Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds have enjoyed incredible success on and off the pitch since purchasing Wrexham AFC back in 2021.
On the pitch, Wrexham have enjoyed a record-breaking run of back-to-back-to-back promotions to rise all the way from the National League to the Championship. And off the pitch, the club is in an incredibly strong financial position, with a stake currently being mooted for a rather astonishing £350m sale – making Wrexham, theoretically, the most valuable club outside of the Premier League.
While Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds’ commitment to bettering the club and the community around it has been vital to this rise, there have been plenty of other important contributors through the years too.
Manager Phil Parkinson has overseen the creation and recreation of a hugely successful squad since taking charge in 2021, with the likes of Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer producing the goods for Parkinson.
Rob and Ryan have also been able to call upon the help of CEO Michael Williamson and, in particular, Directors and ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ favourites Humphrey Ker and Shaun Harvey.
Rather remarkably, the former Football League Chief Executive was not supposed to have such a long-term role in Wrexham’s rise up the footballing pyramid.
- READ MORE: Shaun Harvey once revealed exactly what happened in his first Wrexham conversation with Rob Mac
Shaun Harvey was supposed to be a ‘temporary’ hire, Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac revealed
Harvey joined Wrexham in 2021 and brought with him a wealth of experience having formerly worked as Leeds United’s CEO and also the Football League’s Chief Executive between 2013 and 2019.
He was brought on initially as an advisor to the club’s board, and in an episode of ‘Welcome To Wrexham’, Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds revealed that his role at Wrexham was originally only supposed to last about six weeks:
“This really started as a temporary gig for him,” said Ryan.
“He was supposed to do this for six weeks, maybe at the most,” continued Rob. “Then it was like ‘well maybe I’ll do it for six months and then we’ll see where we’re at. And now he realises it’s a full-time, lifetime position, I hope.
“I don’t know where we’d be without him,” said Ryan. “Shaun is a one of one.”
As documented in ‘Welcome To Wrexham’, Harvey has been an incredibly influential figure at the Welsh club over the last number of years, helping with the Racecourse Ground stadium purchase and redevelopment plan, and the day-to-day management of Wrexham AFC itself.
What is Shaun Harvey’s job at Wrexham?
In the latest season of ‘Welcome To Wrexham’, Harvey explained how his role at the club has changed since Michael Williamson was appointed CEO, explaining:
“When I first came to Wrexham in 2021, after leaving my role as the CEO of the EFL in 2019, I was an advisor to the board. It was mostly part-time, but as the club experienced rapid growth and expansion my role became a more permanent position with broader responsibilities.
“My role changed when the decision to bring in a new CEO was made. The biggest change is that I no longer have day-to-day responsibility. I still sit on the board with Directors and provide to Michael and his team history and lessons that we’ve learned so far on this journey.
“The club had to change to move forward, and that meant me taking on a new role. The club’s success is more important than the degree to which I’m involved, so I’m cautiously optimistic moving forward in this new role.”