Wrexham AFC, a Welsh lower-league football team, has been transformed since its 2020 takeover by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The pair have invested millions in the team, including laying a new pitch, constructing a new stand, and producing a Disney+ documentary about the process. However, it seems that behind every great man stands a great woman, as Reynolds’ wife, Gossip Girl star Blake Lively, has also become increasingly involved in the team.
Lively, who has four children with Reynolds, has been seen at Wrexham matches and has become something of a lucky charm for the team, who have recently enjoyed a string of great results. She has been involved in various ways, from getting her business involved in sponsorship deals to making a touching gesture to a player’s family. Lively has even invested in the women’s team, with her business Betty Buzz named as one of their sponsors last year.
Reynolds and McElhenney’s takeover of Wrexham reportedly cost £2 million and came about after Reynolds slid into McElhenney’s direct messages to say he admired his work. The pair purchased the football team, which is the third oldest professional club in the world, with a 10,500 capacity stadium and currently plays in the National League.
Lively seems to have embraced the idea of owning a football team and has become increasingly invested in Wrexham. Reynolds has even confessed that his wife might be even more obsessed with the team than he is. Her appearances at matches have delighted local fans, and she has built up a strong rapport with them.
Lively’s dry sense of humour has also been on display at matches. She recently left a fan in stitches by telling his girlfriend to dump him when he asked if she could say hi to her. Lively’s attendance at matches has also overshadowed co-owner McElhenney on occasion, with a recent BBC article failing to acknowledge him in the headline.
However, it’s not all laughs for Lively and Reynolds. Their vision for the team is not only to win games and eventually be promoted to the Premier League, but also to benefit the local community. This was demonstrated when one of the Wrexham players, Jordan Davies, and his partner suffered the stillbirth of their son, Arthur. Lively and Reynolds, along with McElhenney and his wife Kaitlin, donated £10,000 to a GoFundMe page set up in the baby’s memory.
Overall, it seems that Lively and Reynolds are more than just Wrexham’s celebrity owners. They have become invested in the team and its community, and their involvement has helped to transform the club.