When Art Imitates Life; Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Ted Lasso and British Football.
Wrexham AFC, one of the oldest and most storied football clubs in Wales has seen its fair share of ups and downs over the years. But, in recent years, the team has experienced a resurgence and tremendous success under the strong leadership of a new ownership group.
Since 2018, Wrexham has been owned by Vancouver’s own Ryan Reynolds and American born Rob McElhenney, and the duo have brought new energy, vitality and vision to the club. And it looks like success and the team have both swiped right on one another!
What has been the recipe for success?
1. Clear vison and communication. From the outset, Reynolds and McElhenney were clear about their goals for Wrexham. They want to see the club rise through the ranks and compete at high levels of football, while also engaging with the local community and honouring the club’s rich history. They have communicated this vision consistently, both to fans and to the wider football world (look at me…I don’t even watch British football, yet I have been following this team for a few years now!)
2. Investment in infrastructure. In order to compete at a high level, Wrexham needed to improve its infrastructure. And this has happened in a number of key areas including the playing surface at the Racecourse Ground, the club’s training facilities, and the overall gameday experience for fans. Investment throughout shows a long-term commitment to the success of the club.
3. Trust in the management. Reynolds and McElhenney put their trust in the management team of the club Fleur Robinson and manager Phil Parkinson. They have supported these two to do their jobs without interference, while providing the support and resources when needed. As a result, the team has been operating smoothly and efficiently and this has translated to success on the pitch.
4. Community engagement. Wrexham is a club with deep roots in the local community, and Reynolds and McElhenney have been keen to honour this legacy. They have engaged with fans (making good on promises to drink with fans when in town) and local businesses, attending community events and inviting fans to participate in key decisions about the future of the club.
I would be remiss if I didn’t draw your attention to the similarities between the story of Wrexham AFC and the popular TV show “Ted Lasso”.
An American coach is hired to manage a struggling English football team, despite having no experience with the sport. And, like Reynolds and McElhenney, Ted Lasso’s leadership style is based on positivity, empathy, and a focus on building strong relationships with his players and community. Further, like Ted Lasso, they have taken a positive and empathetic approach to leadership and have emphasized the importance of building strong relationships with the club’s players, management team and fans.
Finally, the TV show and the real-life story of both football teams are rooted in the idea of an underdog rising up against the odds. Wrexham, a small club in a lower league, has been striving to achieve success against more established teams with more resources. So too has Ted lasso’s fictional team been the perennial underdog that has struggled to compete in the upper echelons of English football.
It is a simplified stretch and the details of the stories are very different, but the themes of positivity, empathy, community engagement, and overcoming the odds along with a sprinkling of Hollywood stardust have been the recipe for success for both teams.