Wrexham slammed for 'staying quiet' on key decision under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney ownership

Wrexham have been slammed for 'staying quiet' on a key decision made during Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's tenure as owners.

Wrexham have been the envy of their lower league rivals in recent years, securing back-to-back fairytale promotions to rocket up the divisions.

Last season the Welsh club returned to the Football League after a 15 year absence, and earlier this month they secured promotion to League One 19 years after they last appeared in the third tier.

Their rise has been enabled by Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney, who completed a takeover of the club back in 2021.

While supporters of rival clubs in League Two begrudge the money and resources Wrexham have at their disposal, there is no denying that the owners have done a whole lot of good for the town and the people of Wrexham.

That said, Wrexham's owners have been slammed for their failure to speak out against the Football Association's decision to scrap FA Cup replays.

Last week the FA announced that from the start of the 2024-25 season, replays will be scrapped from the first round of the FA Cup onwards.

The news sparked a huge backlash from Football League clubs and supporters, with Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony warning it could lead to a "fallout within English football."

Now, speaking on his Hard Truth podcast, MacAnthony has admitted his disappointment with Wrexham's silence on the issue.

Wrexham celebrate promotion to League One. Image: Getty

"I did an e-mail to EFL clubs asking them to join us in criticising the decision to scrap FA Cup replays, but Championship clubs have been quiet and it’s disappointing that Wrexham have been quiet," MacAnthony said.

"If they have said something then I apologise, but I haven’t seen it. I guess their fans will say this is me having another dig at their club, but it’s not.

"I’m usually very positive about them and I’m a big fan of their owners. But this is a club that has made a lot of money from replays on ESPN."

MacAnthony didn't miss the chance to take a dig at the underdogs tag Wrexham fans have adopted despite the club's financial backing.

"I will watch part three of their documentary, but it did amuse me they have been marketing it with the theme tune from Rocky, one of the great underdog movies!"

SPORTbible has contacted Wrexham for comment.

Topics: Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, FA Cup, League Two, League One

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton