Wrexham Awaits Chelsea FA Cup Clash as Hollywood-Led Rise Reaches New Heights in Championship Playoff Race

Wrexham AFC prepares to host Chelsea in the FA Cup. Read how Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney turned a struggling club into a Championship playoff contender.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 9:13 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from CNA

The Hollywood Transformation of the Racecourse Ground

For Geraint Parry, Wrexham’s official historian and longest-serving employee, the towering new floodlights at the Racecourse Ground serve as a constant reminder of how far the club has traveled. Before the 2021 takeover by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, pre-match anxieties centered on whether the aging infrastructure would even function. Today, those concerns have been replaced by the logistical demands of international broadcasts and a global fanbase. After a period of administration in 2004 and years of financial instability, the arrival of the Hollywood duo was initially met with skepticism, but it has since yielded three successive promotions, lifting the club from the fifth tier to the English Championship.

From Volunteer Labour to Global Tourism

The shift from "survival mode" to high-stakes ambition is most visible in the club's daily operations. Lifelong fans like Bryan Still recall days when supporters had to volunteer to paint turnstiles and clear snow from the pitch just to ensure games could proceed. Now, Still conducts guided tours for visitors flying in from the United States, Brazil, and beyond, driven by the success of the Disney+ documentary Welcome to Wrexham. The local economy has seen a significant "knock-on effect," with the town of Wrexham becoming a prosperous tourist destination for football enthusiasts and fans of the owners' media ventures.

The Turf: A Hub for Royalty and A-Listers

The Turf, the famous pub situated at the edge of the stadium, has become the epicenter of the club's cultural shift. Owner Wayne Jones has transitioned from running a local bar to hosting global celebrities like Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, and even welcoming Prince William for a pint in 2024. Despite the influx of high-profile guests, Jones notes that the owners remain grounded and accessible, maintaining a personal connection with the community that saved the club during its darkest hours. The pub now sees queues of international tourists daily, reflecting the club's newfound status as a global sporting brand.