Wrexham have become the gold standard for potential investors as the rise under Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds continues.
Wrexham are preparing for life in the Championship having wrapped up a third straight promotion.
Phil Parkinson saw Wrexham beat Charlton Athletic last month to secure second place in the League One table.
Wrexham have been thriving on the pitch, and the rise has been backed up by incredible growth off the pitch.
Commercial income is huge at Wrexham, putting many Championship clubs to shame thanks to Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
Wrexham could now splash the cash this summer, with McElhenney and Reynolds keen to keep the club moving forward at pace.
David Beckham on Ryan Reynolds inspiration
Any investor looking to explore football ownership will be looking at the Wrexham rise.
Matching the sheer star power of McElhenney and Reynolds is not easy, and means matching the model like-for-like isn’t really possible.
David Beckham does have that celebrity status and we have already seen him move into football ownership with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
Beckham has joined forces with Gary Neville and a number of investors to complete a takeover of Salford City.
Beckham was already involved at Salford, but this deal means several of his former United teammates have now sold their stakes.
Speaking to The Athletic, Beckham highlighted the influence of Reynolds and the Wrexham journey.
Beckham has been ‘inspired’ by Reynolds and discussed Wrexham’s rise with the ‘Deadpool’ star.
Reynolds told Beckham that the feeling around Wrexham is simply ‘exceptional’, and he now wants to do the same at Salford City.
“We’ve all been inspired by what Ryan Reynolds has been doing at Wrexham and I’m not saying this is why we’re doing it because it’s not,” said Beckham.
“But I’ve spoken to Ryan about it so many times now and he said the feeling around the city, the feeling around the club, is so exceptional. That’s the kind of thing that we want to create.
“Tom Wagner and Tom Brady have done an incredible job with Birmingham. I went to a game a few months back and the atmosphere in the stadium was one of the best I’ve seen for a long time. That’s what we want to create. We want to create that community, add to the community and fan base we’ve already got — and then lift it,” he added.
McElhenney and Reynolds have changed the game
The concept of a club-based documentary series was not a new one when McElhenney and Reynolds purchased Wrexham.
In fact, it was McElhenney watching ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ which inspired their Wrexham takeover in the first place.
Wrexham have though thrived off the model of using the TV show as a marketing vehicle, taking no money for the actual episodes but raking in sponsorship money.
Other clubs would love such revenue streams, and the inspiration of the Wrexham rise may continue.
Tranmere Rovers could launch a series of their own with rapper A$AP Rocky keen to invest in the club.
Former Premier League boss Billy Davies even claims to be working with A-listers to explore football investment.
It’s absolutely clear that Wrexham’s rise will inspire other celebrities to invest in football, and Beckham’s comments only serve to highlight how much Reynolds is loving this journey.