Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been approved to buy Welsh soccer club Wrexham following a vote by club supporters that concluded Sunday. The duo will own 100% of the team, which has been owned by its supporters since '11. The deal values the National League (England's fifth tier) club at $2.63M (£2M), which is the amount that Reynolds and McElhenney have agreed to invest to support future operations.
Inner Circle Sports represented Reynolds and McElhenney in the transaction, which is expected to close in the next two months. Wrexham Dir Spencer Harris said, "The overwhelming feeling is one of excitement and looking forward to working with Rob, Ryan and their team. There’s a lot of history around the club, and a lot of room for growth as well." Wrexham is the third-oldest soccer team in the world and its home stadium, the Racecourse Ground, is the oldest soccer field to still host international play.
Early conversations between the actors and the club began in early '20. The week-long vote by supporters to approve the transaction began on Nov. 9 and was overwhelmingly in favor. More than 98% of members supported the sale, easily surpassing the 75% threshold that was required. The deal is expected to provide a much-needed injection of capital; according to team financial documents, the club projects to require $461,000 to cover operating losses this year.
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Across the last decade, Wrexham has averaged annual operating losses of $163,000 on revenue of $2.89M. Harris added that Reynolds and McElhenney have plans to produce a documentary about the club’s development under their ownership. "What Rob and Ryan want to do is take this club on a journey, and they want to document that journey," Harris said. "They want to take the club to a more global audience."
