Since becoming owners of Wrexham in November 2020, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been keen to develop everything about the club from the playing squad to the stadium.
One of the first projects they invested in as owners was the redevelopment of the Kop Stand at one end of the stadium. In January 2023, the old Kop was demolished with a view to a new stand being erected.
Originally, the club had planned for the new Kop to be built in time for the start of the 2024/25 season but those plans are now nothing but a pipe dream. A temporary stand has been fitted in its place for the time being while the club goes back and forth with the local council over planning permission.
Despite the ongoing issues with the Kop redevelopment, Reyonds and McElhenney are not losing sight of the long-term plan for the club. Wrexham have secured promotion from League Two and will be playing in League One next season and the two Hollywood actors have grand plans for the future of the stadium.
Wrexham stadium expansion on the agenda
As part of promotion for the latest series of ‘Welcome to Wrexham', Reynolds and McElhenney have conducted an interview with American website, Collider, about a possible Wrexham stadium expansion. McElhenney said:
“We have a plan in place right now that would eventually work from stand to stand, so eventually you get all four sides. It's hard to say for sure, but we think we could get between 45-55,000 people in there.”
Reynolds added that he wanted to develop the ground to a point where “the whole town could come to the game” with the duo keen to build on the current good feeling around the club.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have some big aims for Wrexham's Racecourse Ground 👀#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/p7WSecRfj2
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) May 1, 2024
Wrexham owners discuss Kop delays
In the same interview, the American duo opened up about their frustrations in relation to the Kop redevelopment. Reynolds said:
“I think the thick buttress of bureaucracy is the biggest problem. I live in New York, Rob lives in LA, where construction is very different, in as much as they will charge you $10 for every $1 you spend.
“But in Wales, it really is a lot of red tape, and it's just sort of figuring out ways to tick all those boxes and make sure that every single bureaucrat is happy.”
McElhenney added: “It is definitely a comedic point of consternation in the show how often we're running up against bureaucracy. Of course, safety concerns and things like that, and all those regulations are there in place for a reason, but then there are some things that just seem like hurdles for hurdles' sake.”