Wrexham A.F.C.: Tiny League Five club, owned by famous actor, eyes promotion

Wrexham Association Football Club, as the full name goes, is a tiny club in the fifth highest English football league that has recently acquired famous owners. They currently lead the league and are thinking of moving up.

It is a Welsh football club that was founded back in 1864, making the club the oldest Welsh football club and the fifth oldest professional football club in the entire world. Wrexham was founded in 1864 by members of the cricket club who were looking for an activity for the winter months.

Despite a huge chunk of history, the club has never managed to break into England’s top competition. In its entire existence, the club’s best finish is fifteenth in the second highest league from 1978-1979, now known as the Championship.

Promotion to League Two can be counted among the club’s greatest achievements, as they secured promotion by winning the overall title. In the 2012-13 season, the club celebrated winning the FA Trophy, which is a cup competition for clubs from lower English competitions.

Famous owners

In 2020, RR McReynolds Company LLC became the owner of the club, which is owned by, among others, the famous Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, whom you may know for example in the role of Deadpool.

The deal was approved by 98.2% of the 2,000 members of Wrexham Supporters Trus and the whole process was completed in February 2021.

In 2022, the new owners bought the home stadium from Wrexham Glyndwr University, which had been the owner of the facility since 2011. The university saved the entire facility from possible demise at that time. It subsequently handed over operational control of the facility to the football club under a 99-year lease.

Following the takeover by actor Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the club entered into negotiations with Wrexham Glyndwr University to purchase the site and completed taking ownership of the stadium in June 2022.

Promotion to a higher competition

Wrexham are playing in League Five for the second year running. Last season they finished in second position and dropped out in the semi-final of the play-offs for promotion to League Four.

This year, the Welsh club could celebrate direct promotion as they are currently top of the table. On its back by a very narrow margin is another traditional club, Notts Country.

Source: Wikipedia, Livesport