Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have seen their dreams of taking Wrexham into Europe crushed this week.
News broke in 2024 that plans for Wrexham to take part in the Welsh League Cup going forward were being drawn up.
The plan would have seen the Red Dragons, along with Newport County, Swansea City and Cardiff City, competing in a revamped version of the competition.
Had plans gone ahead, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney would have secured a clear pathway into Europe for Wrexham.
The winner of the competition enters the Europa Conference League in the qualifying rounds, and even if they didn’t get far, Wrexham could have earned millions via their involvement.
However, reports emerged last week that Reynolds and McElhenney’s Welsh Cup plans were to be rejected, and that has now proven to be the case.
- READ MORE: The two winners and four losers after Wrexham complete Ryan Longman signing from Hull City
Opposition fans react as Wrexham Welsh League Cup plans rejected
The news was first reported by Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail, who stated that the FA have rejected the plans for the four Welsh EFL teams to compete in the Welsh League Cup.
Following his announcement, many opposition fans have taken to social media to hit out at Wrexham.
One fan wrote: “Maybe they should join the Welsh league system if they want to play in their cup. Oh no sorry, that would mean they couldn’t have their cake and eat it at the expense of all the real Welsh football teams.”
A second added: “Correct decision!” While another stated: “Great news.”
Another echoed: “Absolutely the correct decision.”
A fourth wrote: “Good. Pick your lane and stay in it,” with another writing: “Good! Wanting their cake and eat it too.”
“They should all be kicked out of the EFL and play in the Welsh league, they shouldn’t be playing in England,” a sixth opposition support wrote.
Another harshly stated: “Next step kick them out of the EFL altogether.”
What FA said after rejecting Wrexham plan
The FA have since released a statement outlining why the plan has been rejected.
Among the issues raised were; equal opportunity for all clubs, integrity, fixture congestion, and player welfare.
They wrote: “The FA Board has considered a request made by four Welsh clubs to take part in a restructured version of the FAW League Cup which would provide an opportunity to qualify for UEFA competition. As part of the request, the Welsh clubs would forfeit their existing right to qualify for UEFA club competitions through the English system whilst they remained members of the EFL.
“The Welsh clubs would then seek to qualify for UEFA competition via the English system should they be promoted to the Premier League. As a result of the request, the FA undertook a thorough consultation with stakeholders and invited submissions from the Welsh clubs.
“Following careful consideration, taking into account various factors including equal opportunity for clubs to participate in the same competitions, for the same rewards on an equal basis; concerns raised by stakeholders regarding competition integrity, fixture congestion and player welfare, and the impact on the standing of existing competitions, the FA Board has rejected the request.”