Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have received a huge boost in their bid to acquire the lease of STok Racecourse from the Wrexham Supporters Trust.
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Hollywood co-owners completed takeover in 2021Stadium freehold acquired in 2022Pushing to acquire lease for the ground in 2023WHAT HAPPENED?
Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney completed their stunning takeover of the Red Dragons in the spring of 2021. In the June of 2022, it was announced that the club had purchased the freehold of the Racecourse from Wrexham Glyndwr University for £2 million – with a covenant agreed at that stage which would see the Welsh outfit remain in their current home until “at least 2115”.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Wrexham aired their frustration in January 2023 at failing to move things on from there, with the leasehold for StoK Racecourse proving difficult to acquire from the WST. Several rounds of “complex talks” have been blamed for the delay in a complicated legal matter that loyal supporters are understandably keen to ensure is completed in the right manner – with the best interests of the club at heart. WST chairman Barry Jones told the Fearless in Devotion podcast back in July: “We have 100% belief in Rob and Ryan. The issue is in many years to come Rob and Ryan will sell the club one day. I hope it’s not for 20 years or 30 – whatever. But what we don’t want is Hamilton II. Rob and Ryan own the football club, they bought the freehold from the university – and there is the lease.”
WHAT THEY SAID
Progress is now being made, with it revealed that the WST have agreed “in principle” to part with the Racecourse lease. A read: “On Monday November 6th the Trust board considered the proposal received from the Club regarding the surrender of the current Racecourse Cae Ras leasehold structure. The board unanimously approved in principle; subject to the finalisation of the legal documents, to seek approval at a special general meeting of the Trust members to surrender the leases to the Club and to replace them with legally binding covenants to ensure that Wrexham AFC first team’s home remains where it is today. The board will be issuing a members’ document pack next week and will convene the special general meeting as soon as possible in accordance with the Trust’s rules. We hope as many members as possible will partake in the vote and we will announce details of the process in due course.”
Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Reynolds and McElhenney, along with the rest of the Wrexham board, will be hoping that there are no more obstacles to clear from here and that legal formalities can be completed without a hitch. The Dragons are in the process of refurbishing their famous old ground, as the Kop stand gets a serious facelift, and superstar co-chairmen have helped to deliver a remarkable upturn in fortune on and off the pitch in North Wales.
