Wrexham AFC: All you need to know about the oldest supporter-owned club Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are bidding for
Wrexham AFC has been in the news for some time now. The Welsh team that plays in the fifth tier of the English football league system garnered eyeballs when news of Hollywood actors, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were in talks to invest in the football club.
According to The Guardian, the Wrexham Supporters Trust Board voted in favor of progressing the duo's bid. “As confirmed this morning, 97.5% of voters (1,223 members) voted in favor of the resolution,” read a statement released on Wrexham’s website on Wednesday, September 23, evening. “As a result, talks with the proposed bidders will now continue and we are in a position to confirm the two people interested in investing in Wrexham AFC."
It also added: “In due course, Mr. McElhenney and Mr. Reynolds will put forward their vision for Wrexham AFC and proposal for members to vote on at a second special general meeting." Needless to say, the club is over the moon after news of potential investors broke. And as the world waits for more updates on this piece of news, here's a quick primer about the Welsh team.
Wrexham AFC: A quick look at the history of the Welsh football club
The professional team has the distinction of being the oldest club in Wales. Formed in 1864, the club went on to be supporter-owned since 2011. The biggest highlight is the side defeating Arsenal, one of the marquee teams in the Premier League in the FA Cup in 1992. There are quite a few interesting talking points about the club. For starters, the club is noted for being the record-winners of the now-defunct FAW Cup winning it five out of the eleven times.
Next up, there was a time when they defeated Druid FC in the Welsh Club final only to receive the trophy the following year after lack of finances plagued the FAW. Their home ground, the Racecourse Ground has a rich history as the oldest international stadium in the world.
Despite the rich legacy Wrexham eventually ran into financial troubles risking an ouster from the Football Conference when fans jumped to the rescue in 2011 raising £127,000 ($162,051) in one day to help pay for a bond that would see the team stay afloat. The team's mascot is a red dragon. They are also nicknamed the Robins. They made it as far as the second division before dropping out in 2008.
Notable players and coach
Arfon Griffiths, Gareth Davies, Joey Jones, and Tommy Matthias are some of the major names with over 200 appearances for Wrexham. The current manager of the team is Dean Kates.
Back to the present
Shaun Pearson, the current Wrexham skipper was optimistic about the club's journey forward when he heard the news of Hollywood taking an interest. "I’m probably similar to everyone else; at first you think: ‘Nah, no way,’ but it is potentially a big opportunity for the club. It is probably a little while off in terms of everything going through but you’d be lying if you didn’t think it was exciting. This is something that could move the club forward in quite a big way," he told The Guardian.
"We are community owned and therefore this has become public knowledge a little bit earlier than it would have done in normal circumstances but it’s out there now and people know all about it," said Spencer Harris, the Trust Board director.