Wrexham head into this weekend’s clash with Stockport County desperate for another three points in the push for promotion.
Phil Parkinson is about as level-headed as they come and the Wrexham boss won’t have been too high or too low from results in the past few days.
Saturday saw Wrexham beat Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 to go back up to second in the League One table.
As Parkinson was going to sleep on Tuesday night, Wrexham were back down to third again as Wycombe beat Rotherham United 3-2.
There will be twists and turns to come in the promotion race but Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds will have full faith in Parkinson to get the job done once more.
Those three men have taken most of the limelight since the 2021 takeover as the figureheads of the Wrexham rise, but one man plays a huge part in the shadows.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds on Shaun Harvey
McElhenney and Reynolds paid £2million for Wrexham in 2021 and the excitement was immediately sparked.
The Hollywood duo needed people around them with real football experience though, hence Parkinson’s appointment as manager and Fleur Robinson’s arrival as chief executive.
Before those deals came a hugely important move though as McElhenney and Reynolds turned to Shaun Harvey to come in as an advisor.
The former Leeds United CEO and EFL chief executive was brought in to work alongside McElhenney and Reynolds and really start to get the project moving.
Harvey has been featured prominently on ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, providing the experienced head alongside McElhenney and Reynolds.
Currently a non-executive director at Wrexham, Harvey continues to offer key advice and both McElhenney and Reynolds have previously acknowledged his importance.
Speaking on ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, Season 1 Episode 18, Reynolds paid tribute to Harvey as an ‘essential’ element to the club’s success.
Reynolds suggested that Harvey was just as important as himself, McElhenney and Paul Mullin whilst admitting that words are ‘too clumsy’ to full encapsulate his appreciation for Harvey.
McElhenney also praised Harvey, claiming that he is ‘the adult in the room’ at Wrexham given his vast experience in the game.
“Shaun Harvey is as essential an element to Wrexham AFC’s success as Rob and I are, as Phil Parkinson is, as Paul Mullin is, as Ollie Palmer is, as Aaron Hayden is,” said Reynolds.
“I think words are too clumsy to express how much he means to me and how much he means to Rob. I also just love him – Rob and I both just love the guy,” he added.
“Shaun is very serious as well a person should be in that position and Shaun is the adult in the room,” added McElheney.
Shaun Harvey role has changed this season
Harvey was previously serving as a director at Wrexham but his role has slightly changed, becoming a non-executive director this season.
That means that Harvey is still giving advice to the Wrexham board but isn’t involved in the club on a day-to-day basis.
Wrexham confirmed investment from the Allyn family in October 2024, providing crucial resources moving forward.
Kaleen Allyn has now stepped forward as an executive director whilst Michael Williamson was appointed to replace Fleur Robinson last year.
Harvey will still have a major say in the Wrexham project with McElhenney and Reynolds clearly valuing his input enormously.
The arrivals of Allyn, Williamson and head of business and communications Rob Faulkner show that Wrexham will continue to change and evolve over time though with McElhenney and Reynolds keen to surround themselves with the very best available at boardroom level and on the pitch.