Ryan Reynolds has spoken proudly of how Wrexham AFC and the city itself have been transformed since the Deadpool star bought the club with fellow actor Rob Mac in 2021
Ryan Reynolds says that locals from Wrexham now beam with pride when telling others where they’re from following the city’s meteoric rise to worldwide recognition. Both Wrexham AFC and the surrounding community have undergone a complete transformation since Hollywood star Reynolds and fellow actor Rob Mac snapped up the club in February 2021.
On the pitch, the Red Dragons have experienced an extraordinary ascent under boss Phil Parkinson, securing three consecutive promotions from the National League all the way to the Championship. Away from football, Wrexham has blossomed into a must-visit tourist hotspot thanks to the phenomenal success of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series.
Reynolds emphasised the dramatic impact the celebrity takeover has had during a guest spot on the Late Night With Seth Meyers chat show, whilst also poking fun at the eye-watering expenses of operating the football club.
Delivering a foul-mouthed assessment of how Wrexham’s remarkable journey has elevated locals’ pride in their hometown, he said: “We are in the Championship, one step from the Premier League. Honestly, it’s wild and there’s two things about it that I think are really remarkable.
“The first thing is that when we got there five years ago, people in Wrexham wouldn’t really even say Wrexham if you said, ‘Where are you from?’ They would say, ‘North Wales.’ Now they say, ‘I’m from Wrexham motherf*****,’ and I love that.
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“[The club] was promoted three times in a row, which is history and no one’s ever done that in the sport, which is good and bad. Literally, Rob and I are watching us get promoted, and we’re like, ‘Well, we’re going to have to rent our mouths out to oligarchs.’
“As we walked off the field, they literally started rolling the field up because a heated one needs to go down to play in that kind of league.”
He added: “It’s been transformative, though, for the town in every way. It’s just imbued the town with a positivity that wasn’t there. They lost coal and steel but all that sort of post-Thatcherism and sadness that was there is gone. It’s this vibrant community that is an amazing place to visit.”
Over the past decade, visitor numbers to Wrexham have soared by 90 per cent, primarily due to the football club’s Hollywood takeover and the subsequent fly-on-the-wall documentary series. The upward trajectory has continued into 2024, with new data revealing that tourism injected £191million into Wrexham’s local economy last year – marking a 6.3 per cent year-on-year increase.
Throughout the 12-month period, some 2.07m people flocked to the region, with the tourism sector supporting 1,729 full-time positions in the area. However, despite these encouraging figures, a leading councillor has highlighted that insufficient accommodation has hampered potential expansion, leading to reduced overnight bookings, though private investors are now intervening to deliver additional bed capacity.
Nigel Williams, Wrexham Council’s lead member for the economy, commented on the statistics, saying: “Naturally, Wrexham has benefitted more from overseas visitors in recent years thanks to the exposure afforded by the documentary and the success of Wrexham AFC on the pitch.
Watch the new season of Welcome to Wrexham on Disney+
Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront.
“I am also pleased to see the development of Wrexham as a visitor destination with continued investment in our city centre, hosting large events, our ambassador scheme alongside private investment this last year.
“Some of this is addressing our shortage of overnight accommodation with projects like Boutique 33 on the High St and the forthcoming launch of the Old Registry aparthotel on Chester Street which will keep more of the tourism spend in Wrexham.
“It is important that we build on these foundations to ensure visitors have the best possible overall experience and ensure Wrexham is firmly on the map as one of the jewels in the UK tourism market.”
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