The English Football League has seen an influx of celebrity owners, from Will Ferrell to Tom Brady and Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds and new Swansea City investor Snoop Dogg.
Back in late 2021, Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac completed the takeover of then National League side Wrexham. In just four years, they’ve got the club to within 46 games of the Premier League, achieving three consecutive promotions in unthinkable fashion.
Next season, we’ll see Wrexham play Welsh rivals Swansea City, whilst fellow Welsh club Cardiff City have been relegated to League One. And ahead of the new season, Swansea City have confirmed that rapper Snoop Dogg has joined the club as a co-owner and investor.
It gives Wrexham’s Welsh derby with Swansea City a bit of added interest, and it’s not the first time that Reynolds and Snoop Dogg have crossed paths in the sporting world.
Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg battled to buy Ottawa Senators
Back in 2023, Reynolds and Snoop Dogg were both involved in bids to buy NHL team Ottawa Senators. Reynolds was already co-owner of Wrexham AFC at the time and, given his success with the Welsh club, was considering branching out into the NHL team.
Reports at the time claimed the Remington Group, backed by Reynolds, was preparing an offer of more than $1billion to buy the Senators, but the bid was later withdrawn after they were denied exclusive negotiating rights for a new stadium.
Snoop Dogg was also in the running to buy the franchise. He partnered with LA-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks, and the group also included fellow musician The Weeknd, but their bid also fell short.
In the end, Canadian businessman Michael Andlauer completed the takeover. Both Reynolds and Snoop Dogg publicly confirmed their interest, with Reynolds joking that he needed a partner with ‘deep pockets’ to make the move happen. Snoop Dogg also confirmed that his bid was serious.
When do Wrexham and Swansea City play each other next season?
Wrexham and Swansea City will be the only Welsh derby in the Championship next season. The two teams haven’t met since 2003 when both teams were in the old Division Three.
And it is Swansea City who host Wrexham first off. Wrexham play against Swansea City on the 20th of December before hosting the Swans at the Racecourse on 14th of March 2026.
The game could well be a blockbuster stateside given the Reynolds, Mac and Snoop Dogg rivalries in the game.
And it’ll also be interesting to see if Snoop Dogg can have a similar effect as the likes of Reynolds and Mac at Wrexham and Tom Brady at Birmingham City, with Reynolds and Mac and Brady having all played key roles in their respective clubs’ success in the recent future.
Wrexham play Southampton on the opening day of the Championship campaign on August 9th.