Wrexham’s Hollywood owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have attended their first home game at the Racecourse Ground following their takeover of the club.
The duo touched down in North Wales this week for the first time since taking control, and were taken for a visit of the stadium on Wednesday. They then followed up with a press conference, where they vowed they are committed long-term.
And on Saturday, both were in attendance for the team’s National League clash against Torquay United as they mixed with fans before the game and addressed the crowd on the pitch.
Their first visit to the Racecourse could not have started any better either, with Harry Lennon putting the hosts in front after just four minutes.
Both actors spoke with Shaun Harvey, an advisor to the board, and appeared in high spirits before the ground began to fill with excited supporters still in awe over the level, and the faces of, the £2million investment.
Before the match got underway, they were introduced on the pitch. The crowd delivered a rapturous response with cheers and clapping, and McElhenney even spoke Welsh, just as both have done during their visit.
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney (centre) have attend their first home game after completing their takeover of the club
The pair went wild in the stands after Harry Lennon put the hosts in front after four minutes
Reynolds addressed the crowd before kick off as they prepared for their first-ever home game
Both actors were in positive spirits, and arrived at the Racecourse Ground before kick-off
Reynolds said before kick off: ‘The tradition, the legacy, the history of not only this community but this club is not lost on us. We hold it incredibly dear.
‘Thank you for opening your hearts to us. Let’s have a great match!’
Reynolds and McElhenney watched Wrexham fall to a 3-2 defeat at Maidenhead United on Tuesday, just hours after they jetted to the UK, and will hope for a better result today after they outlined their grand Premier League ambitions.
Their trip may have been blighted by poor, drizzly weather, but the enthusiasm has been clear from the owners during their whistle-stop tour – despite their side sitting just 11th in the league and falling below expectations.
When it was pointed out to them how long it would take for Wrexham to join Manchester United and Liverpool at the very top of the pyramid, Reynolds and McElhenney would not back down on their masterplan.
The former, who is renowned for his lead role in hit film Deadpool and inadvertently said ‘f***k’ live on television at the media event, insisted: ‘We’d be lying if the dream wasn’t Premier League. It won’t be overnight, that’s impossible!
The two famous actors have pumped £2million into the club and are targeting the top-flight
‘Look, our goal is to get back in the (Football) League and continue our way upwards.’
‘The perfect ending for this season is promotion,’ McElhenney added.
‘We have a goal for the end of this club as well as this season and hopefully it’s a story to be told for years to come.’
McElhenney, the creator and star of comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, went on to say: ‘As a sporting fan I would want the owner to say we’re going to win the championship and do it as quickly as we can.
Reynolds (above) and McElhenney arrived in North Wales on Tuesday evening for their trip
They held a press conference on Thursday, and posed for photos with supporters at the venue
‘Whether that’s this year, or next year or the year after. You want that level of optimism.’
Sportsmail previously reported that the pair would be travelling over from the United States this week, and they arrived to a large media presence on Tuesday.
A barrage of camera flashes greeted them, and they were escorted into the stand at Maidenhead United by an extensive security team, while shocked fans watched on.
McElhenney donned a puffy Wrexham jacket and club snapback hat, while Reynolds opted for a navy coat and darker overcoat for the chilly fixture.
Reynolds is renowned for his role in Deadpool, and accidently swore speaking to the media
Afterwards, Reynolds wrote on Instagram: ‘Football is a beautiful, heartbreaking, soul-deadening, evil and gorgeous game and I’m never sleeping again.’
Boss Phil Parkinson said: ‘They flew in today and they were trying to keep a low profile but I imagine it’s fairly difficult to be low profile and they let us get on with it.
‘We look forward to meeting them later in the week.
‘I’m really disappointed for them that we haven’t been able to come away with at least a draw. But that’s football. It can be a brutal industry.’
The new owners were at their first Wrexham match for their defeat at Maidenhead United
Despite the result, they had posed with Maidenhead chairman Peter Griffin and thanked him
Reynolds and McElhenney were determined to make their first trip to Wrexham together, instead of individually, but this proved difficult due to their schedules.
Travel plans from the US and Canada put an end to a previous attempt last season.
However, with Reynolds announcing he is taking a sabbatical, and after McElhenney finished filming season 15 of It’s Always Sunny, a gap has appeared for them.