Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has showered Wrexham owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds with praise ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Wrexham travel to Peterborough on Saturday afternoon in their fourth match of the League One season.
Phil Parkinson’s men have made an excellent start to life in the third tier having registered seven points from a possible nine, including a 3-0 win over Reading last time out.
Wrexham’s success has, of course, been engineered by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, who continue to push the boundaries at the Racecourse Ground.
The Hollywood owners have transformed the Welsh outfit into a well-run club, with Lee Trundle believing that Wrexham will reach the Premier League before Swansea City and Cardiff.
McElhenney and Reynolds have turned the clubs’ fortunes around on the pitch as well as off it and Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony has recognised their success.
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Darragh MacAnthony heaps praise on Wrexham’s Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds
There is a misconception that Wrexham spent a lot to achieve successive promotions. Of course, their wage bill was much higher than their rivals in the National League and League Two, but in terms of spending, they haven’t shelled out loads on transfer fees.
Wrexham broke their transfer record this summer with a £500,000 deal to sign midfielder Ollie Rathbone from Rotherham, but aside from that, the Reds have paid minimal fees compared to their League One rivals.
MacAnthony believes the Hollywood duo deserve credit for how they’ve managed the finances while building up the club’s global profile, all while winning back-to-back promotions.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the Peterborough chairman said: “They’ll be in the Championship and we could still be in League One because they can pay £7,000-£10,000 a week to players and we can’t. That’s the dynamic of the game.
“Fair play to the owners. They bought in to the club with a plan in mind and they’ve managed to finance it by selling documentaries, advertising, and doing deals with skincare companies, drink companies etc, when they’ve had to put very little of their own money in.
“I saw their revenues last season and it was £15-£20 million a year as opposed to £5 million when they first came in. It’s probably even more now.
“Anyone who can do that while also winning promotions deserves credit. They are not breaking any rules and we’d all do it if we could.”
MacAnthony’s previous comments on Wrexham
Although he praised McElhenney and Reynolds on this occasion, MacAnthony has criticised Wrexham previously as he claimed that hearing about the Welsh side was ‘nauseating’.
This was in response to claims that Wrexham had helped accelerate the EFL’s record TV deal due to their popularity in America.
“You open a newspaper and there’s stuff about the Championship, League One and League Two, but every week there’s stuff about Wrexham and it’s nauseating,” MacAnthony said.
“You get why they’re doing it because they want an American audience but at the end of the day there are 72 EFL clubs out there.
“They need to calm down thinking they’re bigger than Leeds or whoever. I’ve just said that they’re good for the game.”