What Year Did Ryan Reynolds Buy Wrexham
Few stories in modern football have captured the imagination quite like the takeover of Wrexham AFC by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The short answer to the question on many supporters' lips is that the deal was formally completed in February 2021, although the journey began several months earlier. In September 2020 the world learned that the Deadpool star and the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator had submitted a bid to the Wrexham Supporters Trust, and by November of that year the membership had voted overwhelmingly in favour of handing over control. After the necessary legal and regulatory checks were satisfied, the takeover was officially finalised on 9 February 2021, making Reynolds and McElhenney the proud owners of one of the oldest professional clubs in the world.
The Announcement That Changed Everything
When the bid was first made public in the autumn of 2020, it was met with a mixture of excitement and scepticism. Wrexham, founded in 1864, had spent years languishing in the National League, the fifth tier of English football, and supporters had grown weary of false dawns. Yet Reynolds and McElhenney were not simply looking for a vanity project. Their stated ambition was to grow the club sustainably, invest in its infrastructure, and tell its remarkable story to a global audience. That promise was backed by a genuine commitment to listening to the community, and it helped convince the Supporters Trust that the club's long-term interests would be protected under the new ownership.
Why Wrexham, and Why It Mattered
The choice of Wrexham was far from accidental. As the oldest club in Wales and the third-oldest professional football club in the world, it carries a heritage that few outfits can match. The town itself is fiercely proud of its team, and the famous Racecourse Ground is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest international football stadium still hosting matches. For Reynolds, an actor of Canadian origin who has often spoken warmly of his own working-class roots, the appeal lay in the authenticity of the club and its people. The result has been a cultural phenomenon: a documentary series, a wave of new international supporters, and a steady stream of commercial partnerships that have transformed the club's finances without losing its soul.
From the National League to the Football League
The fruits of the takeover became visible remarkably quickly. In the 2022–23 season, Wrexham secured the National League title with a record-breaking points tally, ending a fifteen-year exile from the English Football League. Promotion to League Two was followed by another automatic promotion the next year, lifting the Red Dragons into League One and setting the stage for a push towards the Championship. Each milestone has been celebrated around the world, thanks in no small part to the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series, which chronicled the club's journey in intimate detail. What began as a curiosity has become a case study in how patient, well-resourced ownership can revive a community institution.
A Lasting Legacy for the Town and the Club
Beyond the trophies and the television cameras, the true measure of the takeover lies in what it has meant for the town. The club has invested in its academy, upgraded facilities, and supported local initiatives, all while drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Wrexham. Reynolds and McElhenney have frequently said that they see themselves as custodians rather than owners, and that philosophy has endeared them to supporters who were understandably wary at the outset. The answer to when Ryan Reynolds bought Wrexham is, strictly speaking, February 2021 — but the transformation that followed has been ongoing ever since, and it shows no sign of slowing down.