Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney want to turn Wrexham, the British soccer minnow they are taking over, into a 'global force'

• Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney say they are hoping to turn the British soccer minnow they are taking over into a "global force."
• The Hollywood acting duo confirmed on Sunday their plans to take over Wrexham AFC, the third oldest professional soccer club in the world.
• "We want to be great ambassadors for the club, to introduce the club to the world and be a global force," said Reynolds.
• McElhenney added: "I want people to be so excited to watch the rise of the club."

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney say they are hoping to turn the British soccer minnow they are taking over into a "global force."

The Hollywood acting duo confirmed on Sunday their plans to take over Wrexham AFC, detailing in a supporters' trust meeting how they would aim to protect the club's heritage while also moving it forward in the future.

Wrexham, the third oldest professional soccer team in the world, is currently owned by its fans and plays in the fifth tier of English soccer, despite being based in neighboring Wales.

Reynolds and McElhenney delivered a highly detailed presentation to club members on Sunday, before fielding questions for a further 30 minutes.

"We want to be at the Racecourse Ground as much as possible – as many games as I can make," Reynolds said during the meeting, reports The Guardian.

"We want to have a pint with the fans. You'll be fed up of us! We want to be great ambassadors for the club, to introduce the club to the world and be a global force."

McElhenney added: "The Racecourse [Wrexham's stadium] hasn't been full for a while. I have a vision of the Racecourse being full again. I've seen how packed it used to be in 1977 — I've been watching a lot of films about that and I want it to feel like that again.

"We want to pack that stadium again. Ryan is much more responsible in his business life, but I get so excited by possibilities and what it could be. I want people to be so excited to watch the rise of the club and the Racecourse."

—Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) October 3, 2020

Other goals for Wrexham laid out by the pair included renovating The Racecourse and investing in a permanent training facility, making the club more ecologically sustainable, and providing financial support to attract the best players possible.

Reynolds and McElhenney also regularly insisted one of their biggest goals was to "always beat Chester" – Wrexham's biggest and oldest rival.

Following the meeting, members will now be asked to vote for or against Reynolds and McElhenney completing their takeover. Voting will run from November 9 to November 15, with a vote of 75% in favour needed for takeover to go ahead.

"We're not doing it to make money," McElhenney said. "We have successful day jobs, we feel we can grow something and we can only do that by knowing we have support of community."

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