Wrexham: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have 'emotional connection' with club, says director
Thursday 24 September 2020 16:45, UK
Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have an "emotional connection" with Wrexham and can take the club to "a completely different level" with their potential investment, according to director Spencer Harris.
The big-screen duo have been revealed as potential new investors in North Wales club Wrexham, who currently play in English football's fifth-tier.
Wrexham are set to hold further talks with Reynolds, star of Deadpool, as well as American actor McElhenney - best known for playing Mac in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - about their plans for the club.
The shock revelation came after a Special General Meeting on Tuesday, with the Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST) - who have run the club since 2011 - confirming both names after 97.5 per cent of the 1,254 members voted in favour of pursuing the talks.
"They've got a big emotional connection from what I've seen thus far," Harris told Sky Sports News.
"They've done a lot of detailed research into the club and are very excited and very passionate, and certainly I've been passionate and we've been passionate about this club for a very long time, and they're getting more passionate by the day.
"They're very serious, very committed, very professional and very successful people in their line of work - both in acting and outside of acting as well as in the business world."
Reynolds and McElhenney are seeking to purchase the club for a "nominal sum", with the WST also confirming last week - while the actors remained anonymous - that the duo were looking to immediately invest £2m.
"We will bring forward something for the supporters to look at and make their minds up at a Special General Meeting where a vote will take place and they will decide which direction they wish the football club to go in in the future," Harris said.
"What happens with these people means that it just takes the profile of the club to a completely different level, which can bring challenges but can only be a good thing."
Reynolds the football fan?
Canadian Reynolds was the second-highest-paid actor of 2010, behind Jumanji star The Rock, according to Forbes magazine, but his passions clearly extend far beyond the realms of the silver screen.
He is evidently a fan of the sport having attended various football games while promoting Deadpool 2 back in 2018.
The 43-year-old was pictured at Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium alongside co-star Josh Brolin.
"At the temple of Real Madrid," he said on his Facebook page. "The two newest mascots nervously await a beating. (For the record, my heart belongs to the Vancouver Whitecaps)."
Reynolds also attended RB Leipzig's 6-2 win at Hertha Berlin
What happens next?
Shortly after the news broke of his latest potential investment, Reynolds posted a tongue-in-cheek message on his Twitter account.
From the bright lights of American showbiz to the raining hilltops of North Wales, Reynolds and McElhenney are ready to "put forward their vision" at a Special General Meeting.
The discussions could lead to a deal from either of the potential investors, and this would then be voted on by members of the trust.
If the deal is approved, the trust would relinquish control of running the club.
The fan trust has run Wrexham since 2011, and the club's website currently states: "We own our football club. This is not a slogan, but an actual fact."
