For most soccer fans, supporting their favorite club involves buying some merch and getting rowdy at matches. For Ryan Reynolds, it means buying an entire team. The Deadpool star partnered with Rob McElhenney, best known for his role as Mac on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, to purchase Wrexham A.F.C., a National League soccer team (or football team, depending on where you live) based in Wales.
Reynolds and McElhenney announced the move yesterday, and according to The Guardian, the duo obtained full control of the club for a purchase price of £2 million—but only after a vote of confidence from the team’s fans. Members of the Wrexham Supporter’s Trust, the team’s owner since 2011, held a vote on the sale in November, and 98 percent of the ballots cast supported Reynolds and McElhenney gaining control. In a statement, the Wrexham Supporters Trust urged fans to “unite behind our new owners, the Club, and the team as they look to return Wrexham to the heights we have all dreamed of.”
On Twitter, Reynolds took a characteristically tongue-in-cheek approach to the news of his latest business deal: He and McElhenny “rebranded” by adding a “w” to their display names.
There are no small bottles, Wrob. Only small owners…. with small bottles.
p.s. We have the same lawyer. https://t.co/2KzLWRZFO3— Wryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) February 9, 2021
While the new owners have certainly brought some extra attention to the club, Wrexham has a long history. Founded in 1864, it’s the third-oldest professional soccer club in the world. The team has hopes of ascending into the English Football League—the next-highest league within the English soccer system, one step below the Premier League. Reynolds and McElhenny have pledged to use their resources and star power to put the club on the path to success. According to a statement from the team, the money from the sale will be used to support the women’s soccer program and acquire new players. The team also aims to have a new CEO in place before the end of this season.
“It is a special day for the two of us to become the latest stewards in the long and storied history of Wrexham AFC,” Reynolds and McElhenney said in the statement. “Together with the players, the staff, the fans, and the local community, we can now pursue our goal to grow the team and return it to the EFL in front of increased attendances, and in an improved stadium, while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham.”
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