It's absolutely nothing like those 2 clubs and unless they've broken rules, it's particularly nothing like City.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney | Wrexham AFC Watch
- Thread starter Salt Bailly
- Start date
How sad
From a financial perspective it absolutely is. The money they’ve pumped into a club that was struggling hugely financially prior to their investment in contrast to every other club in the league is definitely comparable. The fact that the money comes from two very likeable actors makes it much less sinister though.
Maybe he could have tried to get on the documentary bandwagon before Wrexham did, then reap the bigger sponsorships when Salford were riding the wave of publicity. That he didn't might hurt, and it's too late now as it's already been done.
It literally wouldn't have been as Hollywood though, the only way to do it would have to get Beckham really on board but even then I'm not sure it would have all had the same pulling power. Doubt it would have got the American interest the way Wrexham have.
Salford being being a naturally smaller club is another big difference. They'd never get those attendances even if the stadium was big enough. There's a bit less romance/mystique with Salford too if you were trying sell their story, the hard-working mining town whose club has fallen on difficult times versus the never-were-anythings, albeit from a very working class background as well.
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Oh I'm just being glib, that's why I put the word in quotes.
I agree with you. The issue is deciding that some advantages are ok and some are not ok. Is external bankrolling good or bad?
Haaland should be playing in league 2 anyway..
It's fine if it's done within the confines of applicable rules and if the source of funds is not State backed or from illegal activities. Self evident but probably hard for partisans of whataboutery to reckon with.
Salford isn't a mining town, it was a textiles town just like Manchester. And it had a famous gas works.
Sorry if I wasn't being clear. I was saying Wrexham is a mining town whose team has fallen on hard times. Salford are the team that have never done anything, also from a working class area.
Wrexham have that bit of history that Salford don't. People like a story of rejuvination that we currently have with Wrexham that Salford just can't provide, plus because of the history Wrexham have that larger fan base.
Ryan Reynolds is a bloody genius! 
Yeah its almost like no one should ever rise through any other way than the right way according to some fans and damn Wrexham and others like Salford to years of drudgery and shit owners because otherwise it wouldn't be the "right way"
https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_...s-mcclean-defends-singing-anti-monarchy-chant
My new favorite footballer
My new favorite footballer
The queen has just died and he's singing that?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c4n1wegp847o
Wrexham owners aim for up to 55,000-capacity Racecourse
This seems too high for a club that may not get to the Premier League.
How often would they sell out?
It would put them level with the cheatyhad and more than St James' Park, Villa Park and Stamford Bridge.
Wrexham owners aim for up to 55,000-capacity Racecourse
This seems too high for a club that may not get to the Premier League.
How often would they sell out?
It would put them level with the cheatyhad and more than St James' Park, Villa Park and Stamford Bridge.
They have lots of overseas fans coming to games every week now, so it might not be a problem even in the championship.
But that is likely also about getting Wales back there for some internationals. One of the big things they talked about at the start was that fact its the world's oldest standing international football stadium. That will be a big deal, even if its just a few games.
So far they and the team behind them have made some very shrewd PR moves which - when combined with their on-field performances - have rocketed them to a global audience. It's unlikely to be sustainable though. If they get relegated next season then how's that going to go down with them and their fans? They could easily stagnate or become a yoyo club switching between Leagues 1 and 2. A lot of things have come together on and off the pitch for them to get where they are now, and fair do's for all they've achieved. Getting out of League 1 is likely going to require more investment, just as surviving in the Championship will. A lot of those overseas fans will IMO soon start dropping off if they keep seeing their beloved team scrapping back in League 2.
I don't see them doing a Wimbledon and making it to the top tier after anything like successive promotions. Good luck to them though. They've given themselves a launchpad but there's always going to be a lot of hard work and creative/critical thinking ahead of them.
I don't see them doing a Wimbledon and making it to the top tier after anything like successive promotions. Good luck to them though. They've given themselves a launchpad but there's always going to be a lot of hard work and creative/critical thinking ahead of them.
Eh, they are both just spending a lot more money than most of their rivals. They are both using their owners advantages to let them spend more than their rivals by means of questionable fairness (sponsorships which are possible due to their ownership etc...).
Different rules in different leagues but the same basic principle.
It's very much a 'maybe one day' aim right? Like, it's going to be a few years before they even get the first new stand built. I assume 55k is the dream scenario if they keep climbing the leagues and remain attractive to tourists.
It’s the same basic principle, but a different ballpark. The problem with state-owned clubs is there are no limitations, and the political influences that also come into play.
Wrexham will hit a ceiling at some point as far as pure financial advantage is concerned. That ceiling doesn’t exist for City, and probably Newcastle.
It's just my uneducated view from the outside, so Salford locals please feel free to correct me, but the Class of 92's involvement in Salford, despite actually having a local connection unlike Rob and Ryan, feels much more gimmicky, plastic and unsustainable. Compared to Wrexham AFC, Salford FC is a small local club with a small history and following, averaging just under 3k attendances in League Two (21st out of 24 clubs). Wrexham was selling out (~10k) in non-league and has the 2nd highest average attendance in League Two (https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/league-two/attendances). Also, historically, it has been a 3rd tier club for decades, so it 'belongs'. So in terms of ROI, Neville must absolutely be kicking himself.
Surely they're in real trouble if the documentary stops getting extended? And I gather it's only getting extended one season at a time which seems to put it in a precarious position?
Depends on how they are going to do it. If the expansion can be done in stages, nothing wrong with that. Build a stand with further expansion in mind would be a good move.
It's a daft pipe dream.
This idea that they're somehow going to be the club of North Wales is bizarre, and a lot of the goodwill they had when they escaped the National League has already fallen away.
If you're travelling to Wrexham from Bangor, Llandudno, Holyhead, Caernarfon, wherever, you may as well drive a few extra miles to Manchester or Liverpool, which is what the majority of match-going football fans in the area already do. These fans aren't going to switch allegiances because of Ryan Reynolds and a Disney + show.
Fans of League Two (and now League One) clubs seem to have grown quite disdainful of them and their rise. Some of it is probably through jealousy, but it must be quite galling to support a team that's languished at that level for a while, then a club comes from the division below, vastly outspends everyone around them, then celebrates their promotion like some sort of fairytale miracle.
The last census had the urban population at around 45,000, and the borough at about 130,000. They're never filling a stadium that large, even with PL football.
Lazy BBC writers again.
It’s a throw away comment and they make an article from it. They could grow but the main one will be The Kop which will add a few k and is in progress. After that, it’s get harder, especially the Mold Road stand which is right next to …. the Mold Road.
They should probably focus on owning their own training ground first and foremost (they currently rent at Colliers Park) they have been trying to strong arm their way in permanently and trying to oust the university who co owns it with the FAW. All a bit grubby.
It’s BBC doing 2+2=105.
Two of my mates supported Everton and United respectively. Both got fed up with the lack of attachment they felt to their clubs and the PL in general a few years ago.. cost came into it I’m sure.
Both started going to Wrexham 5-6 years ago and are loving it.. feel joined up again. Yes, I’m sure the recent success helps but so what? It did for a lot of United fans too at various points.
Owners don’t really want that size of stadium but 20k is doable. They also host concerts and there’s some potential there too.
Yeah, I think 20k-30k is doable if they can actually reach the Championship, and there will be a degree of local interest, but they simply aren't going to have people flocking to Wrexham on a regular basis, and particularly not if they get stuck in a division for a few seasons (or even relegated).
I think that's the thing that's being ignored. They will reach a point, and perhaps very soon, where they aren't winning most of their games and may actually find it a bit of a struggle. Mid-table in League One might make for an interesting change of pace for one series of the documentary, but are they going to maintain the international interest if it happens again?
they've done a hell of a job with that club building it up without taking on too much debt
now with this second promotion, they'll have a much bigger influx of cash
if they can manage to stay league one next year and then invest in the squad for a promotion push, they'll have done really well.
now with this second promotion, they'll have a much bigger influx of cash
if they can manage to stay league one next year and then invest in the squad for a promotion push, they'll have done really well.
What TV show doesn't get extended one season at a time? Very few get an order for several seasons.
I don't think they'll be in trouble without it, though it may halt their growth. Eventually, though, the show will be over and the football will continue.
They posted a loss last year in the National league of £5m and more this season. Also Ryan Reynolds has only 'loaned' the club money, currently £9m and he's charging 3.5% interest above bank of England rates on this. It could all get a bit messy if he gets bored and calls the debt in.
I think the documentary (along with the fact they've basically been the best/one of the best teams of their level the past two seasons) has played a huge, huge role in the international interest, and as much as there's a load of (mainly) Americans travelling over to visit Wrexham now, I can't see that lasting without the documentary, bar a few die-hards who have actually found themselves invested.
From the perspective of someone who grew up near Wrexham, it's been hilarious to see these tourists asking what there is to do in Wrexham, because the answer is always "go somewhere else".
Even a relegation would be enough to keep the documentary going, but if they spend three or four seasons bumbling about in League One (or the Championship), then what exactly is the "narrative" going to be? Without that, I can't see them maintaining the interest and they're going to have to start functioning like the clubs around them.
It will be extended with big outdoor concerts in mind.
I also reckon they want the Wales international matches there.