Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney enjoyed an uncomfortable phone call with Sir Alex Ferguson to announce the non-league club’s preseason match against Manchester United this summer.
Back in November 2020, Deadpool star Reynolds teamed with McElhenney - renowned for creating and starring in ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ - to purchase Wrexham for $2.76million (£2.25m). The star pair have become symbols of Welsh football around the world with the publicity and exposure their platforms bought to the club and the area, largely though the popular Disney+ documentary titled ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ - which was a hit in the United States.
Wrexham are currently top of the National League and their celebrity owners have big plans for the future, with games against the Premier League giants now confirmed. The Red Dragons’ clash with Erik ten Hag’s side is scheduled to go down in San Diego at Snapdragon Stadium in July, forming part of United’s preseason tour of the US.
The contest is the opening match of United’s preseason tour to the United States, which will heavily feature young players from the United squad as well as academy prospects. The match with Wrexham will go down on 25 July as part of a week-long training camp in San Diego.
On Monday, McElhenney posted an announcement video to his social media of himself and Reynolds about to jump on a video call with Ferguson, the iconic Manchester United manager. The duo are clearly nervous ahead of the occasion, although Reynolds appears to be more unsettled than the excited McElhenney. “I can’t believe we’re about to talk with the Sir Alex Ferguson, arguably the greatest football manager ever,” McElhenney said. “He’s won 13 Premier League titles."
After a few nervous and awkward silences in the promo, McElhenney and Reynolds suggest how the fans of both Wrexham and Manchester United will enjoy the occasion, only for further silence. The Deadpool star then suggests Ferguson is ‘living in [their] heads rent free’ before he finally fills the void with a made-up excuse.
He jokes: “Sir Alex, we would love to talk more about the big match happening at SnapDragon Stadium in San Diego on July 25th, but Rob here has a hair appointment in Beverly Hills. He has to get it to it right now, so the schedule is inflexible for that. So thank you sir, we appreciate you. Bye!”
Reynolds hangs up the call while McElhenney protests the excuse, before adding the experience was terrifying. Reynolds adds: “I told you - legendary intimidator. Lives right up here.”
The clip then cuts to Ferguson sipping a tea in his office, and he is asked how the call with Wrexham’s owners went. The 81-year-old said: “They were on mute. Never heard a thing.”
Reynolds and McElhenney were in attendance at the Racecourse Stadium as Wrexham secured a 3-0 win over York City. It means their club are three points clear at the summit of the National League with a game in hand and six games left to play this season.
