Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has opened up about owning an English football team, in a discussion with NFL star Travis Kelce.
The Hollywood duo of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over Wrexham in 2020 and have taken the club to their hearts.
With plenty of appearances at The Racecourse in years gone by, it is clear that the pair love watching the Reds when they can.
They aren’t alone in this, as the fan base has grown in recent years thanks to the owners. This has been added to by on-pitch improvements. Under the influence of Phil Parkinson, the Reds have risen up to League Two and now are challenging for back-to-back promotions.
With the increasing interest coming from America, there is a need for football culture to be understood abroad. This is something that has been attempted by the owners.
What has Rob McElhenney said to Travis Kelce?
Travis and Jason Kelce host the New Heights podcast and, this week, they have had McElhenney on their show discussing Wrexham.
Although the pair are football stars, they are NFL players. As a result, they clearly had a lack of knowledge of the English version of the game.
It is clear that the Wrexham owner has got a good grasp on the culture in the UK. On that, he said: “That’s a fascinating part of the sport. Some people really care a lot, other people don’t care at all. You have fanbases that are sort of torn.
“I do find it’s a win-win because if you advance and continue to win through the tournament people get excited and if you lose, nobody cares.”
It is true to say that wins in cup competitions garner huge praise and is what fans want to see. With that being said, losing games, as long as the effort is there, fans won’t mind.
One thing that football fans dislike is that Americans call it soccer. With that being said, it appears that McElhenney has learnt that rule already. On that, he added: “I’ve become so annoying with that – I’ve been correcting people on the word ‘soccer’ versus football. People just want to smack me.”
It is a bit surreal to hear a Hollywood star and famed NFL players discussing Wrexham. With that being said, the Reds’ stock is rising and it doesn’t even faze fans anymore. It is great to hear these big names showing an interest in the club. Maybe the brothers and one Taylor Swift could be at The Racecourse soon. Who knows?