 draw. It seems that third time’s the charm, though, as their match against Walsall last night saw them pick up three points with a convincing 4-2 victory.
Naturally, Reynolds couldn’t be happier:
It’s early days yet, but this puts Wrexham in 11th place (out of 23) on the League Two table. It’d be considered an achievement for the club to simply survive the season without relegation, though with the huge boost in morale and the financial security Reynolds and McElhenney provide, there are whispers they could make the leap to League One next year.
That said, the pair look like they’re sticking with Wrexham through good times and bad, so here’s hoping one of sport’s true Cinderella stories continues for many years to come.