FEW football clubs have seen their fortunes change quite as dramatically as Wrexham AFC.
But it’s not just the fans who are benefiting from Hollywood star owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with the players punching way above their lower league status too – on and off the pitch.
This week, Reynolds appeared to confirm Wrexham star Ollie Palmer has a cameo in the star’s new Marvel film Deadpool & Wolverine.
The actor, who is worth £273million, wrote “keen eyesight” in response to a fan’s social media post asking whether the striker, 32, was in the background of the movie trailer.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede claims the A-list owners, as well as the popularity of doc series Welcome To Wrexham, could open “a golden door” for the club’s best players, who could become famous ‘money machines’ in their own right.
Nick told The Sun: ““Ryan and Rob have made a massive impact, all eyeballs have been on the club because of them and their huge TV show.
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“It’s enabled them to give a voice to the players but also gifted them a bigger following, meaning players can get other big opportunities.
“We have seen Ollie get a cameo or an extra role in the new Marvel film but that’s just the beginning. Some of the standout stars will make a lot of money from endorsements and deals.”
Here Nick takes us through some of the potential ways Wrexham stars could benefit – from striking “Beckham-style” modelling deals to landing £100,000 pay cheques.
Building the brand
It proved a game changer for Wrexham when Ryan and Rob bought the Welsh club for a reported £2million back in November 2020.
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The team has since achieved two back-to-back promotions, meaning next year they will play in League One – two below the Premier League.
Many of the players, who would previously have only been known by lower league fans, are now famous and have supporters across the world thanks to the Disney+ show Welcome To Wrexham.
It’s enabled some of the players incredible opportunities, including Ollie Palmer bagging a part in the third Deadpool film.
Away from his footballing career, the striker has also launched the brand WXM Clothing in November 2022, which could prove to be another wise money-spinner.
Crucially, the business venture has been supported by Ryan and Rob, who have regularly worn his gear in pictures on social media, where they collectively have nearly 54million followers.
Nick says: “Having the guys wearing Ollie’s actual brand is a great way of endorsing what he does and will definitely help him to build his brand.
“He is one of the players who ticks every box and is a star in the making, whether he carries on in Hollywood, who knows, but I suspect he will be endorsing lots of different things.
“I can see him doing modeling and it could lead to him becoming a bit like David Beckham.”
All eyes are on him. He’s a really good player and there may be a bidding war for him in the next for years.
Nick Ede, brand and culture expert
Nick also believes coming from “an underdog football team” could bag Ollie more fans and describes the footballer’s future as “very exciting”.
He adds: “Ollie is someone brands are going to want to jump on now while his star is on the rise because he will make money for them and will be loyal to them. But also he will make a lot of money for himself.
“I could see someone like Ollie, who is a rugged, sexy man, doing an aftershave or a fragrance launch, which could demand good fees of around £100,000 up to £250,000 as he becomes a bigger star.”
Incredible bond with players and city
FANS have been won over by Wrexham AFC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – and it’s no wonder after a series of generous and thoughtful acts to help others.
Ryan helped the wife of Wrexham defender Anthony Forde get a second opinion after she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given months to live. He arranged for Laura, who was planning her own funeral, to speak with one of the leading neurosurgeons in the US. They later confirmed the mass in her brain was benign and the initial diagnosis was wrong last year.
Wrexham legend Martyn Chalk, who played for the club between 1996 and 2002, received money from the club owners to cover for his medical bills. They donated £1,000 each to a fundraiser after he broke his femur and fractured his legs in Thailand, in December 2023.
The family of Louis Perrin, four, received a £10,000 donation to help convert their home to meet the disabled child’s needs. Parents Aaron and Charlotte were “blown away” by the sum, in February. They said it would help make life easier for their son who has TUBA1A, which causes leg spasms, limited mobility, epilepsy and cerebral palsy.
Charity football match organisers were “overwhelmed with happiness” last year when Ryan and Rob donated £5,000. The money was being raised for the children’s ward at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Last year, it was revealed that Ryan visited a terminally ill fan in hospital and gifted them one of his original gloves from the film Deadpool. The other was gifted to the club’s goalkeeper Ben Foster.
Former Wrexham footballer and Dementia sufferer Gareth Davies was invited to be a “guest of honour” at Wembley Stadium in 2022. Ryan and Rob personally reached out after spotting a post on Twitter. In response, Rob wrote: “He showed up for Wrexham AFC and we’ll show up for him.”
When footballer Jordan Davies and his partner Kelsey Edward’s’ son was stillborn, the Wrexham duo donated £10,000 to their fundraising page. They were raising money for the charity Stillbirth & Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) in 2022.
‘Stand-out star’
While there’s much intrigue about Ollie’s future after his apparent Marvel debut, Nick believes there’s an even bigger “stand-out star”.
Paul Mullin was listed as a GQ Men of the Year Honouree after a superb season with Wrexham last year when he netted an impressive 38 goals.
It’s led to the footballer writing his autobiography, Paul Mullin: My Wrexham Story, and a mural of him being painted on the side of a local pub.
Nick suspects Paul will be a popular choice for brands in the next few years as he continues to prove himself at the club.
“All eyes are on him,” Nick says. “He’s a really good player and there may be a bidding war for him in the next for years.
We could even see a musical next, who knows? We’ve seen Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical and a play about The Three Lions so it could happen.
Nick
“I can see him landing great endorsements, commentary roles and various TV opportunities, as footballers are very popular on these shows.
“Paul is an inspiration to a lot of people so he could earn good money from public speaking and while working with brands, whether that is alcohol or apparel.”
Giant sponsors
The club’s exposure has enabled them to land impressive sponsorship deals too, including a deal with US giant Gatorade earlier this month.
Since buying Wrexham, the club went from having one shirt sponsor to three – and has pulled in huge names including TikTok, Expedia, United Airlines and Vistaprint.
Nick explains that landing such big brands, who hope to take advantage of the club’s TV deal and international following, not only benefits the club’s finances but the players too.
“Most of these clubs wouldn’t receive this kind of endorsement, they may get sponsored by a local business or business associated with the counties they are in.
He said: “To have huge brands associate with a minor club is brilliant and all down to the star power of Ryan and Rob.
“Having a TV show, which is potentially watched around the world, is a good way for advertisers and sponsors to get good bang for your buck.
“It’s a win-win for anyone who wants to be associated with Wrexham but also offers big opportunities for the club’s stars.”
Movie spin-off?
Nick says Ryan and Rob have delivered “absolutely genius PR” since taking over the club and believes part of the success is they are “credible and authentic”.
He notes the multiple charitable donations made by the duo and investment in community projects to help the locals of Wrexham too.
Nick says: “Who would have thought that this small Welsh town would suddenly become one of the biggest TV hits in the world and have all eyes on them.
“I can compare it to what Taylor Swift has done when she’s gone to different countries and her concerts have helped to grow mini economies thanks to fans buying food and drink and celebrating.”
He believes the Wrexham owners should continue “carrying on doing what they are doing” to draw attention to the club, which will in turn benefit the players.
But Nick suggests other ventures that could increase the club’s popularity, spread their story to more fans and expand the interest around the area as a whole.
“I can imagine they might make a movie about Wrexham’s rise, it’s such an interesting and compelling story,” he says.
“It could focus on the regeneration around Wrexham, showing how the football club helped to rebuild the community, which would create even more of a buzz.
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“We could even see a musical next, who knows? We’ve seen Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical and a play about The Three Lions so it could happen.
“Especially with Ryan Reynolds, he loves a good old singsong so it could next on the cards and they get an Oscar for it.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
