CELEBRITIES
Ryan Reynolds’ soccer team one step closer to professional league promotion
The ‘Deadpool’ star had a huge win when his team came through for him Sunday.
Ryan Reynolds and his business partner, Rob McElhenney, had more to celebrate than their team’s win at the Wrexham game Sunday.
The Wrexham AFC beat their rivals, Notts County, 3-2, in a win at the Racecourse Ground that took the team one step closer to the National League promotion they are going for.
Ryan Reynolds co-owns the Welsh soccer team
The pair of Hollywood actors co-own the Welsh-based team, and they watched intently from the stands.
Their team, with 15 years in the making, is currently in the fifth tier of the National League — but they are striving for the second tier, which is the professional ranks.
The Wrexham AFC are now internationally renowned, since the release of the Disney reality series, ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, which details the team’s success since Reynolds and McElhenney acquired the team in 2020.
The win brings Wrexham closer to their goal of 103 regular season points, after which they will be automatically promoted to the second tier of the National League.
A day of celebration
Reynolds and McElhenney celebrated at the racetrack, while local drinkers at the Red Lion pub in the small village of Marford, Wales, where the football club is based, dubbed Reynolds with the nickname ‘Red Ryan’.
A local fan, 27-year-old Bethany Williams, said, “Ryan will be welcomed with open arms in this village and this pub... which we’ve renamed The Red Ryan in his honor!”
“It’s so exciting being a Wrexham fan at the moment.”
The locals have lots to say about Ryan Reynolds
Many local fans had comments on the teams’ progress since Reynolds, who recently purchased property only five miles from Marford, took ownership.
“Ryan and Rob have turned the club around,” 51-year-old Aled Howells, said. “I’m so glad Ryan is moving to Marford, we’d love to have a pint with him.”
“I feel like I’ve had about three heart attacks watching that,” Howells’ 50-year-old brother, Marc, added. “They should have a defibrillator outside the pub. But there’s a real feel good factor about the town, the area and the club at the moment and it’s down to the owners.”
Their friend, Dai Jones, 54 years old, “It’s such a good story, Ryan and Rob have put the town on the map. It’s brilliant.”
“I haven’t seen a game like that for ages- end to end stuff. We’re now in the driving seat for promotion and I hope we can cling on,” another friend, Mark Slater, 52 years old, said.