Six years ago this week, on 23 September 2020, Wrexham supporters found out that Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds were the two prospective investors interested in Wrexham AFC, after 1,223 members had voted to allow takeover talks to continue.
It was a brief announcement from the Wrexham Supporters Trust, cautious in tone and offering no promises about what might come next. Looking back in September 2026, it reads like the first step into a whole new era at the Racecourse.
The supporters who cast those votes knew only that they were giving the Trust permission to continue discussions. What followed would take Wrexham from the National League to the Championship and change the scale of the club beyond anything that announcement attempted to predict.
The two names Wrexham supporters had been waiting for
At the Special General Meeting on 22 September 2020, 97.5% of voters backed the resolution, with 1,223 members in favour. The following day, the Wrexham Supporters Trust revealed who was behind the proposal.
McElhenney was introduced as the creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Reynolds as the Canadian actor whose credits included Deadpool. There was no grand declaration about promotions or global attention at that stage, just confirmation that talks could continue.
“In due course, Mr. McElhenney and Mr. Reynolds will put forward their vision for Wrexham AFC and proposal for members to vote on at a second Special General Meeting.”
That line carries rather more weight six years later. At the time, though, the final decision still belonged to the supporters who had kept the club in fan ownership.
Wrexham supporters made the next decision too
By November, the prospective owners had outlined plans including an initial £2 million investment and an ambition to return Wrexham to the Football League. Their presentation also spoke about increasing the club’s reach, with the scale of that ambition becoming clearer as the process moved forward.
When members were asked to approve the change of control, the result was emphatic. A total of 1,809 voted in favour, 26 against and nine abstained, meaning 98.6 per cent of votes cast backed the takeover.
The deal was eventually completed on 9 February 2021. From there, what began as a cautious conversation about investment became one of the most remarkable climbs Wrexham supporters have witnessed.
Six years later, that announcement looks extraordinary
Wrexham finally escaped the National League as champions in 2022/23 with 111 points, ending 15 years outside the EFL. Promotion from League Two followed immediately, then another from League One took Phil Parkinson’s side into the Championship.
The changes have gone far beyond results. The club’s profile has expanded around the world and the redevelopment of the Kop has changed the landscape at the Racecourse itself.
Yet the beginning of the story remains wonderfully understated. On 23 September 2020, two famous names appeared on a Wrexham Supporters Trust news page because 1,223 members had agreed that they were worth hearing out.
Six years on, it is difficult to find a better illustration of how quickly the course of a football club can change.
About The Author
