Hollywood pair Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have put on a free bar tab at a pub in Wrexham, Wales, to mark the one-year anniversary of buying the non-league football team.
To mark the one-year landmark, the acting duo have paid for 365 gin and tonics – one for every day they have owned the team – at The Turf Hotel, attached to Wrexham’s famous Racecourse Ground, for fans on Wednesday.
In a flyer posted on social media, Reynolds and McElhenney wrote: ‘Dear Wrexham. Firstly, thank you for reading this flyer. We weren’t sure if anyone ever looked at these.
‘Just a quick note to thank each and every one of you on our 1-year anniversary with the club. The love and adoration for Wrexham FC – it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
‘That’s why we’ve put up 365 Aviation Gin and Tonics behind the bar. Have one on us.
‘Until we speak again, via a haphazardly posted flyer or otherwise – cheers, Rob and Ryan.’
Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney (right) are celebrating a year of owning non-league football team Wrexham
In a message to fans, they revealed they have paid for 365 gin and tonics at a Wrexham pub
Reynolds went on to joke that ‘paper is the traditional one year wedding anniversary gift’
The flyer comes with paper strips at the bottom, entitling a fan in The Turf to claim a free G&T, courtesy of Reynolds and McElhenney.
‘Y’know, paper is the traditional 1 year wedding anniversary gift,’ Reynolds tweeted after the announcement.
It has been a whirlwind 12 months for the Welsh club since Reynolds and McElhenney sealed their takeover back in February, purchasing it from the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust.
They immediately invested £2million into the club and their profile as co-chairmen has seen sponsors including TikTok and Expedia brought in as official partners.
In a joint-statement on Wednesday, the pair they said they are ‘only just getting started’
To date, they have managed to make just the one visit to Wrexham, coming over for a week in October, where they witnessed a defeat away to Maidenhead United and a draw at home to Torquay United.
Global exposure has seen the chairmen help restore Wrexham, who are on their 14th attempt to get out of the fifth division, to the popular FIFA video game series.
They are also producing a two-season documentary, detailing their stewardship of the team and that is understood to be airing on Disney+ in the UK, and on FX in the US, in May.
In a joint-statement addressing the anniversary, Reynolds and McElhenney described the experience as having gone in the ‘blink of an eye’.
‘It is difficult to believe that it is a year ago today, we became the owners of the Club and pledged to be good custodians,’ they wrote.
‘The year has gone in the blink of an eye, we have learned so much and more importantly feel like we are fully integrated into everything Wrexham.’
Since purchasing the club, they have made one visit, spending a week in Wales in October
They added: ‘It feels like the community are close to the Club and not only those who come through the turnstiles but those who are supportive from a distance.
‘We wanted our time at the Club to be defined by the benefit we could create for the community and are proud of the progress to date, although we are only just getting started.’
It has been a mixed season on the pitch with Wrexham currently seventh in the table, in the last remaining play-off position.
The Hollywood pair have backed manager Phil Parkinson to spend on his side with a club-record £300,000 deal done in January for striker Ollie Palmer.
Tom O’Connor, who has also dropped down two divisions, arrived last month for a fee believed to be close to what was paid for Palmer.
Last summer they also sanctioned deals for Cheltenham Town captain Ben Tozer for £200,000 and Carlisle defender Aaron Hayden for £150,000.
There is a long way to go but the Hollywood stars are already making an impact at the club