Kriti Mehrotra
With FX’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ centering around two Hollywood stars as they hope to turn a football club into the underdog story of a lifetime, we get a complete insight into this sporting world. After all, Rob McElhenney (‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘) and Ryan Reynolds (‘Deadpool‘) purchasing the English fifth-tier (National League) Wrexham AFC Red Dragons is no small feat. So if you wish to learn precisely how much of this captivating as well as hilarious Boardwalk Pictures original stems from inspiring actual events — if at all — we’ve got the essential details for you.
The Authentic Journey of Wrexham AFC
Yes, ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ is an entirely authentic true story. It’s a docu-series that charts Rob and Ryan’s entry into the industry with the takeover of the world’s third-oldest soccer club, along with their subsequent management of the same. The duo not just invested £2 million (nearly $2.5 million) to buy this historic yet failing Welsh professional team in November 2020, but they’ve also been hands-on ever since. It’s even imperative to note that the deal really did pass through only following the backing of 98.6% of the thousands of members of the Wrexham Supporters Trust.
Rob has admittedly always been a sports enthusiast, but his friend as well as British writer Humphrey Ker (‘Mythic Quest’) was the one to introduce him to the entire concept of English soccer. Therefore, he got the idea of embarking on this club ownership endeavor upon watching Netflix’s ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ around the same time, and Ryan joining in was a sheer stroke of chance. An Instagram DM from the latter had led to the beginning of their online friendship, which soon evolved into Rob asking him to be his full partner “because he could really raise the exposure of this thing exponentially.”
As for why Rob and Ryan chose Wrexham AFC despite having no prior ties to it — a big part was genuinely the fact they felt a deep connection with the hard-working community surrounding it. Wrexham is a blue-collared town in Northeast Wales, and since the stars originally hail from working-class families as well, they know first-hand that a thriving sporting club can make everything better. “You take a deeper dive into Wrexham, and you see how invested the community are in the club,” now co-owner Ryan Reynolds once said. “This club can really grow, and I am just anxious to see it grow.”
Fellow owner Rob McElhenney then added, “It was about how much I recognized and identified with the people in the stands. What they see and feel in Wrexham is the same as what we do.” Yes, the whole thing is still a complex business, yet they’ve managed to maintain the heart behind it all with their sole intention of bettering the club and, thus, the local community as well as areas. This journey is kind of like the real-life version of Ted Lasso, but on an even bigger scale because it’s not an outsider coach but an outsider owner who comes in with absolutely no experience.
However, what Rob and Ryan lack in knowledge or experience, they make up for in their optimism, quick willingness to learn, and sheer passion, helping Wrexham reach different heights. The club didn’t make it into the playoffs back in the 2020–21 season, but under a new administration as well as with better equipment, they’re doing better than they had in over a decade. This, the continued dedication of players and executives alike, along with their hopes of making it into the Premiere League one day, are precisely the aspects that FX’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ chronicles.
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