GET SET FOR A BOX OFFICE HIT
THE ONE regret former Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST) board member Spencer Harris has is not achieving promotion – but believes their new owners can finally accomplish it.
Hollywood A-list actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their long-awaited takeover of the National League side this week.
The RR McReynolds Company LLC has acquired control from the WST and have made an immediate £2 million investment into the club to be channelled into new initiatives at the Racecourse Community Foundation.
But the pair, who will be the stars of a Netflix documentary about their involvement with the club, have stressed firstteam player identification will be a priority ahead of the summer transfer window and they 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”.
The Trust handed over the club on Tuesday night sitting in a play-off position as they bid to end their 13-year Football League exile.
Bathroom
“There’s a whole host of things we managed to achieve off the pitch,” Harris, who stepped down from his role last month having been a driving force with the Trust since 2011, told The NLP. “We almost doubled our average attendance under our ownership. We significantly increased revenue and set the club up for the future where the land at the Racecourse Ground has been bought for the purpose of redeveloping the stadium.
“After a global pandemic, we still hand over completely debt free with money in the bank.
“We didn’t quite do what we really wanted to which was gain promotion. We came close a few times, but we never quite made it which will always be a regret.
“We’ve never had anywhere near the biggest budget in the league, as a fan-owned club we only spent what we could afford. Hopefully Rob and Ryan can achieve it.”
Reynolds and McElhenney embraced the north Wales community even before their takeover was completed, investing five figure sums into two local charities and funding an enhanced bathroom for a disabled supporter.
This week, they partnered the club with Aviation American Gin and 6,000 limited edition Wrexham bottles were sold-out within 24 hours.
“They’re already doing things we could never ever have done,” added Harris. “It really is an amazing story.”