By Callum Nixon
NEW Wrexham AFC owners and Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have already set their sights on improving the conditions at the Red Dragons’ home.
Upon their purchase of the National League club, the new owners laid out their plan to return the club to the football league and wanted to do so in an improved stadium. Newly appointed executive director of the club and British comedian, Humphrey Ker has said that there are plans to improve the capacity of the ground to 15,000.
“The WST, local government and Welsh government were a long way down a path towards the gateway project which would have included a revamped Kop stand.
“That is high on our list of priorities, to try and activate that plan/modify it somewhat so we think it will be the best possible version of it for the club; Wales games and home games for us.
“We currently have a 10,000 seat capacity which realistically is about 8,900 because of safety restrictions and things that you have to do.” (source: Wrexham Leader)
Ker has also said how new owner, Rob McElhenney interest in football came from several years of teasing Ker whilst the latter would watch matches on their lunch breaks at work during Ker’s time as a writer on the show ‘Mythic Quest’.
Whilst the new owners have firm plans on improving the capacity at The Racecourse with a view to returning to the football league in the near future. There are many exciting developments happening in and around the club in the coming months. The first of which is the documentary which began filming in December 2020 after being given the greenlight by supporters of the club.
With the highly anticipated documentary due to bring in a good cash flow for the club, the main aim of the film is to boost the profile of the club around the world. Something which has already been achieved by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney mere interest in purchasing the club which arose in September 2020. The raised profile of the club has already led to numerous sponsorship deals being agreed with Ker saying that shirt sponsor offers have already been coming in.
Among the other things on the new owners extensive to do list before the start of the 2021-2022 football season is to implement a recruitment team and will be offering current employees the resources, support and infrastructure to a club and staff members who have spent 13 years in the footballing wilderness.
Alongside injecting money into the club for the stadium revamp and the changes to recruitment, Ryan Reynolds has also partnered his own gin company named ‘Aviation Gin’ as Wrexham’s official club gin.
Allow us to introduce you to our new chairmen, Mr @VancityReynolds and Mr @RMcElhenney.
Up the Worldwide Reds!
🔴⚪ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/FWNlfkBAhd
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) February 9, 2021
Both of the new owners are willing it seems to put their money where their mouths are and are not getting involved in the third oldest football club in the world for a money making scheme and that they are taking the ownership and day to day running of the club ‘incredibly seriously’ Ker has said.
“Our first objective is promotion but we’re not going to spend £5m next year, dig out every journeyman from a higher league and say we’ll blow everyone away – we want to build a structure that almost means that inexorably we can’t remain in the National League, because the level of facilities and the professionalism that we’ve instilled.”
Money will be spent on the playing staff of course, but don’t expect to see Robert Lewandowski leading the line for Wrexham anytime soon!
Money will be spent on the improvement of the ground and facilities at the club in a bid to ensure that Wrexham is set up for the future and for the new owners to achieve their short term and at the present time, more realistic goals.