Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Financial Concerns for Wrexham Football Club
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were well aware of the precarious financial position Wrexham faced if they did not win promotion back to the Football League last season.
The Hollywood duo have splashed the case since taking over the North Wales club with a string of high-profile signings. They were able to tempt several stars to drop down the levels into non-league to help the club in their National League promotion quest.
The journey has been documented in front of the TV cameras and Season 2 of the hit 'Welcome to Wrexham' show premiered in the USA on Tuesday night on FX before being released on Disney+ in the UK on Wednesday. Within the first part of the show, at the beginning of last season, Reynolds and McElhenney declared they were "financially doomed" if they did not win the league.
Explaining the situation whilst introducing a host of new signings to viewers, Reynolds said: "We're heavily invested in building this club, the stadium itself, and if we don't get promoted this year, the club is completely, totally and wholly unsustainable."
McElhenney said: "If our goal from the very beginning was not just to win, not just to help bring some hope and optimism to the town, but to build a sustainable business, something that can continue long after we've gone."
"For us to put them in a position where if they don't get promoted this year, that they are no longer sustainable in any real way, is counter to what our original promises were."
Reynolds said: "So its really ratcheted up the pressure, not just for us but for the players on the field, the people in the community. This year we have to get promoted."
McElhenney concluded: "From a financial perspective, if we do not get promoted this year, we are doomed," to which Reynolds replied with a sigh, "Yep, f***".
The fears held by Reynolds and McElhenney did not materialise as manager Phil Parkinson guided the Red Dragons to the National League title in dramatic fashion. They prevailed in a season-long battle with Notts County to secure the only automatic promotion spot.
Welcome to Wrexham is back to take you behind the scenes at the Welsh club following the superstar takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. New and returning customers in the UK can now subscribe to Disney+ for £1.99/month for three months.
Promotion back to the Football League has lucrative financial implications, largely down to a guaranteed £1.1million income via the league's TV and sponsorship deals and a Premier League solidarity payment. That instantly puts Wrexham in a far stronger position after their outlay in order to try and get out of the National League, whilst their success has drawn in a host of big-name global sponsors thanks to their new-found worldwide fanbase.
Wrexham have got their League Two season off to a solid start. A late win over Doncaster Rovers last weekend saw them move up to seventh in the table after three wins and three draws since an opening-day defeat.
They return to action at home to Grimsby Town on Saturday, September 16. The game is a repeat of the dramatic National League Play-Off semi-final which ended Wrexham’s promotion dreams in the 2020/21 season before Grimsby ultimately secured promotion.