Wrexham dominate Melbourne Victory, but the full story is beyond the Marvel Stadium pitch
Donald Trump is US president, again. Australia's media has become obsessed with mushrooms in Gippsland. And, perhaps most perplexingly, Welsh minnows Wrexham – a once obscure and hapless soccer club – just played Melbourne Victory in a marquee match at a 53,000-seat stadium in the self-proclaimed sporting capital of the world.
All professional sport is a form of entertainment, but when Wrexham AFC are involved the dial is turned up to 11. Celebrity ownership and a documentary series on Disney+ (four seasons and counting) has turned a down-at-heel soccer team from north Wales into one of the hottest sporting brands on the planet in just under four years.
From near bankruptcy to a sponsorship and revenue dream, the revival of the club has been an object lesson in what can happen when Hollywood gets involved.
When Ryan Reynolds and the artist formerly known as Rob McElhenney (he officially changed his name to Rob Mac recently) bought the club in November 2020, they paid just £2 million (worth roughly $3.6 million then, and $4.1 million now).
In May, Soccernet's resident stats guru Ryan O'Hanlon wrote it is now 'estimated to be worth upward of £150 million'. The club's shirt used to be sponsored by local firm Ifor Williams Trailers. Since the takeover, it's been graced by Tik-Tok, Expedia and United Airlines.
More than half of the club's revenues – $55 million last year – now come from territories other than the UK, with Australia its third-biggest market. And that's why Wrexham AFC are on a pre-season tour here, playing three games against A-League teams.
The Red Dragons' revival under the ownership of Reynolds and Mac has both been spurred by and charted in Welcome to Wrexham. And its rise has been truly phenomenal – three promotions in three seasons, a first in the English game, have seen the club rise from the fifth-tier National League to the second-tier Championship.
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