Ryan Reynolds already got one up on Portsmouth after helping hand with Wrexham
Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have transformed Wrexham into a global phenomenon, with Portsmouth owner Michael Eisner admitting he should have adopted a similar approach
It was roughly three-and-a-half years before Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac acquired Wrexham that Michael Eisner finalised his takeover of Portsmouth back in 2017. Despite his extensive background in the entertainment world, the former Disney chief executive made a deliberate choice at the time to keep camera crews away from the then-League One side and allow the football to speak for itself.
Wrexham’s Hollywood co-owners changed the game completely when they snapped up the Welsh club in February 2021. The pair of actors have since helped turn the club into a worldwide sensation, mainly via the hit Welcome to Wrexham documentary series, which somewhat ironically streams on Disney+ in the UK.
The Red Dragons are due to make the trip to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth in the Championship on Wednesday night following three consecutive promotions under boss Phil Parkinson. It’s hardly shocking, then, that Eisner recently confessed he might have got it wrong by not taking a leaf out of the Wrexham duo’s playbook.
“What I didn’t want to do – which Ryan Reynolds did really well – is film myself or film the growth of Portsmouth,” he told journalist Andrew Zucker back in May. “We were, in fact, the Wrexham story earlier.
“We were one of the first Americans to own a team in the UK, but I felt that would be inappropriate for our fans. We wanted to be seen as serious football owners. Ryan Reynolds was smarter – maybe a little later. He’s a movie star, which helped.”
READ MORE: Wrexham handed fresh promotion verdict with ace in the hole for Premier League dreamREAD MORE: Wrexham’s last-minute transfer deal proves value for money after Ryan Reynolds’ £33m spree
In a remarkable turn of events, Portsmouth actually played a crucial part in Wrexham’s own takeover. It was then-Pompey chief executive Mark Catlin who made contact to alert the Wrexham Supporters Trust about Reynolds and Mac’s interest back in 2020.
Catlin proposed that the same company which had assisted Portsmouth’s transition from supporter ownership to Eisner’s Tornante Company could do likewise for Wrexham. The conversation helped trigger the sequence of events that ultimately resulted in Reynolds and Mac purchasing the Welsh club.
The two sides are now poised to face off in a league encounter for the first time since 1983, with Eisner expected to be present at Fratton Park. The 83-year-old is making his first visit to Portsmouth since April to discuss transfer strategies with manager John Mousinho.
He is also expected to assess the club’s progress following a recent spell of three consecutive losses, which has seen Pompey slip to 20th in the Championship table. Meanwhile, Wrexham have climbed to 15th in the league following their stunning 3-2 victory over previously undefeated table-toppers Coventry City last Friday.
Next season might finally witness Portsmouth follow Wrexham’s example by recording their own documentary series. Eisner has acknowledged that the popularity of Welcome to Wrexham was amongst the driving forces behind the club reconsidering its own strategy.
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.
“We’ll be copying them to a degree,” he told Sportico earlier this year. “It’s complicated… you have to think hard about how you want to invest.”
As Pompey gear up to face Wrexham twice this season, and NFL legend Tom Brady‘s Birmingham as well, the Championship is truly in the midst of its celebrity-ownership era. Eisner may have been the first to arrive, but it’s Reynolds and Mac who’ve outpaced him by merging football and entertainment to bolster their club’s fortunes.
Both the Wrexham documentary crew and Sky Sports cameras will be stationed at Fratton Park on Wednesday night, while the man who initially decided against creating a TV series watches from the directors’ box.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
