Performance People Inside Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Gamble | Wrexham Director Shaun Harvey
Wrexham’s rise has been framed as a Hollywood story. The reality is rather more structured.
In this episode, Wrexham director Shaun Harvey breaks down what’s actually driven the transformation, from the earliest conversations during lockdown, through to building a club now pushing towards the Premier League.
At the centre of it is the ownership model. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney didn’t just bring capital, they brought attention, storytelling and global reach. But critically, the football operation was never compromised. The club comes first. The documentary follows.
What emerges is a clear set of principles:
* Stay authentic
* Avoid gimmicks
* Trust football expertise
* Build for the community first
The result is a model that blends performance, narrative and commercial growth, without losing credibility.
This is not just a football story. It’s a case study in how modern sports organisations can scale: by combining elite performance with disciplined storytelling and long-term thinking.
00:00 Introduction
00:03 Ryan Reynolds and Rob as Wrexham co-chairmen
00:29 How the Wrexham takeover began
05:18 Why Wrexham meant so much to the community
08:33 The Supporters Trust meeting that decided everything
11:25 The original plan for Wrexham
13:04 Why Ryan and Rob did it differently
15:10 Football first, documentary second
21:03 The breakthrough that changed everything
25:59 Why Ryan and Rob don’t interfere
37:43 Community, ownership and the Premier League dream
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The Performance People podcast, in partnership with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, talks to high-performers in the world of sport and beyond, to bring defining moments, hard-earned insights and expert advice to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday.
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The views and opinions expressed on Performance People are those of the guests and hosts, and do not necessarily represent the views of ainslie + ainslie, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, or any affiliated organisations.
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