Four years after purchasing Wales’ Wrexham A.F.C., Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney seem to have no regrets about their investment — despite the high costs of ownership.
The Wrexham Red Dragons recently clinched a promotion and is now two-tiers away from the top level, known as the Premier League.
The last few years have been a crash course for Reynolds and McElhenney in both the game of English soccer and the economics behind it.
The experience has been captured in the FX docuseries “Welcome to Wrexham, debuting its third season May 2. The actors spoke with The Associated Press about separating their inner-fan with public-facing jobs as chairmen and how the new episodes will be released closer to real-time.
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McELHENNEY: No. I have to separate myself. I think what’s important about that is it allows me to give space to the supporters of Wrexham, because they deserve the right to complain and get upset when things aren’t going well because that's their right as supporters.
I have that relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles. I both have respect for all the players in the organization, but (football) is a way I deal with my frustrations and anxiety and it's something I look forward to on the weekend. It’s also something I have a passionate feelings about that I express to my friends, not necessarily publicly.
As chairmen of a football club, we have to hold ourselves to a different standard. We have to have at least a modicum of decorum in our exchanges about how we talk about things, because these are human beings, not characters on a screen. These are not athletes who mean nothing to us. These are our friends. These are our employees. These are people who we have to treat with dignity, grace and respect, and to recognize that this is their livelihood, so there’s a very clear line of demarcation.
REYNOLDS: Just to piggyback on that, we do have each other. We have the public facing side of it, but then we can also take a moment to enjoy a festival of expletives when we’re frustrated or if things aren’t going according to plan. You obviously express your joy for the team succeeding outwardly. You want to make sure it’s being expressed to all those supporters who have been there.
Some have spread the ashes of their grandparents and parents on the field where this club is playing. We have an impossible amount of respect for that tradition and that fan base and everything that they’ve been through, all the ups and downs. But I’m always grateful that Rob and I can have that sidebar where we both go, you know, “Holy (expletive), I can’t believe this is happening right now. I can’t believe we got out of the National League. I can’t believe we’ve just lost to this club.”
REYNOLDS: Absolutely, but what we’re most excited about with respect to season three is that as the episodes are finished, we will get closer and closer to continuity with the actual football season happening. So, by the time we’re midway through season three, you’ll see we don’t have any idea what’s going to happen. Just from that sort of macro 30,000-foot narrative standpoint, we have no clue. Everything that we’re doing right now is for broke. We have to get promoted. There’s no real consolation prize if we don’t. So we are all in.
McELHENNEY: That’s truly the most exciting part about season three is that it will coincide with the end of the season. There was such a large gap between the end of last season and the documentary coming out. And we thought, ‘Well, if we’re going to continue to make the show, we want to innovate a little bit, so that it becomes more exciting, so both the fans and the documentarians don’t know what’s going to happen.’ We will catch up with the end of the season and those final few episodes. We actually will have trucks in the racecourse parking lot that will have editing facilities in them, and they will be taking footage and cutting the show as quickly as possible to get it out on onto the air, because we want it to happen in real time.
REYNOLDS: And if this season so far has taught us anything, this is going to be an absolute nail-biter yet again.
REYNOLDS: Accountants don't really want to hear about the emotional investment.
McELHENNEY: You want to know, like how far in the red I am? It’s pretty significant. It's true that in the beginning when we asked our advisors if this was a good economic investment, there was not one person that I can remember that was like, “Yes.”
It was more like, "Don’t."
REYNOLDS: Run away, yeah. History has an unbelievable amount of examples of how this was not the best idea, but we're not in it to make money and goddamn it, we won’t. (Laughs) I think we recognize how lucky we are that we can be in this position where it isn’t about making money or any of those things. I mean, you have to be in a pretty privileged spot to be able to do this to begin with. But eventually, you know, as we climb up the leagues, we’re going to need outside help in order to sustain this club. One of our great mission statements and — this is something that is still a huge target — is to create a sustainable model for a sports club like this and allow it to support itself long after we’re dead and gone.
This image released by FX shows members of the Wrexham A.F.C. Bulldogs in a scene from the third season of "Welcome to Wrexham." (FX via AP)
This image released by FX shows Ryan Reynolds, left, and Rob McElhenney in a scene from the third season of "Welcome to Wrexham." (Ben Hider/FX via AP)
This image released by FX shows Rob McElhenney in a scene from the third season of "Welcome to Wrexham." (Craig Colville/FX via AP)
This image released by FX shows Ryan Reynolds, left, and Rob McElhenney in a scene from the third season of "Welcome to Wrexham." (FX via AP)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Bo Bichette had three doubles among his four hits, José Berríos pitched six solid innings to snap a four-start winless streak, and the Toronto Blue Jays won consecutive games for the first time in more than three weeks by beating the struggling Chicago White Sox 9-3 on Monday.
Daulton Varsho and Danny Jansen each hit a two-run home run and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reached base three times and drove in a run as Toronto won back-to-back games for the first time since home wins over the Dodgers and Kansas City on April 28 and 29.
Bichette began the day in an 0-for-12 slump but broke out in style. He doubled and scored in the second inning, singled in the third, drove in Guerrero with an RBI double in the sixth, then added another double in the seventh.
Berríos (5-3) allowed three runs and eight hits to win for the first time since a road victory over San Diego on April 20. He struck out six and walked two.
Varsho gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead with a two-out homer off White Sox right-hander Erick Fedde in the second, his team-leading eighth.
Fedde (4-1) allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings for his first loss of the season. He walked one and struck out two.
PADRES 6, BRAVES 5, 1ST GAME
BRAVES 3, PADRES 0, 2ND GAME
ATLANTA (AP) — Chris Sale allowed only five hits in seven innings to continue his strong run and Atlanta snapped their season-worst, four-game losing streak by beating San Diego to split a doubleheader.
The Padres won the first three games of the series. Manny Machado’s two-run double in the eighth gave San Diego the lead and the Padres rallied from a five-run deficit to win the twinbill opener.
In the nightcap, Sale (7-1) recorded nine strikeouts without a walk while winning his sixth straight start. He has allowed no runs in three consecutive starts, a streak covering 20 innings. He has 28 strikeouts and one walk in the dominant stretch.
Pierce Johnson and Raisel Iglesias completed the seven-hitter. Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 11th save.
GUARDIANS 3, METS 1
CLEVELAND (AP) — Ben Lively had another solid start, David Fry drove in two early runs and Cleveland won their fourth straight over the New York Mets to ruin Francisco Lindor’s homecoming.
Lindor, who spent six seasons with Cleveland, went 0 for 4 in his first game at Progressive Field since being traded to New York in 2021.
The four-time All-Star shortstop struck out, grounded out twice and flied out, dropping his average to .193.
Lively (3-2) allowed just one run — a homer — and six hits in 5 2/3 innings before first-year manager Stephen Vogt turned things over to his bullish bullpen.
Nick Sandlin took over a two-on, two-out situation in the sixth and gave up a walk before striking out Brett Baty with the bases loaded. Scott Barlow pitched a 1-2-3 seventh and rookie Cade Smith struck out two in the eighth.
Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase finished up the combined six-hitter in the ninth for his 14th save. The right-hander has given up just one earned run in 24 1/3 innings this season.
RED SOX 5, RAYS 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rafael Devers set a team record by homering in his sixth consecutive game, Tanner Houck allowed two hits over seven innings, and Boston beat Tampa Bay.
Devers had shared the Boston mark of a five-game homer streak with six others, including Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx.
Houck (4-5) allowed a third-inning single to Yandy Díaz and an infield hit to Josh Lowe in the seventh. He struck out five and was charged with one walk — which occurred when Devers was ruled to have violated defensive shift rules for an automatic ball on Jonathan Aranda’s groundout in the second on a 3-2 pitch.
Ceddanne Rafaela also homered for the Red Sox, who returned to .500 at 24-24.
Justin Slaten completed a three-hitter as Boston improved to 6-22 at Tampa Bay since the start of the 2021 season.
NATIONALS 12, TWINS 3
WASHINGTON (AP) — Luis García Jr. homered and drove in three runs, Eddie Rosario also had three RBIs and Washington snapped a five-game slide with a victory over Minnesota.
Jesse Winker hit a solo shot and Jacob Young delivered a two-run single during a four-run fifth inning off Twins starter Pablo López (4-4) to help Washington pound out 14 hits and hand Minnesota its seventh straight defeat.
Mitchell Parker (3-2) allowed three runs in six innings in the series opener, his longest outing since the rookie threw seven in a 2-0 win over Houston on April 21.
Minnesota’s Carlos Correa hit a two-run homer in the sixth. But Parker escaped further trouble when he struck out Kyle Farmer to strand two and end his outing.
MARLINS 3, BREWERS 2, 10 INNINGS
MIAMI (AP) — Josh Bell singled with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to give Miami a victory over the Milwaukee.
Christian Bethancourt’s sacrifice bunt against reliever Mitch White (1-1) advanced automatic runner Vidal Brujan to third. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was intentionally walked and stole second. Bryan De La Cruz drew an intentional walk before Bell hit a grounder to right field that scored Brujan.
Tanner Scott (4-4) allowed a leadoff walk to Christian Yelich in the top of the 10th. Joey Ortiz’s sacrifice bunt advanced courtesy runner Brice Turang and Yelich before Scott struck out Willy Adames and retired Gary Sánchez on a flyout to medium center.
The NL Central-leading Brewers used seven relievers after starter Joe Ross left after the first inning because of a low back strain.
MARINERS 5, YANKEES 4
NEW YORK (AP) — Ty France hit a go-ahead RBI single in Seattle’s four-run ninth inning against reliever Clay Holmes, and Mariners rallied to beat the New York Yankees.
The Mariners ended New York’s seven-game winning streak with the big inning against Holmes (1-1), who blew his second save in 15 chances.
Luke Raley, who had two of Seattle’s three hits off starter Marcus Stroman, hit an infield single to Gleyber Torres and Julio Rodriguez scored on the second baseman’s error. Mitch Haniger followed with an RBI single and Dominic Canzone lifted a tying sacrifice fly. France followed by grounding a 2-0 sinker to right field for a 5-4 lead.
Eduardo Bazardo (1-0) allowed an RBI single to Jon Berti in the bottom of the eighth that pushed New York’s lead to 4-1 before the comeback gave Seattle its second win in 23 games when trailing through eight.
Andrés Muñoz got the last three outs, stranding Juan Soto at first for his ninth save.
ROYALS 8, TIGERS 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Michael Massey and Salvador Perez homered as Kansas City beat Detroit for their fourth straight win.
Massey opened the scoring in the second inning with a leadoff homer, the first long ball given up this season by Tigers starter Reese Olson after 48 1/3 innings, snapping the majors’ longest homerless streak.
In his next at-bat, Massey stunned Olson with a liner off his right hip while Vinnie Pasquantino scored on catcher Jake Rogers’ throwing error for a 2-0 Royals lead.
After tossing a few warmup pitches, Olson (0-5) exited with a right hip contusion. He threw 2 2/3 innings, allowing the two runs and five hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Perez led off the sixth with his ninth homer as the Royals greeted reliever Joey Wentz with five consecutive hits. Seven straight batters reached safely while Kansas City scored six runs to build an 8-1 lead.
Michael Wacha (4-4) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings while walking one with three strikeouts to win his third straight start.
CARDINALS 6, ORIOLES 3
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Michael Siani hit his first career home run and drove in four runs, and St. Louis beat Baltimore.
Siani’s three-run homer into the right field bullpen capped a four-run fourth inning that gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead. It was the first homer in 91 career plate appearances for Siani, who spent parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds before being selected off waivers by the Cardinals last September.
Sonny Gray gave up three runs, just one earned, in 5 2/3 innings as the Cardinals won for the sixth time in their last eight games. Gray (6-2) allowed three hits, walked two and struck out six.
Gray took a no-hitter into the sixth only to have it unceremoniously ended by a three-run homer by Gunnar Henderson to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 5-3.
ANGELS 9, ASTROS 7
HOUSTON (AP) — Nolan Schanuel and Logan O’Hoppe both hit three-run homers and Jo Adell added a solo shot as the Los Angeles Angels jumped on Framber Valdez for seven runs in the fifth inning to power them to a win over Houston.
Zach Neto homered in the sixth inning to give the Angels a season-high four home runs as they won for the fourth time in five games.
They trailed by five with two on and one out in the fifth when Schanuel homered to right field to cut the lead to 6-4. There were two on again with two outs when O’Hoppe connected to put Los Angeles up 7-6.
Adell sent the next pitch by Valdez (3-2) into the seats in right field to push it to 8-6.
Valdez was tagged for a season-high 10 hits and tied a career high by giving up eight runs in five innings.
Houston led 6-1 early after a three-run homer by Jose Altuve and a two-run shot from Mauricio Dubón before the big inning by Los Angeles.
DODGERS 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman’s grand slam keyed a six-run third inning, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a strong start and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to four with a victory over Arizona.
Freeman’s blast off Slade Cecconi (1-4) was part of an onslaught where the first six Dodgers got aboard and scored in the third.
Kiké Hernández and Will Smith also went deep in the inning as Los Angeles improved to 33-17. It is the ninth time in franchise history the Dodgers have at least 33 wins after 50 games.
Arizona’s Ketel Marte extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a single in the first inning. It is the longest run in the majors this season and tied for fifth-longest in franchise history.
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dives into home to score on a double by teammate Bo Bichette during sixth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, May 20, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
