Ryan Reynolds in Wrexham – The new FC Hollywood

Welcome, AFC Wrexham! The club from Wales, stylized as a global cult team, has achieved promotion to the English second division (Championship). A preliminary highlight for the Hollywood masterminds Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. But AFC Wrexham is so much more than just cult TV fame.

Hollywood in Wrexham – it actually existed long before Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney joined in 2020. 

In Wrexham, one was reminded a bit of the “Unknown Stuntman” from Hollywood, unforgettable in the 1980s as portrayed by Lee Majors (86), aka “Colt Seavers”, and brilliantly dubbed by Hans-Werner Bussinger (“If we fall off here, I’ll shoot you”), when watching Micky Thomas and Joey Jones. They climbed the floodlight masts at Racecourse Ground stadium without much fuss. Just for fun, of course. Colt Seavers couldn’t have done it better.

At that time, Wrexham was in the third division, one of the worst teams on the island. “But,” says Mark Griffiths, radio commentator, “Arsenal appeared a bit arrogant that night. They thought they had already won and didn’t work hard enough.” The FA Cup match against Arsenal in 1992 became one of the greatest moments in the club’s history and one of the most memorable games in the long career of Michael Reginald, known as Mickey Thomas. In the 83rd minute, Mickey Thomas equalized 1–1 with a brilliant free-kick before a nobody named Steve Watkin completed the sensation with the 2–1 just three minutes from time. 

If you want to make friends in Wrexham, it’s best to mention the name Mickey Thomas in your first small talk at the pub or the stadium. Thomas is a Wrexham legend. In 1993, he served 18 months in prison for counterfeiting. After his playing career, Mickey Thomas worked as a radio commentator, analyzing the matches of Manchester United for radio stations Key 103 and Piccadilly Magic 1152. His running gag: “I heard Roy Keane earns £50,000 a week. So did I – until the police found my printing press.” 

AFC Wrexham: How did the meteoric rise happen?

Wrexham had celebrity appeal long before Reynolds and McElhenney. Long-time “James Bond” actor Daniel Craig and Welsh Premier League pro Robbie Savage support the “Red Dragons.” 

“This club is defined by being a tight-knit community,” Wrexham supporter Dave Williams told me in 2010 during research for my book Absolute Dynamite! – Football Stories from Britain. 

Of all people, two Hollywood stars shake up this “tight-knit community.” Ryan Reynolds, who rose to fame in 2004 with Wesley Snipes in Blade: Trinity, was named “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2010 by US magazine People – no wonder his partners included Scarlett Johansson and Alanis Morissette…

Why did Ryan Reynolds buy Wrexham?

Neither of the American owners had a direct connection to football. That became evident during a cup match at London's Wembley Stadium, where Reynolds enthusiastically celebrated an offside goal. Football star David Beckham (who turned 50 on May 2, 2025) could only shake his head in embarrassment… 

In November 2020, Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – known among other things from one of my favorite Irish thrillers, The Devil’s Own (1997) with Brad Pitt and Harrison Ford – bought AFC Wrexham for €2.3 million. 

“The players saw through me on the first day,” Reynolds told BILD am SONNTAG (issue from August 21, 2022), “when I asked how many men are allowed on the field. I didn’t know much about football.”

His (barely believable) motive: “I’m obsessed with the people of Wrexham and with the game.” 

AFC Wrexham Stadium: European Cup classic vs. Anderlecht

Wrexham is a nostalgic name for British football fans. Perhaps the biggest coup came in 1976, when they became the first third-division team to reach a European quarter-final. In the Cup Winners’ Cup, they faced Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht. “Not even all Premier League clubs can claim to have played against such opponents,” said Wrexham fan Stuart Peters. “Anderlecht was an exceptional match until Rob Rensenbrink ruined everything two minutes before the end.” Anderlecht narrowly escaped embarrassment after a 1–0 win in Belgium and a 1–1 draw at Racecourse Ground. 

That was a long time ago. 

AFC Wrexham Documentary – Now in its fourth season 

When the Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney bought AFC Wrexham, there wasn’t the slightest indication of such heroic feats happening again. 

“We’re growing into the role day by day,” said Reynolds, “this is an underdog story.” 

True. And one that is now told by Sky and Disney Plus in the documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham”, which is already in its fourth season. This series turned Wrexham into a global cult. It includes, among other things, unpleasant verbal spats with quarterback legend Tom Brady, co-owner of Football League One champions Birmingham City. 

Nevertheless, the Hollywood investment made a record possible on April 26, 2025. Three promotions in a row – something no English club had ever achieved before. AFC Wrexham, with a squad valued at €13.3 million (source: Transfermarkt.de) and right winger Ryan Longman (€2 million market value) as its most valuable player, will play in the Championship next season. 

Wrexham went unbeaten in 37 of 45 Football League One matches. Since the 2–1 loss to Leyton Orient on February 18, 2025, they haven’t lost a game. They secured direct promotion on matchday 45 – the second to last – with a 3–0 win over former Premier League club Charlton Athletic. 

Welcome to Wrexham, welcome to Hollywood.