Wrexham AFC’s modern ownership story is often told through results and promotions, but an FX Networks TikTok clip puts the human side back in focus as Rob McElhenney jokes about meeting Ryan Reynolds for the first time.
This moment is not about a match, a signing or a table. It is about the relationship behind one of the most unusual ownership stories in British football.
Wrexham’s rise has come from more than strong decisions on the pitch. It has also been shaped by trust, patience and a partnership that began in a way few supporters could have predicted.
The clip, shared by FX Networks, begins with a simple question about what it would be like when McElhenney and Reynolds finally met in person.
Rob McElhenney gave Wrexham fans the human version of the story
McElhenney did not respond like a distant owner. He leaned into the awkwardness and made himself the punchline.
“I’m definitely going to swoon. So you gotta stay wide for that shot. Because if you see my eyes, I’m going to be, like, floating.”
It is a small moment, but it says plenty about why supporters have warmed to him. Both owners have been willing to look a little ridiculous in public while still treating the club itself with care.
That balance matters at Wrexham. While the celebrity spotlight has grown, Phil Parkinson has quietly built the football side in his own way.
Reynolds summed up the relationship more simply. He said the connection came quickly once they started talking.
“We became pretty close pretty fast.”
Their first meeting happened after the ownership idea was already in motion, something BBC Sport has covered in its look at the early Wrexham story.
The warmth matters because Wrexham was never just content
The interviewer asked if McElhenney had started the friendship by messaging Reynolds first. Reynolds quietly corrected the story.
“No, I slid into his DM.”
What could have been a throwaway celebrity anecdote has grown into something far bigger for the club and its supporters.
Welcome to Wrexham follows the journey, but the real heart of the story has always been about people, place and football.
That is why the early warmth between them still matters. A club cannot live off a funny backstory forever, but it helps when the people in charge appear to care about each other and the community they represent.
McElhenney also asked Reynolds if he held any “anger and or resentment” over being drawn into the project. Reynolds kept it light.
“My wife wants to kill you Rob.”
Supporters know now how serious the commitment became. What began with a few messages and jokes has grown into a club, a town and a fanbase looking at a very different future.
At the Racecourse Ground, McElhenney’s “swoon” line is not just a joke. It is a reminder that Wrexham’s modern story started with something simple and human, long before the cameras made it global.
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