October 31 – Ever since purchasing Wrexham AFC, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have developed a knack for keeping their club in the news despite sitting a mile away from the publicity provided by the Premier League.
If it’s not United Airlines, Expedia or Aviation Gin, the duo finds a way to maximize sponsorship deals.
Their latest venture has seen them investing once again in the community by becoming co-owners of Wrexham Lager.
The brewery founded in 1882 claims to be the oldest British lager brewery still in existence. With Hollywood star power now onboard the hope is that international production and distribution will increase substantially.
“As co-chairmen of Wrexham AFC, we have learned a lot,” Reynolds and McElhenney said in a statement. “The connection between club and community, the intricacies of the offside rule, and the occasional need for beer – especially after finance meetings.
“Wrexham Lager has a 140-year-old recipe and a storied history and we’re excited to help write its next chapter.”
While the brewery has yet to disclose the financial stake of Reynolds and McElhenney, they have a majority stake in the organization.
According to Wrexham Larger, the acquisition was made by Red Dragon Ventures, a joint venture formed by Reynolds and McElhenney and the New York-based Allyn family, who recently became a minority investor in the team.
The Hollywood pair bought the Welsh club in 2020 for the bargain basement price of $2.5 million, and immediately set about rebuilding the team and rebranding the club. The wildly successful FX fly-on-the-wall TV series, ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ has not only boosted the clubs’ popularity in the United States, where they recently had a second summer tour, but made the previously downtrodden Welsh mining town, an unlikely tourist destination.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1730340100labto1730340100ofdlr1730340100owedi1730340100sni@o1730340100fni1730340100