The League Two team’s value has increased, as revealed by data revealed by the former EFL CEO.
It has been found that Wrexham’s worth has improved by about £7 million since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took management.
With a £2 million initial investment, the Hollywood couple bought the North Wales team from the Wrexham Supporters Trust in February 2021.
The value of the League Two team has now increased to £9 million, as revealed by numbers released by board advisor Shaun Harvey.
Since the takeover, Wrexham’s profile has increased dramatically, mostly as a result of the publicity generated by the documentary “Welcome to Wrexham.”
During a keynote address at the SportNXT conference in Australia, the former EFL chief executive also noted a significant increase in the club’s social media following.
| League Two promotion race (As it stands 19th March) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | MP | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Mansfield Town | 38 | 42 | 72 |
| 2 | Stockport County | 37 | 30 | 68 |
| 3 | Wrexham AFC | 38 | 20 | 67 |
| 4 | MK Dons | 39 | 14 | 67 |
| 5 | Crewe Alexandra | 38 | 12 | 64 |
| 6 | Barrow AFC | 37 | 12 | 61 |
| 7 | AFC Wimbledon | 39 | 11 | 57 |
Wrexham is an internet and financial success story
Harvey made the following statement during the Melbourne event: “The town’s history and the desire to give the town hope while providing something the community could get behind were the main reasons for ownership.”
“From 2020 to 2024, social media usage increased dramatically, from 152,000 to 3,981,747 on all platforms.”
He stated: “It is worth nothing (that) it is an investment that has paid off” in reference to Wrexham’s valuation. Currently valued at nine million pounds.
Reynolds and McElhenney are well-known for not taking themselves too seriously, with the pair regularly releasing hilarious videos on social media to promote the club and its sponsors.
Additionally, they have given to charitable causes in Wrexham and worked to increase awareness of neighborhood initiatives.
Harvey, who was just named to the board of directors, thinks their three years in leadership have been well-served by this philosophy.
“Keep it simple so that everyone can embrace those principles,” he stated. That will increase your chances of success and make the experience more pleasurable.
In the end, it was the exposure and spotlight that had been cast, and now everyone was curious to know what was happening.
“We constructed everything else around the town’s football team, which we effectively managed for the benefit of the neighborhood. It continued to be relevant.
He added: “Focusing on the community rather than the owners is what has made the docuseries such a success.
“The community surrounding the football club is proud of where we are right now.”
Rob and Ryan don’t care about brickbats
When the new owners of Wrexham took over, they had big plans for the team and weren’t afraid to talk about them. They wanted to get the Red Dragons all the way up to the Premier League.
Some people are skeptical of their degree of ambition; former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan recently questioned whether it is achievable.
The talkSPORT pundit also criticised media reports earlier this month which partly credited Wrexham’s popularity for the EFL being able to secure a 40 percent rise in overseas TV rights
Harvey, though, believes that the club’s ability to get international attention has benefited others and that criticism is a natural byproduct of its success.
“The ownership and success have now elevated the Football League and non-league football to a prominence that attracts foreign investment,” he stated.
Before we started winning, everyone’s favorite second team was Wrexham. More people will watch you fail the more successes you have.
“Both the men’s and women’s teams are a priority, and heavy investment is going into the women’s team, making them a semi-professional team,” he continued, speaking about the owners’ future investment plans.
“We have better players now that we have more exposure, and we give players a differentiator by giving them more exposure.”
It is likely that there will be a copycat effect
Although it’s unclear how far the Hollywood-backed team can go in the English football pyramid, Wrexham has been a success thus far, and that will probably have a ripple effect.
Although there are currently several EFL teams owned by Americans, it wouldn’t be shocking to see additional US involvement during the upcoming seasons.
Prospective purchasers should be aware that Wrexham was a rather unique offering, but the most important takeaway is undoubtedly that its new owners have succeeded by integrating themselves into the community.
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