Wrexham out to write another chapter in storybook rise

Wrexham's storybook rise under the ownership of Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has left them on the cusp of a remarkable third successive promotion, a tale that has captivated fans on both sides of the Atlantic.

While Reynolds, a Canadian, and his American co-owner McElhenney have turned the club into an international phenomenon with the success of their "Welcome to Wrexham" TV documentary, the Red Dragons have kept pace with their performance on the pitch.

On Saturday local media say both actors are expected to be at The Racecourse Ground for a potentially historic match against Charlton Athletic with direct promotion to English soccer's second-tier Championship within reach.

They need to beat Charlton while Wycombe Wanderers must drop points against Leyton Orient.

"Oh my God, I literally have an eight-inch ulcer in my stomach right now," Reynolds, best known for his superhero character Deadpool, said at this week's TIME100 summit in New York. "It's the end of the season, and it all comes down to the next two weeks. They just can't do it easily...

"We're all losing it and the stress is killing us all. Everyone keeps saying that (it makes for better TV) but that's not a consolation at all. Winning is."

Birmingham City - of which NFL great Tom Brady is a minority owner - top the League One table on 102 points, 16 points above second-placed Wrexham, who have two games remaining. Birmingham sealed promotion earlier this month.

A huge viewing audience will surely tune in on Saturday from North America, where Wrexham are wildly popular thanks to the documentary and the team's owners.

The club's annual report for 2023-24 released last month showed a geographical split of turnover of 52.1 per cent generated from