Ryan Reynolds makes an ambitious Premier League promise to Wrexham fans ahead of the side’s FA Cup tie at home to Sheffield United.
It’s no secret just how much he wants to see the Welsh outfit, flying high in the National League, fly up through the tiers of English football… with the aim to one day reach the very top.
After the acquisition of two Hollywood stars, the club’s reputation has risen dramatically in recent years. Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, a fellow actor, are the main men behind the non league side’s goals. This could be a significant step for the club this season.
Wrexham currently sit at the top of National League, three points ahead of Notts County. While Reynolds’ promotion would be his first major accomplishment, he stated that he plans to move the outfit higher and the top flight is his ultimate goal. This is what he said five months ago via Sky Sports…
“You always hope that you’re going to rout the big boys in some amazing fashion,” Reynolds told ESPN with a want to believe that Wrexham could produce an upset in the third round FA Cup match against Coventry City earlier this month. “But honestly, I was hoping we would score.”
Sam Dalby broke the deadlock to put Wrexham one up on the 12th minute, with Reynolds’ nervous energy continuing throughout as he tuned into the game from his New York City apartment alongside by his wife, actor Blake Lively, and their three young daughters.
A second goal for the Red Dragons came just six minutes after, and the idea of Wrexham getting through to the next round of the world’s oldest national soccer competition became more real.
“I was pacing around like some sort of rabid drug-snorting tiger,” Reynolds said.
“Part of my indoctrination of the sport is being around others who have been passionate about it since they exited the womb,” Reynolds added, with Wrexham going on to win 4-3. “That’s kind of rubbed off on me and I think that rubs off on my own family now.”
Being Wrexham co-owner means everything to Ryan Reynolds ❤️ @BonaguraESPN spoke with @VancityReynolds ahead of Wrexham’s massive FA Cup match this Sunday.
Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/yxVq8w0k84 pic.twitter.com/C4l52GDf05
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 27, 2023
As Wrexham’s fame increased, a proof of that in that from September 2019, the Wrexham AFC Wikipedia page was visited 16,181 times, to September 2022 that number went up to 809,410 (average 266,573 monthly views), and with help of the FX documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham”, there is extra optimism they could produce another memorable moment in knocking out Sheffield United, to reach the fifth round.
“They’re not stopping me to talk about ‘Deadpool’ or any other [movie] project,” he said. “They’re stopping me on the street to talk about Wrexham. I got so many people fist-bumping me saying, ‘Congrats on the Coventry game.’ That was wild to see.”
Reynolds’ and McElhenney’s Hollywood fame helps the club, makes them attractive to brands for sponsorship opportunities which other teams at this level of English football wouldn’t usually get.
“That’s what you see from Premier League clubs, Championship League clubs,” Reynolds said. “We want to walk the walk, even as a fifth-tier club. We say this all the time, but we want to be in the Premier League, as crazy as that sounds to some people. If it is theoretically possible to go from the fifth tier in professional football all the way to the Premier League, why wouldn’t we do that? Why wouldn’t we use our last drop of blood to get there?”
“We’re in it for the ride. This is a multidecade project,” Reynolds added.
“I genuinely get choked up thinking about that right now because it says everything to me,” Reynolds said reflecting on the time his side lost in the playoffs last season to Grimsby. “It speaks to the hope that they had, it speaks to the trust that they’ve placed in us — to take care of this incredibly cherished club that is an institution in this town and something that has been a big part of their lives for over 150 years.”
“Two years ago, I didn’t have this kind of passion for the sport, and in some ways, I see it as a plague,” he said. “In other ways, I see it as the greatest introduction that’s ever been made to me, at least from a sports perspective. It’s wild. I wish it didn’t dominate as many of my thoughts and deeds as it does these days, but you don’t make anything great without enthusiasm, they say.”
This is what fans had to say as Ryan Reynolds makes an ambitious Premier League promise to Wrexham fans ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup tie…
@Owen08Johnathan: the things this man has done is truly incredible along with Rob means the world to us as fans @VancityReynolds @RMcElhenney
@lukeCFC25: I won’t be surprised if Wrexham win on Sunday. A home atmosphere and a team in excellent form.
@PerryBrownF1: @Wrexham_AFC is more than a bandwagon – Ryan and Rob didn’t buy a football team, they bought into a community and their project.
@Marquisberry20: Ryan and Rob bought #WrexhamAFC for £2million. They were once the most recognized club in Europe, but have since dropped to the 5th tier of English Football. With new owners we now see the stars like David Beckham, Will Ferrel, and others at their games. Power of ownership team
@Louisejones283: Just love him ⚽️
@gamecockgreek84: If you haven’t watched @WrexhamFX on Hulu yet you’re doing yourself a disservice. This gives such insight to the beautiful game and what it means to people in this town. What @VancityReynolds has done is nothing short of a miracle and his team deserves all the praise
@CanMNTonly: Ya alright im making a Wrexham FM23 save
@ilyryanreynolds: Wrexham means everything to Ryan Reynolds❤️🤍 I’m so happy to watch the fan base of Wrexham grow everyday to people in all different countries around the world🙌
@SoloFlow786: Ryan and Rob have had a truly transformational effect on Wrexham, they have lifted the spirits for everyone that lives there.
@m_w890: “We’re in it for the ride. This is a multidecade project,” Reynolds added. Should shut a few up that one 😊❤️
@fearlessidzine: “We’re in it for the ride. This is a MULTI-DECADE project” – Ryan Reynolds 😍
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