Ryan Reynolds is loved by everyone. The actor of Deadpool, Free Guy or Detective Pikachu has managed to carve a very important niche in the industry thanks to his good humor, his charisma and his presence beyond the screen -like his funny and tender relationship with Blake Lively-.
But for the past few years, Reynolds has outdone himself by starring in his own sports movie that has nothing to envy Champions or Invictus. In fact, his story is much more akin to that of Ted Lasso, Apple TV+‘s flagship series that features a protagonist who might as well be played by the Marvel actor himself.
The story in question is that of Wrexham Association Football Club, a soccer club in Wales that was bought in 2021 by Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and, after just over two years, has achieved a unique milestone: moving up to the UK‘s fourth division and winning its first title since 1977.
A historic acquisition
Wrexham Association Football Club is a historic soccer club based in the town of Wrexham, Wales. Founded in 1864, it is one of the first clubs to be founded in the United Kingdom, and has a varied history, from several FA Cup and Welsh Cup successes to its near demise on more than one occasion.
In 2020, the club was going through one of these bad times. Sinking to the English fifth division and after several decades in a complex situation, there seemed to be no hope for the club, which looked like it would never get back on its feet. However, at that moment a miracle in the form of Hollywood stars knocked on their door.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (Hanging in Philadelphia, Mythic Quest) decided to make a move that changed the lives of Wrexham fans forever. They decided to make the team their personal project, and invested $2 million into the team. Their intention? To give the club a complete facelift, create a strong community around it and get it back to what it once was.
At first, many of the fans were skeptical. Similar to what happens when an Arab sheikh buys a club – a common practice in recent decades in Spain – some believed that it was just a monetary or marketing strategy, and that they would never see Reynolds and McElhenney down in the mud.
However, the actors soon proved to be very wrong. It was a personal project, a kind of bet against themselves. As a result, they soon began to show that they were serious about their investment, and that they really were the first ones interested in the team doing well without losing its essence along the way.
The story began to grow over time, and what seemed like a vain hope became a reality. Player signings, the construction of a new stadium, the rebranding of the brand and the development of a documentary series on Disney Plus proved that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s idea had always been serious. And, after winning the fans’ favor, it was time for success.
Achieving a goal that seemed impossible
Last Sunday, Wrexham achieved the goal they had been pursuing for so many years and which, thanks to the investment of Reynolds and McElhenney, has finally become a reality: promotion to England’s fourth tier. After beating Boreham Wood 3-1, the Welsh side crowned a unique season in which they won the league title, something they had not achieved since 1977.
“I’m not sure I can process what’s happened tonight, I’m still almost speechless”, Reynolds told reporters after the game. “One thing that keeps running through my head over and over again is that, at the beginning, people were asking ‘Why Wrexham, why Wrexham’; this is exactly the reason why it had to be Wrexham. The reason is what’s happening right now.”
As excited as Reynolds and surrounded by fans celebrating with them the great victory of their club so many years later, actor Rob McElhenney added to his words of pride and fascination: “We can hear how the people feel and that’s the most important thing for us. This is a moment of catharsis for them. For us, to be welcomed into their community and to be welcomed into this experience has been the time of our lives.”
This great experience will again be portrayed in Welcome to Wrexham, the documentary series aired on Disney Plus that already has one season under its belt and, in the new batch of episodes, promises to become more exciting than ever. So far they have achieved their first major goal, but from here we predict a much more placid future for Wrexham.
Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.
