(Reuters) – Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney ditched the star-studded Met Gala to join the Welsh soccer club’s open-top bus victory parade on Tuesday as they celebrated their promotion to the English Football League.
Wrexham secured a fairytale return to the EFL following a 15-year absence last month after beating Boreham Wood 3-1 to win the National League with a game to spare.
The dollop of Hollywood glitz has made Wrexham’s promotion one of the most unlikely and heart-warming stories for many a season.
Since being taken over by Reynolds and McElhenney in November 2020, Wrexham have become a club with global appeal, gaining international interest and new fans across the world.
The Welsh side were the first minor league side to feature on the hugely-popular FIFA video game in the ‘rest of the world’ category, while a Disney docu-series “Welcome to Wrexham” that followed the club’s journey under the new owners was released.
The club also attracted the attention of American tourists in Wales, with celebrities such as Will Ferrell and Hugh Jackman also turning up at games to show their support.
Wrexham said the parade was also to celebrate the achievements of their women’s team, who achieved promotion to Adran Premier, the highest level of league competition for the women’s game in Wales.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
