Ryan Reynolds on the remarkable growth of Wrexham: 'The pride people now have is just contagious'

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney acquired Wrexham, a football club steeped in history but relegated to the fifth tier of English football, in 2021. Transformed into a modern Cinderella story, the club secured successive promotions to the second-tier Championship, narrowly missing the Premier League last season by just two points.

The incredible turnaround has not gone unnoticed, as Wrexham's Welcome to Wrexham documentary series has won eleven Primetime Emmy Awards and two Critics' Choice Television Awards, turning its cast of players, coaches, and supporters into household names. Reynolds, the club's co-chairman, emphasized the importance of storytelling in football and how it helped restore the community's sense of identity and pride.

He explained how Wrexham had become "liveable" in just six years, with people now identifying themselves as from Wrexham rather than North Wales. Reynolds noted that the town had once been devastated by the departure of oil, steel, and coal industries, but football provided a way for the city to rediscover its soul and thrive. The resurgence has brought a significant economic boost, with tourism revenue in Wrexham now approaching £200 million annually.

Reynolds stressed that the team and the community grew organically, with the actors listening and letting things unfold naturally. The success of Wrexham has been a journey of learning and adaptation, with Reynolds admitting that they initially didn't know what they were doing. Despite this, the club now stands one promotion away from the Premier League, and Reynolds believes the pride people have when visiting Wrexham is "just contagious."