Reynolds and McElhenney have done a lot for Wrexham A.F.C.. They invested money, renovated the stadium, started a women’s team and a youth team, improved roads, and hired new coaches and players.
These efforts brought big changes to Wrexham, making it one of the few teams to earn back-to-back promotions in recent years. Their actions attracted a lot of attention.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what they did after the takeover and how Wrexham has changed.
Stadium Renovation
First, Reynolds and McElhenney focused on the stadium. Wrexham has played at the Racecourse Ground since the club was founded. However, in August 2011, Wrexham University bought the stadium and training facilities in Gresford, becoming the owner of the Racecourse Ground.
One of the first things Reynolds and McElhenney did after buying Wrexham was to purchase the permanent rights to the Racecourse Ground and start renovations.
They also expanded the temporary Kop Stand. By the 2024/25 season, the Racecourse Ground could hold 13,341 people. This laid a strong foundation for attracting more fans to watch their games.
Documentary: Welcome to Wrexham
Soon after buying Wrexham, Reynolds and McElhenney decided to make a documentary about the club. With their experience in filmmaking, the documentary, Welcome to Wrexham, became a huge success.
The film tells the story of how the Hollywood duo worked to rebuild Wrexham AFC, the third-oldest professional football club in the world. It also shows how the team performed under their leadership.
The series follows different people connected to the club and highlights emotional topics like autism, grief, divorce, mental health, football hooliganism, cancer, stillbirth, disability, and injuries that ended players’ careers. It also explains basic football terms and rules for American viewers, sometimes using Welsh and British phrases.
Welcome to Wrexham premiered on FX on August 24, 2022. The series received great reviews, winning two Critics’ Choice Television Awards and earning eight Primetime Emmy nominations. Its first season brought Reynolds and McElhenney £600,000 in revenue, which they used to help fund the club.
A New Manager
After Wrexham was bought, Phil Parkinson was signed as the new manager. Parkinson is an experienced English coach and the only one to lead a fourth-division team to a major cup final at Wembley Stadium. During his career, he has helped five teams earn promotion, including Wrexham.
Soon after joining Wrexham, he won the National League Manager of the Month award. He later led the team back to the English Football League after 15 years. In the 2023-24 season, Wrexham finished second in League Two, just behind Stockport County, securing a second consecutive promotion.
Wrexham’s great form continued in the 2024-25 season. They started with four unbeaten games, and Parkinson was named League One Manager of the Month for August 2024.
New Players
A strong team needs not only a good manager but also talented players. Before the club was bought, Wrexham struggled financially and lacked strong players. However, after Reynolds and McElhenney invested money into the club, several great players began to shine.
The first big signing was Ollie Palmer, brought in from AFC Wimbledon for a record £316,000. In his first two full seasons with the club, Wrexham earned back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One. During this time, Palmer played 135 matches and scored 43 goals.
Next is the club’s top scorer, Paul Mullin. Mullin was the top scorer in League Two for the 2020-21 season before joining Wrexham.
Since joining, Mullin has played 157 games for Wrexham and scored 108 goals. He was the team’s top scorer in the 2023-24 season, won the club’s Player of the Year award for three consecutive seasons, and received the FA Cup Golden Boot in the 2022-23 season. He is truly one of Wrexham’s most important players.
In 2024, Wrexham set another transfer record by signing Modou Barrow from West Bromwich Albion for £590,000.
Overall, these new players have brought new energy to Wrexham. Their excellent performances have played a key role in the club’s back-to-back promotions.
Sponsorship Increase
The purchase of Wrexham by Reynolds and McElhenney, the documentary they made about the club, and the team’s consecutive promotions have greatly increased the club’s popularity. After the acquisition, the number of sponsors grew to 8, including TikTok, United Airlines, Aviation American Gin, Expedia, Vistaprint, HP Inc., and Meta Quest.
These sponsors will continue to bring energy to the club and help build a solid foundation for its future development and the recruitment of talented players.
Fan Growth
When Reynolds and McElhenney first took over Wrexham, the club had only 79,589 followers on their Twitter account. As of November 27, 2024, the number of followers has grown to 587,202.
Wrexham‘s Instagram following has also increased. On the first day, they had just 41,000 followers. Now, this number has reached 1.46 million.
Conclusion
Reynolds and McElhenney’s decision to buy Wrexham was bold and innovative. Three years ago, the club was struggling in the National League, but soon after, they began to shine in the league. Wrexham is also performing well in the 2024/25 League One season. However, whether they will make it to the Premier League is something we will have to wait and see as we watch their future progress.
