Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac handed popularity reality check as fans don't hold back

Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have been handed a reality check on the extent of their popularity. The two actors have taken the football world by storm since buying the Welsh club in February 2021.

The Red Dragons have registered three promotions in a row, lifting them from the National League to the Championship. Wrexham have also attracted a global fanbase after their achievements were highlighted on the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.

However, while supporters in the North Wales city are more than happy to have the A-list pair on board, a new poll shows not every fanbase would be. Betfair's annual 'Nation Predicts' survey shows 66 per cent of more than 2,000 football lovers questioned wouldn't be interested in Reynolds and Mac owning their club.

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Liverpool and Newcastle supporters were most against the idea of Hollywood ownership. The findings of the poll conducted by YouGov Sport are perhaps unsurprising given the two clubs' relative satisfaction with their current owners, who are also far richer than the Wrexham pair. 

The Reds lifted the Premier League title last season and a summer of big spending has followed under owners Fenway Sports Group. Meanwhile, Newcastle, backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, clinched their first piece of major silverware since 1969 by winning the Carabao Cup.

Manchester United fans were the most receptive to the idea of Reynolds and Mac taking the helm, with 27 per cent supportive of the prospect, compared to 56 per cent against. That could potentially be down to significant discontent with the Glazer family's ownership and, more recently, the partial takeover by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Surprisingly, 69 per cent of Tottenham supporters were against the notion of the Hollywood duo taking charge, with only 21 per cent in favour. That's despite Spurs fans often voicing their anger at chairman Daniel Levy over the club's fortunes in recent years.

While supporters of Premier League sides might turn their noses up at Reynolds and Mac, who recently filed to legally change his surname from McElhenney, their stock in Wrexham remains as high as ever. And former England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn also believes that celebrity ownership can provide a net benefit for football after highlighting the progress enjoyed by Wrexham and Birmingham City, who are part-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady.

Speaking to Parimatch, Martyn said: "I think it's been a breath of fresh air if I'm totally honest. Seeing things like the Wrexham documentary on television and how open they've been with everything is great for the game.

"They're popular people and while Ryan Reynolds is somebody that most people think, 'Yeah, he looks like he's a nice guy and he's funny,' both he and Rob McElhenney are serious about how they run the football club as well.

"You won't hear anyone in Wrexham say a bad thing about them, I wouldn't imagine, because they've turned them around from a team that had been out of the Football League to one which I expect to see pushing into the higher echelons and the Premier League. It's been tremendous.

"Anything that boosts the club and the standing of your club in a positive way is a good thing. To have Tom Brady at Birmingham City, for Birmingham fans, it makes them stick their chest out a little bit further and say, 'Look who we've got now.'"

He added: "So far, Wrexham have done it tremendously well and Birmingham appear to be making progress. In all honesty, it doesn't matter how much money you throw at it, there is no guarantee that you're going to win the league. But, so far, both teams have bounced up the leagues pretty well.

"Fair play to them, it's going to be interesting but I think it's a positive thing, definitely, and celebrity ownership, with people trying to copy Wrexham and Birmingham, is probably something we'll see more and more and more of."

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