Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took charge of a club that had been drifting for years and turned it into one of the most unexpected football stories of the decade.
The Welsh side climbed from the National League to the Championship, becoming the first team to record three straight promotions in the English system.
Their progress on the pitch has been impressive, but the transformation happening behind the scenes is just as striking. This article looks at how Reynolds and McElhenney reshaped Wrexham’s commercial fortunes.
Hollywood duo trigger a turnaround
Before Wrexham’s modern revival, the club had already lived through a remarkable high point. Between 1968 and the early 1980s, managers like John Neal and Arfon Griffiths turned the team into one of the most competitive sides in Welsh football. They earned promotion, reached the latter stages of the FA Cup more than once, and produced several famous European nights against clubs such as FC Zurich, Hajduk Split and Anderlecht.
The Yale Stand was built during this period, the crest that still represents the club was introduced, and big cup wins became part of the club’s identity. Those achievements set a standard that fans would remember long after the momentum faded.
The years that followed were far less kind. Financial problems, boardroom instability and missed opportunities pushed Wrexham down the divisions, eventually dropping the club out of the English Football League altogether. By the time the 2020s arrived, Wrexham were deep into a long spell in the National League, relying mainly on the loyalty of their supporters to stay afloat.
That changed when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney arrived. They didn’t simply buy a club—they revived a place that had been stuck in survival mode for over a decade. Their takeover brought structure, ambition, and a commercial plan that reshaped Wrexham’s future. The release of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary opened the club up to a global audience, giving them visibility they could never have achieved on the pitch alone.
The numbers behind the revenue boom
With new partnerships, new revenue streams, and a clear vision, Wrexham finally had the tools to rebuild. The impact was immediate: by 2023/24, the club reported £26.7 million in revenue, with more than 70 percent coming from commercial activity, putting Wrexham ahead of several Premier League sides and far ahead of most clubs in the Championship.
The growth on the pitch kept pace with the financial rise. Between 2021 and 2025, Wrexham climbed from the National League to the Championship, becoming the first team in England’s top five divisions to secure three promotions in a row. The 2022/23 campaign produced a record 111-point season, followed by another promotion the year after.
By early 2025, the club’s valuation had risen to roughly £150 million, and the loans provided by Reynolds and McElhenney had already been repaid — a sharp contrast to the struggles the club faced just a few years earlier.
In the same period, the club took several off-field steps that consolidated its long-term future. Wrexham joined the European Club Association in 2024, marking a significant recognition of the club’s growing profile. The Allyn family from New York became minority investors the same year, acquiring close to 15% of the club and contributing to its rising valuation.
The academy structure also improved, moving from Category Four to Category Three status for the 2024/25 season. These developments strengthened the foundations around the first team and signalled that the rebuild extended beyond results on the pitch.
Cacace signing strengthens international bonds
Wrexham have put serious effort into expanding their reach abroad, especially in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The arrival of Liberato Cacace from Empoli strengthened their presence in New Zealand. He quickly became a favourite among fans and created a direct link between the club and a growing football audience in Oceania.
His signing even influenced betting trends. Several betting platforms in the country, including 20bet, reported increased interest in Championship matches involving Wrexham this season.
New Zealand fans were already familiar with the club because of the documentary, and Cacace’s involvement made the connection stronger. Wrexham’s international push began in 2023 with their summer tour of the United States.
Large crowds turned up to watch the team in person for the first time, many of them introduced to the club through the series. Beyond the matches, the squad visited well-known landmarks, partnered with local brands and gained attention from North American media outlets.
