Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Get Emotional at Wrexham AFC’s Promotion

Wrexham clinched first place and earned promotion for the first time in 15 years.

When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC, they hoped to build the team up to consistently earn promotion for the first time in 15 years. Over two years later, it happened, as Wrexham clinched promotion with a win over Boreham Wood on Saturday.

The American owners were on hand as their football club successfully clinched first place in the National League. As the clock wound down, and the players stormed the field to celebrate, the cameras panned towards Reynolds and McElhenney in the owner’s box, as the two actors were clearly emotional over the result.

When Reynolds and McElhenney took over, Wrexham was in the midst of an eighth place season. Last year, Wrexham finished in second place but couldn’t earn promotion after losing in the semifinals of the relegation tournament, so instead the team avoided the tournament entirely this year.

The journey of Reynolds and McElhenney’s time as owners is documented in the FX series “Welcome to Wrexham.” However, this clearly means more to both than just the plot of a documentary series.