Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have pumped large sums of money into the club over the last few years but have been told that may need to increase further
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney gave telling reactions when told Wrexham’s wages may need to be quadrupled if they reach the Championship. Phil Parkinson’s side are on the verge of a possible third successive promotion as they currently sit second in League One.
The two Hollywood actors have so far pumped millions of pounds into Wrexham since taking over in February 2021. The latest accounting figures released last week show the club’s wage bill, including both playing and non-playing staff, stood at a whopping £11million in League Two last season.
That sum will have risen again this term as the Red Dragons have added a number of high earners, including January signings Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez. Former Premier League frontman Rodriguez is reportedly being paid £15,000 per week, including add-ons, after leaving Burnley during the winter transfer window.
Wrexham director Humprey Ker has now revealed the amount spent on wages in the third tier will need to be quadrupled to remain competitive if the club are promoted to the Championship. However, he said he was left reassured by Reynolds and McElhenney’s responses to the news when they were told during a Zoom meeting.
« We’ve done a lot of strategic forecasting and things like that, » Ker told the Fearless in Devotion fan podcast. « This was something that was discussed very early on this season in terms of what it would likely end up costing. Everybody is very aware of what would be required, which is good.
« When we had that Zoom, I watched like a hawk and I was looking at Rob and Ryan’s boxes to see what their faces do when these kinds of sums come up. They both looked very calm, which was good. »
Wrexham have increased their annual turnover to an astonishing £26.7m thanks to the global attention attracted by Reynolds and McElhenney’s ownership and the success of their Welcome to Wrexham documentary. Despite recording an overall loss of £2.7m during the financial year ending in June 2024, the club has lucrative commercial deals with the likes of United Airlines and HP to fall back on to fund the rise up the leagues.
It follows a sharp increase in sponsorship revenue from £1.9m to £13.2m year-on-year, which Ker said demonstrated that Wrexham are not solely reliant on money from the owners to keep running. He added that commercial income would only continue to increase if the club does gain promotion.
Ker said: « I think what the accounts showed recently is that despite what many fans of other clubs have felt, where Rob and Ryan are just pumping money into this thing, it’s not [like that], and we have spent our sponsorship money on things.
« If and when we do go up into the Championship, those sponsorship deals will get bigger and the TV money will get bigger. We will find ways to pay for it that do not include dumping a lot of debt onto the football club. »
Wrexham kept up their promotion push on Saturday after registering a 2-0 win at Exeter City thanks to goals from Ollie Rathbone and Jay Rodriguez. The result saw Parkinson’s side stay in the automatic spots with seven matches left to play, three points in front of Wycombe Wanderers, who have a game in hand.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Poster un Commentaire