Wrexham have secured promotion back to the fourth tier of English soccer, achieving the first part of the dream of celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Hollywood actors were among a crowd of more than 10,000 at the Racecourse Ground in north Wales to see thir team clinch the National League title with a 3-1 win over Boreham Wood on Saturday.
Reynolds and McElhenney seemingly have become soccer fanatics since completing their out-of-nowhere purchase of the Welsh club for $US2.5 million ($A3.7 million) in 2021.
An offshoot of the takeover was the making of a fly-on-the-wall documentary — entitled “Welcome to Wrexham” — that has charted the journey of a historic but down-on-its-luck soccer team run by two actors learning the ropes of sports club ownership.
The second season of the show will have a happy ending, as Wrexham head back into the English Football League – the three divisions below the Premier League -for the first time in 15 years.
Wrexham are four points clear of second-placed Notts County with one round of games left, so are guaranteed the sole automatic promotion spot to League Two.
Among the spectators at the Racecourse was Paul Rudd, another Hollywood actor who was spotted drinking a beer with locals, and watched the game in the directors’ box with Reynolds and McElhenney, who was reduced to tears at the final whistle.
Reynolds is best known for starring in the “Deadpool” movies, while McElhenney is the creator of TV show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
One of their stated aims when buying Wrexham from the club’s fans was to lead the 158-year-old club — the world’s third oldest professional club — to the Premier League and the journey is well under way.
It is Wrexham’s first league title at any level since the old English division three in 1977 and the team have done it in style, collecting a record 110 points so far and winning 34 of their 45 games.
And, as has so often been the case with the club, the win was achieved the hard way after falling behind inside 44 seconds.
Wrexham equalised in the 15th minute then Paul Mullin, the team’s star striker, earned victory with two superbly taken goals in the second half.
With the title in the bag, Wrexham fans lapped up the final few minutes of the match that ended more than a decade of hurt. The club fell on such hard times since the turn of the century that its supporters’ trust twice had to save the team from going out of business.
The actors are living up to the promises they made when taking over, like making improvements to the stadium and investing heavily in the women’s team.
The industrial town of about 65,000 people, located near the northwest English border and close to the soccer hotbeds of Liverpool and Manchester, has been abuzz with excitement for the past two years.
Wrexham finished the game to a backdrop of fans joyously singing “We are going up” – with Reynolds and McElhenney joining in.
“I am not sure I can process what happened tonight,” Reynolds said on BT Sport.
I am still little speechless. People said at the beginning ‘Why Wrexham?’. This is exactly why Wrexham. This happening, right now, is why.”
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
Just did some research, you're spot on. A salary cap for leagues 1 and 2 was introduced in August 2020 but withdrawn February 2021. I still expect Wrexham to be in the automatic promotion to play-offs range.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
not that i follow english football, but for anyone that does -it will be interesting how they will go with the cap i'd be guessing that the average weekly wage of a league 2 player would be $1000-$2000 and most of this wrexham side would be on at least double that. even doing a quick calculation they'd currently be over the cap threshold for next seasons (and thats before adding things in like win bonues, goals bonuses, appearance bonuses etc)
Simmo
Roar Rookie
I'm glad that in Australia we're too special to create stories like this
Brumby Jack's acquaintance
Roar Rookie
I thought the salary caps were withdrawn?
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
The thing with Wrexham is that of course they have to comply with profit & sustainability rules, but they're making a lot of money as well as spending it. No in League Two have a reach anywhere near theirs, with a TikTok sponsorship and Disney documentary. That £1.5m salary cap will be an issue though.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
My lot Carlisle won back-to-back promotions from National League and League Two back in the early noughties. That was quite a rare feat, I expect Wrexham to be around play-offs, maybe pushing for automatic promotion. We’ll have to see what happens in the summer transfer window, as Garry said.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
Will be interesting how they go in league 2 where there is a salary cap (unlike the national league) They're paying championship level wages currently, which they won't be able to do in league 2
Garry
Roar Rookie
Nope but as usual half those in the team that drops out will want to join them. It may depend on how much & how wisely they spend aka Newcastle...
Brumby Jack's acquaintance
Roar Rookie
Anyone have any idea how competitive this mob will be in league 2?