In February 2021, the Hollywood couple formally confirmed their acquisition of the Welsh club. Questions were raised about their choice of Wrexham, particularly given the club’s lengthy history of negligent ownership. Former Red Dragons manager Saunders, who made 77 appearances for Wales over 15 years, confesses he was skeptical at first, but has come to admire Reynolds and McElhenney, as has the rest of football.
In an interview with Instant Casino, the former centre-forward stated, “When I was managing Wrexham, I always believed I could get them into the Championship.” I remember thinking we’d have 15,000 people for those league games, but you’d have to quadruple that now. When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announced their plans to take over Wrexham, I assumed it was a joke. During my stay there, many people wanted to buy the club. I believe the owner of Direct Line was intrigued, and I assumed that was a joke. I was curious what Reynolds and McElhenney’s aims were and why they chose Wrexham.
“I knew the catchment region between Wrexham, Newport County, and Cardiff, and it was a three-hour drive with no English Football League clubs in between. There is a large catchment area between the cities, and Chester, Liverpool, the Manchester clubs, and Stoke are all vying for the top Wrexham players from the satellite academy. I believe the owners chose the club because they saw its potential, and they have done so much for both the town and the football team. I think they’ve been fantastic. Reynolds and McElhenney also appear to be fine men. They’ve invested money in the local community and the club. They also made it out of the National League without having to go through the playoffs.”
Not only did the celebrity duo help Wrexham gain promotion to the Football League at the second attempt, but the Welsh club is now flying high in League Two. Phil Parkinson’s team is aiming for astonishing back-to-back promotions, sitting only two points behind leaders Stockport with a game in hand. Reynolds and McElhenney’s popular Welcome to Wrexham documentary won a huge Emmy this week, extending their success beyond the field.
Saunders’ aspirations of Championship football may not be too far away, with Premier League status rumored for the near future. For now, however, the attention will be on their campaign for League Two promotion, which continues on Saturday against Newport.
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