Hollywood celebrities and fans have been celebrating Wrexham AFC’s glorious return to the English Football League in a comeback story that has captivated people across the globe.
The club’s co-owner, Ryan Reynolds, paid tribute on social media to his beloved team, which will be returning to the EFL after a 15-year absence.
“Everything I own smells like champagne, beer and grass. I’m still somewhere between giggling and sobbing,” he said. “This town and this sport is one of the most romantic things on Earth. Thank you, Wrexham AFC.”
Thanks in large part to a Disney+ documentary that followed the Deadpool star Reynolds and his fellow actor Rob McElhenney taking over and trying to transform the then struggling Welsh team, the club has acquired legions of fans across the world.
Joe Russo, part of the American director duo the Russo brothers, was one of a number of Hollywood celebrities pictured at the Racecourse Ground for the historic game on Saturday, along with the actor Paul Rudd.
The former England captain David Beckham posted a photo on Instagram of Reynolds and McElhenney holding the National League Trophy and said: “This makes me very happy. What a story and what an achievement.”
The Prince of Wales, who is president of the FA, also praised the club after their 3-1 win over Boreham Wood. He said: “Congratulations Wrexham AFC! A club with such amazing history, looking forward to a very exciting future back in the Football League. Doing Wales proud.”
American singer Joe Jonas said the win was “incredible”.
The north Wales team has undergone a momentous transformation since Reynolds and McElhenney bought the club in 2020 for £2m, after it had finished the 2019-20 National League season (cut short due to the Covid pandemic) in the lowest position in its 150-year history.
Fans had endured years of heartbreak with the club, which in 2011 was issued a winding-up petition over a £200,000 HMRC debt, which it paid off through donations and loans. With its A-list owners and Disney+ documentary, the team now counts among its supporters a new following of US fans, some of whom made the trip to north Wales on Saturday for the match.
Wrexham painfully missed out on its Hollywood ending last season, when they lost 5-4 to Grimsby Town in extra time in a dramatic playoff semi-final of the National League, the fifth-tier in the English football league.
This season, fans have been gripped by Wrexham’s battle with close rivals Notts County for the top spot in the league and promotion to the EFL, a long-held dream of its owners and thousands of fans.
ESPN reported Wrexham’s match against Sheffield United in February was the most followed game that day across all its digital platforms.
The club’s Hollywood owners have been welcomed by local fans not only for restoring pride and success in the team, but for working to increase attendances at the stadium and make a positive contribution to the wider community.
One local fan commented on Reynolds’ Instagram post: “The scenes in Wrexham were crazy last night. I’ll never forget how this has lifted the town (city) [and] brought people together in such a powerful way. People all over the world are talking about Wrexham with genuine excitement.
“It’s more than a promotion, it’s more than football, it’s getting our pride back. Thank you Rob and Ryan.”
Formed in 1864, Wrexham are the oldest club in Wales and the third oldest professional football team in the world.
In the aftermath of their win, as the crowd surged on to the pitch, Reynolds told BT Sport: “I’m not sure I can actually process what happened tonight, I’m still a little speechless. People said at the beginning: ‘Why Wrexham, why Wrexham?’ This is exactly why Wrexham. What’s happening right now is why.”
As the players sang We are the Champions in the dressing room, fans celebrated in the streets of Wrexham in what will for ever be remembered as a momentous day for the city.
McElhenney said: “I think we can hear how it feels to the town and that’s what’s most important to us. I think this is a moment of catharsis for them and celebration and for us to be welcomed into their community and to be welcomed into this experience has been the honour of my life.”
