Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have gone to their first Wrexham game since they took over the football club in February.
The Hollywood stars were at York Road stadium on Tuesday evening to watch the side’s away match against Maidenhead United in the National League. The Berkshire team won the clash 3-2.
The Deadpool actor and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator took 100% control of the Welsh club from the Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST) in February, months after the bid was approved by fans.
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August: Ryan Reynolds ‘excited’ to visit Wrexham
The pair also invested £2m into the club as part of the takeover deal.
Wrexham fan Andy Gilpin said their appearance was unexpected and had “given supporters a boost”, adding: “To see them here was just amazing.”
“It’s a very low-key ground, and to see two Hollywood stars there… we were just gobsmacked,” he said.
He said Reynolds and McElhenney waved to fans, who knew the stars had landed in the area about six hours before but thought the game would probably be too far for them to attend.
“It’s quite a statement to come here to Maidenhead away,” he said, adding: “It shows that they mean business.”
Reynolds previously told Sky News his takeover of the club is “the role of a lifetime” – and assured British fans of the one word he definitely wouldn’t be using when it comes to his new team.
“I wouldn’t dare call it soccer,” he said. “I care about my well-being enough to not call it soccer.”
In August, he said COVID-19 had prevented him and McElhenney from visiting Wrexham but said they had plans to do so.
He spoke of “wanting to absorb as much of the legacy as we can of the club and Wrexham”, adding that he was “excited” to visit the town.
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Both Reynolds and McElhenney are set to appear in an access-all-areas docu-series about the club, called Welcome To Wrexham, following the highs and lows of their first two seasons.
The club had been fan-owned for almost 10 years, and had not been looking to sell up when it was approached by an intermediary about a deal.
However, members soon changed their minds when they learnt it was Reynolds and McElhenney that were interested.
Wrexham are currently 11th in the National League.