fairy tale A true North Wales

Back in October 2021 Wrexham AFC’s new owners finally visited Wrexham for the first time. This eagerly anticipated visit was deemed a triumph from all sides and cements what was already looking positive, as the start of a beautiful long-distance relationship.

With FLEUR ROBINSON Chief Executive Wrexham AFC

THE STORY STARTS BACK IN MAY 2019, when Wrexham's board was approached about talks with two mystery investors. As we now know, those investors would turn out to be Hollywood movie megastar Ryan Reynolds and Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator and star Rob McElhenney. They were voted in almost unanimously by members of Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST) in September 2020, who were sold on their vision for the club, and in November 2020 over 98% of the supporters voted in favour of the takeover.

In February 2021, the takeover was completed and Rob and Ryan invested £2 million in the club immediately on its completion, with the deal also containing plans for a documentary on the takeover called Welcome to Wrexham. The documentary will follow the Hollywood duo's “crash course in football club ownership" and much filming was carried out during the recent visit.

The interview

Earlier last month (November), a few short weeks after the visit, we had the opportunity to interview Fleur Robinson, the new chief executive of Wrexham AFC. Fleur only joined the club in June this year, and what a first six months she has had!

Fleur joins Wrexham AFC with an impressive CV as commercial director at Burton Albion, where she spent 26 years building the club within the League and the local community.

“The role with Wrexham AFC was a fantastic opportunity for me personally and professionally, but there is also a mountain of work that has needed to be tackled. As with football clubs up and down the country, the stadium was shut for so long due to Covid, so we have had to work out how to reopen in a Covid-safe way and how to deal with the increased crowds that are now – excitingly – attending our home games. Our last gate was 9,800, a huge turnout and close to capacity.

Setting out our stall

“Wrexham AFC has always been an important club, with a huge catchment, and our new owners have just increased that reach. The club has always played an important role within the local community, supporting local initiatives and building relationships with local businesses. This is something we are keen to see continue and develop. Our new co-Chairs have set out their goal, guiding principles and hard promises in a mission statement to the supporters, staff, players and friends of Wrexham AFC, so everything we do will align with their mission.

“It is amazing that we have secured sponsorship with the likes of Tik Tok, Expedia and Aviation Gin this year. However, the relationships we have developed with our local sponsors over many years – from stand sponsors and short sponsors, through to our partners, and of course, all of our other sponsors too – are equally as important to us. We are looking to maximise on the global interest that our global partners are providing to us, while building and developing our relationships much closer to home –both new and existing.

Building on good foundations

“On the pitch, the initial investment from our owners has enabled us to secure exciting new players and our new manager, Phil Parkinson. Our ultimate aim is for promotion within the League. Meanwhile, off the pitch, we are also busy building on the foundations of our team and backroom staff. We are currently undertaking a recruitment process, which will hopefully provide some exciting opportunities for local people.

“Wrexham AFC has a wonderful opportunity and while the level of interest this year has been phenomenal, it is important that we are creative now in how we harness the interest, to ensure that we develop a sustainable club for the future. As well as our grounds for our home fixtures, the Racecourse offers year-round commercial opportunities as a venue for business and leisure. We want to explore the potential of the venue and how it can be used in the future.

Opportunities for all

“While a lot of focus is currently on the men’s team and how it is performing within the league, our women’s, youth and disability teams are all intrinsic to the overall success of the club. We are determined that all the teams will receive the same opportunities and support. We also have plans to further raise the profile of the Racecourse Foundation and ensure that we are working with grass roots organisations across the area, doing what we can to make a difference.

“This certainly held true when Rob and Ryan visited us last month. The trip was hugely anticipated and for a while they were with us, we were potentially the most talked about club in the world! The guys spent time getting to understand the club and the teams and meeting the players. They also held a Fans Forum one evening. They are genuinely invested in the club, the town and its future, and it is very special to be part of this exciting journey.

Building connections

“My only regret about my first six months in position is that with everything that I have had to get stuck into, I haven’t had chance to meet as many people in the business community as I would like. I am keen to start meeting local businesses and look at what opportunities there are to partner, to work together for our mutual benefit and the benefit of the wider community. I am keen to redress the balance in the new year.”

If you would like to discuss any opportunities with Fleur, she would welcome the contact and the opportunity to get to know the local business community. Please contact media@wrexhamafc.co.uk

Powering up

One of the highlights of the recent visit by the club’s co-Chairs, was the time spent with Powerchair Football. Kerry Evans is the disability liaison officer at Wrexham AFC. She has been in her role for four years.

She explains: “For me, the highlight of their visit was being told they would be attending our Powerchair Football session on the Friday evening. Powerchair Football has been in the making for the past 12 months and the work that has gone into getting it set up is outstanding. The Racecourse Community Foundation do an amazing job of coaching these sessions and it is one of the many projects I’ve achieved that I’m most proud of. These sessions can change lives and introduce a sport to disabled people. Anyone with a disability can play, but you must sit in a powerchair whether you are a wheelchair user or not.”

The sponsors

The club’s sponsors have a key role to play in the future of the club too, and Wrexham AFC is proud to have some amazing sponsors. Alongside global brands including Tik Tok, Expedia and Aviation Gin, the club celebrates some other key local sponsors including:

Stand sponsors:

WREXRENT, Wrexham Lager, Macron

Short sponsors:

Ifor Williams Trailers

Partners:

Ifor Williams, Town and Country, Barlows

Throughout the last year, there has already been some fun publicity stunts, like the spoof ad the co-Chairs did last Christmas for Ifor Williams Trailers and also the fan-made Alright Laaamarni ad. There were also the deliveries of Aviation Gin to many of the bars and restaurants in Wrexham town centre. But perhaps the best one so far was the Wrexham sign, done in the style of Hollywood, which mysteriously appeared just outside the town and turned out to be a publicity stunt by National League sponsors, Vanarama

We asked a couple of the other sponsors what difference the new owners would make to the club and the town, and here’s what they said:

Nick Evans

DIRECTOR AT EVANS LAMSLEY

“We are proud to sponsor Wrexham AFC. We are enjoying the excitement that the new owners have bought to the town and that fact that it’s building up the area. It’s going to bring in so many more visitors to the town and hopefully generate greater success on the pitch too.”

Vaughn Rawson

DIRECTOR AT RAWSON DIGITAL

“As a long-term Wrexham fan I was inspired to renew our sponsorship with Wrexham AFC. We think that the club is on the brink of something special and really wanted to play a part in the story. The owners have already shown their intent to support, not only the football club, but also the communities and people surrounding it. Whether it is supporting fundraisers or driving footfall into the town, we have seen the impact and can’t wait to see it develop."

Wrexham AFC mission statement

To the supporters, staff, players, friends and family of Wrexham AFC:

We’re two people who’ve made a career of never taking ourselves too seriously. However, we realise taking stewardship of this great and storied club is an incredibly serious matter and something we don’t take lightly. With that in mind, we wanted to take you through our Goal, Principles and Promises.

Our Goal

Our goal is to grow the team, return it to the EFL in front of increased attendances at an improved stadium while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham.

Hard Promises

Provide comprehensive financial support for the manager and his coaching team. Build a sustainable model which will attract the best players and best staff to the Racecourse Ground.

Always beat Chester.*

Explore the renovation of the Racecourse Ground and improve the venue for the club, for International matches and perhaps, the occasional Tom Jones gig.

Invest in a permanent training facility that is worthy of an EFL club.

Guarantee the club cannot be relocated, renamed or rebranded. Appropriate and respectful observance of the Gresford Colliery Disaster will remain sacrosanct.

Recognising the role fans and the WST have played in stewarding the club through extremely difficult times, we will create an honorary board that includes fans, representatives of the WST and WAFC alongside our own advisors.

Ensure the continued presence of Dixie McNeil as the club’s honorary President, subject to his desire.

Always beat Chester.*

Expand club staff to take advantage of increased interest in Wrexham, both locally and internationally.

Recognise and reinforce Wrexham AFC’s role as a leading force for community good in the town. Work with the Club’s Disability Liaison Officer, Kerry Evans, to retain and enhance Wrexham’s reputation as an inclusive and forward-thinking club, alongside other important local groups such as the Racecourse Community Foundation, food banks and schools.

Commit to a more ecologically-sustainable version of the club and stadium.

Commit to transparent decision making with regular and open communication.

Ensure that when the day comes that we leave the Club, it will be in a better position than it is today.

ALWAYS BEAT CHESTER.*

*If we ever play Chester again.

Rob and Ryan

To read the full mission statement visit: www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/club/mission-statement