JUST when you thought it couldn’t get any more exciting, the crazy ride with Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds gets even more wonderful.

No, I’m not talking about the dead rubber fought out last Tuesday by Port Vale reserves and the Wrexham players on the fringe of the first XI!

The BBC Stoke commentator behind me summed the occasion up perfectly by describing its conclusion as “a totally pointless penalty shoot-out in front of an empty stand”.

Instead, I’m talking about how the ambitious off-field targets of the owners seem to be coming closer to fruition.

Firstly, the new plans which are being pulled together for the redevelopment of the SToK Cae Ras, rather than just the rebuilding of the Kop, are being heavily trailed as an incredible leap forwards for the club. I can’t wait to see them.

Coming hand-in-hand with those ambitious intentions is the minority investment of the Allyn family. This is great news, and it was Birmingham City that really brought it home to me.

The “Clash of the Hollywood Clubs” title that the media scrambled to attach to that game was embarrassing, as what we’re looking to achieve was reduced down to the simplest common denominator.

However, there was an important lesson to learn from St Andrew’s. Birmingham had put their side together at great expense, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Just how great the outlay on quality players Birmingham had made was clear throughout the game. This was the first time since Rob and Ryan invested in Wrexham that we came up against league opposition who had invested in the sort of quality which could overwhelm us.

The obvious example to point to is Jay Stansfield, who grabbed the headlines on deadline day when he arrived for a deal in the region of £15,000,000: a record for the division, and a jaw-dropping figure.

Looking beyond him, a sign of the quality and depth they have is that Christoph Klarer, the Austrian centre back they signed from SV Darmstadt, who started over 30 games in the Bundesliga last season, had been drafted in for £4 million.

His arrival, possibly due to his position, perhaps because of a general ignorance about Bundesliga football, did not attract any fanfares. However, it should be pointed out amidst all the hullabaloo about our spending this summer, that his fee is eight times greater than we’ve ever paid for a player.

Again, I’m not complaining about this, but it does show that even Rob and Ryan’s largesse has limits. Attracting minority investors is an important part of their plan, and bringing more people in who are able to contribute to our project is an exciting development.

It broadens the base of investors we are able to turn to when we need more cash, and it potentially funds those structural projects that will improve the Kop, the Academy and the stadium as a whole.

The fact that the Allyn family have a proven track record of investing in communities as well as businesses fits beautifully with what Rob and Ryan have established at Wrexham.

Indeed, it’s my understanding that their input into work which benefits the city was an element in the agreement which was reached. It’s exciting to think that we might be able to do even more lasting good for Wrexham.

Having investors with deep pockets is a step towards being able to compete with the likes of Birmingham City in the long term, as we look to grow the club.

The leap up to Championship level is a considerable one, and while Phil Parkinson and his scouting team have a terrific eye for value for money signings, we’ll have to enter a market where we start paying the sort of fees Birmingham did this summer to compete.

The more groups willing to put cash into the club, the better, even if it’s infrastructure they invest in, rather than chipping in for players.

An expanded stadium, improved hospitality facilities and a range of opportunities to spend pre-match will all boost our revenue, so investment in the fabric of the club might not catch the eye, but it will be hugely beneficial.

The bottom line is we’re growing the club, making it more natural that we belong at a higher level than we’ve inhabited throughout our long history. Already, we’re remarkably popular internationally; with wise investment, we can hit even greater heights. Exciting, isn’t it?

Take an “l” out of their name and the Allyn Family suddenly sound very Welsh.

If they fancy going for a pint and a pie at the Alyn, I’ll be happy to drive them to Rossett. They are paying though!