Wrexham have come a long way under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Red Dragons are about to embark on their first Championship campaign for 43 years as Phil Parkinson and his team prepare to face Southampton.
The game at St Mary’s Stadium will be a far cry from Reynolds and McElhenney’s first appearance away at Maidenhead back in the National League.
Wrexham’s owners have had a lot of help along the way from the likes of Shaun Harvey and Humphrey Ker but McElhenney once revealed a bizarre secret about his relationship with his co-owner before the Wrexham journey began.
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Rob McElhenney had never met Ryan Reynolds before Wrexham takeover
Speaking on the very first episode of the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series, McElhenney revealed that he had never met Reynolds in person before embarking on the adventure to take control of Wrexham AFC.
McElhenney stated: “I don’t really know Ryan [Reynolds] that well, I’ve never met him in person before this. We met through social media and then just became friends.”
This was revealed just before a hugely important meeting involving McElhenney, Reynolds and the Wrexham Supporters Trust.
The duo had to convince the Supporters Trust that they were serious about purchasing the club and had the best interests of Wrexham at heart.
Harvey revealed McElhenney wanted the best for Wrexham in his first conversation with the owner and enough was done to persuade the fans that they were the best fit to move the club forward.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney set for most challenging season at Wrexham yet
There is no doubt that following three successive promotions, the Wrexham owners are now facing the most challenging season yet during their reign.
Should Parkinson’s side escape relegation this season, it would be a fantastic achievement, however, the owners have loftier ambitions.
Not only are McElhenney and Reynolds now facing a step up in competition on the pitch, they are also having to find new ways to compete off the pitch in terms of revenue and global stature.
The new Kop Stand at the Racecourse Ground is underway but the Red Dragons will spend the entire first campaign with a reduced capacity.
This and other loose ends such as a training facility are important steps in becoming a Premier League club – something the owners want to achieve by 2027.