WREXHAM co-chairmen Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are the UK's favourite football club owners.
My client surveyed 1,000 football fans on the rise of celebrity football club owners and found the duo came out as clear winners, with 56.7 per cent of fans agreeing.
Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney’s successful acquisition of Wrexham and their award-winning Disney+ show 'Welcome to Wrexham' saw an influx of tourists heading to the Welsh city, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by football supporters.
Tourism revenue in Wrexham reached about 180 million pounds ($235 million) in 2023, up 20 per cent from the year before and almost 50 per cent since 2018, according to Ian Bancroft, chief executive of Wrexham County Borough Council.
The duo beat off stiff competition from past and present club owners, with Elton John finishing in second place for his contributions to Watford. and Liverpool owner LeBron James following close behind.
From the list of past and present celebrity football club owners below, which do you think about most positively?
Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney (Wrexham) - 56.7%
Elton John (Watford) - 28.2%
LeBron James (Liverpool) - 27.2%
Stormzy (Croydon) - 19.1%
Delia Smith (Norwich City) - 18.8%
Alan Sugar (Tottenham) - 18.1%
Michael B. Jordan (Bournemouth) - 16.8%
Jade Thirwall (South Shields) - 4.7%
Other - 2.1%
- 50.5% of football fans support the idea of celebrities investing in football clubs
- If fans had to choose a type of celebrity to own their favourite team, they would trust actors the most, followed by authors and then musicians
- Reality stars are the least trusted, scoring just 3.4% from fans.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here