The records keep tumbling for Wrexham.
Saturday’s victory over Oldham Athletic took the Welsh club to 100 points for the first time in their history, while the 105 goals racked up by Phil Parkinson’s men is an all-time Vanarama National League record.
Off the field, it has been a similar story, with the accounts for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s first full season at the helm revealing how turnover soared by 404 per cent to almost £6million, another record for non-League football.
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These soaring income levels, however, couldn’t prevent Wrexham from posting a loss of £2.9million, much of which was down to a hike in player wages and football costs as the club chased promotion to the EFL.
The figures also reveal how the joint owners, via The R.R. McReynolds Company LLC, had loaned the club £3.67million, primarily to fund the purchase of the freehold to the Racecourse Ground. Another £1.2million was invested in the form of shares.
So, The Athletic has taken a deep dive into the club’s accounts to answer some of the most pressing questions… including whether promotion to the EFL and being subject to the League Two spending restrictions in 2023-24 will mean a need to rein in the spending.
First up, what period are we talking?
The latest accounts cover the year to June 30, 2022 — so, basically, the first full season with Reynolds and McElhenney at the helm. This was a campaign that saw Wrexham finish as runners-up behind Stockport County.
Defeat to Grimsby Town in the play-offs meant there was no fairytale ending to the Hollywood owners’ first full year. Included in this financial period is the purchase of the Racecourse Ground in a £2million deal from Wrexham Glyndwr University, meaning the club owned its home for the first time since August 2011.
Not included in this accounting period is the impact caused by the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, which first aired on Disney+ in the UK and FX in the United States during the autumn of 2022.
What are the headline figures?
Apart from the already mentioned annual loss of £2.9million and £6m in turnover, you mean? Well, breaking down that revenue figure, matchday income accounted for £2.65m in 2021-22 and retail income £1.3m.
Sponsorship and advertising also brought in £1.05m. All were substantial rises on the 2020-21 campaign, which saw the gates to the Racecourse remain closed throughout due to COVID-19 restrictions.
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Football costs were also up significantly to £3.94million, a rise of 294 per cent. This figure includes all football expenses, ranging from player and staff wages through to travel costs for away matches.
Paul Mullin has fired Wrexham to a record-setting amount of goals (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
Wrexham’s directors opted not to include a full profit and loss breakdown in the accounts, so a definitive wage bill figure is unavailable. However, episode 11 of Welcome to Wrexham features Shaun Harvey, the advisor to the board, telling McElhenney the additions in the 2022 January transfer window will push the annual wage bill to “around £2.3 million”.
It is understood this figure rose further during the final few months of last season due to a couple of players negotiating new contracts, leaving the club with a wage bill of £2.5million. Staff numbers across the club rose from 80 to 195.
Delving a little deeper into the accounts, Wrexham spent £1.2million on players during the financial year, a sum that includes transfer fees and agent fees (up from just £10,000 in 2020-21). The club’s record transfer fee was broken when Ollie Palmer joined from AFC Wimbledon in the January window for £300,000.
Had promotion been achieved last season, the club would have been liable for an additional £250,676 under the terms of those transfer deals, the extra payments being due to both the players involved and the selling clubs.
Amid such big numbers, perhaps the most reassuring aspect for supporters is that Reynolds and McElhenney consider themselves to be only getting started “in this wonderful place we have taken to our hearts”.
Does the club pay interest on the £3.7million in loans from the owners?
It does, yes. At three per cent over the Bank of England base rate, which at the moment stands at 4.25 per cent. This means the interest on the loans being paid currently is 7.25 per cent. In the financial year to June 30, 2022, the interest charged was £43,679.
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“There is no immediate pressure to repay these loans that funded the purchase of the Racecourse Ground and stadium improvements,” says the directors’ report that accompanies the accounts.
Reynolds and McElhenney also ploughed a further £1.2million into the club in the form of buying up shares. Under National League rules, all money must be introduced as equity unless the intention is to spend on capital projects, such as stadium expansion or, as in Wrexham’s case, buying back their home ground.
How do Wrexham’s financial figures compare to the rest of the National League?
Pretty similar, to be fair. Stockport County, in winning last season’s National League title, posted a financial deficit of £4.8million in the year to June 30, 2022.
As for those left behind, Notts County, currently three points adrift of Wrexham in the table, lost £1.7million in 2021-22, while Woking and Chesterfield, third and fourth heading into Easter, lost £965,000 and £2.3million respectively last season.
GO DEEPERFear and losses in the National League: 'Clubs of our size generally lose around £1m a year'What will Wrexham’s balance sheet look like this season?
That’s the problem with the publication of any business accounts, they are invariably from at least nine months earlier and, in football, where on-field fortunes can change very quickly, painting an accurate picture of the current state of play isn’t easy.
This is particularly so for Wrexham, who, since the most recently published accounts, have been turned into a global sporting phenomenon by the documentary’s success.
What we can say with confidence is that the wage bill will have gone up. Phil Parkinson has again been busy in the transfer market, mainly signing players from the divisions above.
Ryan Reynolds, co-owner of Wrexham, greets home supporters (Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
As was mentioned several times in Welcome to Wrexham, the club has had to pay a premium to get players who could otherwise have stayed in the EFL to drop down to non-League. That should, in theory, end the moment promotion is secured, but this season it will very much have been a reality.
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Other costs will have risen amid the cost of living crisis, including energy bills. Happily, turnover is also likely to be up significantly from those record figures of 2021-22.
Matchday income, responsible for 45 per cent of last season’s total revenue, is likely to be up thanks to the ‘sold out’ signs regularly being posted at the Racecourse, not least because admission prices were raised last summer.
Retail sales will also reflect how the club sold out their entire order of 24,000 team shirts by the turn of the year. Such was the demand that 35,000 shirts have been ordered for next season.
Also likely to be on the rise is sponsorship and advertising, albeit not by too much due to the two-year deals that were signed with blue chip sponsors such as TikTok, Expedia and Aviation American Gin back in the summer of 2021 — and way before the impact of the documentary could be known.
Going forward, however, those agreements are likely to be much more lucrative, with the club now able to charge sponsors accordingly whose exposure has been off the scale.
Ah yes, the documentary. Any idea of a ballpark figure in terms of what the club earns from Welcome to Wrexham?
Nothing, directly at least. That was never the intention. Instead, the plan was always to use the global exposure to drive the club’s commercial operations, be that sponsorship, selling shirts and so on.
Following the phenomenal success of the show — something that is understood to have taken even the owners by surprise — Wrexham are now in a strong position when it comes to negotiating with any interested partners.
It is why Racecourse insiders describe Welcome to Wrexham as “the club’s biggest commercial asset”, even though club coffers do not benefit directly. That much is expected to become apparent in the accounts for the 2023-24 year when those sponsorship deals negotiated on the back of a successful first series will feature.
How would promotion change things on the financial front?
Revenue will go up immediately, even without a ball being kicked. All League Two clubs receive a central payment from the EFL of around £1.1million, covering their share of TV income/sponsorship and the annual Premier League solidarity payment.
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This will be a seven-figure increase on what Wrexham receive currently as a member of the National League. Further TV payments could follow if the club’s matches are shown live by Sky, with £20,000 paid to the home team per game and £10,000 to the away side.
The EFL’s streaming service could also prove very lucrative, not least because the clubs whose supporters buy the passes bank the lion’s share of the money.
Streaming was given the green light by the National League in December and Wrexham have proved hugely popular already. The only figures available so far cover the two months to February 7, with sales for matches involving the Welsh club raking in £225,000.
Once costs are taken into account, Wrexham’s cut is around 40 per cent — a welcome income stream but one likely to be dwarfed in the EFL thanks to their overseas army of fans not being subject to the UK’s Saturday 3pm TV blackout.
GO DEEPERHow the 3pm blackout works and why its days may be numberedThis season, Bradford City, comfortably League Two’s best-supported club but whose appeal is largely domestic-based, expect to bank around £300,000 via the iFollow service.
League Two’s 55 per cent rule
Promotion will mean next season having to comply with the EFL’s Salary Cost Management Protocol, whereby League Two clubs are restricted to spending 55 per cent of turnover on wages.
Thanks to the club’s rapidly growing income streams, this shouldn’t be a problem. Even if this season’s wage bill at the Racecourse is, as it seems, in the £3-3.5million bracket, Wrexham would comply thanks to a turnover that already compares favourably to most in the fourth tier.
With Parkinson’s squad full of players who had previously played at EFL level, there is an argument to suggest not too many changes will be needed to make a big impact in League Two. Every manager, however, likes to refresh and Wrexham’s growing commercial revenue makes that possible.
At a level where the average wage bill stands at a little under £2million and even the most well-supported, like Bradford City, spent £2.3million on salaries in 2021-22, this increased spending power could prove pivotal.
Clearly, exciting times lay ahead if Wrexham can get over the line this season, not least with the new Kop stand due to open ahead of the 2024-25 season, which will add around 5,500 to the capacity at the Racecourse.
No wonder the directors’ report to accompany the 2021-22 accounts includes the line: “The directors do not feel we are anywhere near reaching the ceiling of the club’s potential yet.”
The expert’s verdict
Kieran Maguire, a lecturer on football finance at the University of Liverpool and the man behind the Price Of Football blog, tellsThe Athletic: “As financial results, these are fine as long as the owners continue to fund the club.
“They have been generous owners. They’ve put money in in the form of shares. At the same time, they’ve also lent the club money and are charging interest. That’s not always the case with owners.
“But what this allowed the club to do is spend over £4million on property assets. That is great, as it is setting the club up to become more independent and more sustainable. That can only be welcomed. I’m always happy when money goes into the infrastructure rather than, say, what Everton did by blowing it all on players.
“Wrexham are surfing the wave at present. They are 90 per cent certain to get out of the National League and I think they will be in a very strong position in the EFL League Two next year.
“The documentary is clearly central to everything. Welcome to Wrexham is great and the club benefits from that via those deals from TikTok and so on. I’d also say the show has a few more series left in it.
“Going forward, though, the big question for me is whether Reynolds and McElhenney can attract other investors who will want to continue the progress after being seduced by the Disneyfication of Wrexham. That will be key in the longer term.”
(Top photo: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
FAQs
Does TikTok sponsor Wrexham? ›
Welcome to Wrexham is great and the club benefits from that via those deals from TikTok and so on.
Will Wrexham get promoted 2023? ›Wrexham are in pole position to win the National League in 2022/23 and secure automatic promotion to EFL League Two with just two matches left of their regular season (total of 46 games played).
Why did Wrexham get promoted? ›Wrexham edged an epic contest against their promotion rivals Notts County at the Racecourse Ground earlier in April to take a huge step towards promotion. Goalkeeper Ben Foster saving an injury-time penalty as Wrexham secured a vital 3-2 victory.
How much did Ryan Reynolds pay for Wrexham? ›Multiple reports all indicated that the price the Hollywood duo paid for the rights to own Wrexham was around £2 million ($2.5 million). Compare that to the several billions that the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool would cost!
How much does a TikTok sponsorship pay? ›The average cost for a sponsored post on TikTok
To collaborate with a TikTok influencer, expect to pay $2,741 per post, according to IZEA's platform data from the past eight years. (Read The State of Influencer Earnings to learn more.)
...
TikTok pricing for influencers:
- Nano: $50–$300.
- Micro: $300–$1,250.
- Mid: $1,250–$3,500.
- Macro: $3,500–$12,000.
- Celebrity: $12,000+
As a result of being promoted, Wrexham will receive £1.1 million from the English Football League (EFL) which will include TV income and sponsorship, as well as the annual Premier League solidarity payment.
Can Wrexham get promoted to Premier League? ›With Wrexham now set to play in League Two, they would have to earn promotion three more times to earn a Premier League place. That means the earliest season they could play the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea in league play would be 2026/27, but in reality, it will take longer than that.
Can you do a career with Wrexham? ›Join our team at the Racecourse Ground
To apply for any of the jobs listed, download and complete an application form or email vacancies@wrexhamafc.co.uk.
Back in November 2020, Deadpool star Reynolds teamed with Rob McElhenney - famed for creating and starring in 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' - to purchase Wrexham for $2.76million.
What happens to Wrexham now? ›
On a raucous evening at the Racecourse, and with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – the actors who have transformed the club since their 2021 takeover – in the stadium, Wrexham secured promotion to the Football League after a 15-year absence.
Did Wrexham miss out on promotion? ›“Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds and “It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia” star Rob McEllhenney took over Wrexham in November 2020, The third oldest professional team in the world, Wrexham missed out on promotion last season despite heavy investment and a much-followed reality show drove up interest in the follow-up ...
Is there a season 2 of welcome to Wrexham? ›Posting on their official Instagram account, Disney+ announced that the second season is on the way later this year with a caption that reads: "Coming in 2023, Season 2 is going to be WILD." The announcement was made with a photo of Reynolds and McElhenney holding aloft a trophy with a brilliant grin on their faces.
How much do Wrexham FC players earn? ›Paul Mullin – £4,500. Ollie Palmar – £4,000. Ben Tozer – £3,000. Aaron Hayden – £3,000.
How much is aviation gin worth? ›Aviation Gin
Much like the name of his gin company, Ryan's net worth took flight in 2020 when the Aviation American Gin brand was acquired by Diageo LLC for a reported $610 million.
100k-500k followers – mid-tier influencers (payouts range from $200-400) 500k-1 million followers – macro-influencers (earn $400-600 per post) 1 million or more followers – TikTok royalty (earn $750 – $1000 or more per post)
Does TikTok pay Canadian creators? ›TikTok Creator Fund
It's not expected to be available in Canada until later in 2023. But, for now, the Creator Fund is one way TikTokers in the United States, United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany, Spain, and Italy monetize their content.
Namely, this program allows you to make money from your videos since TikTok pays 2 to 4 cents per 1,000 views. Although it might not seem like much, the amount quickly racks up if your video goes viral and accumulates millions of views.
How many followers do you need on TikTok to get sponsored? ›Similar to other social media platforms, you should have at least 10,000 followers for brands to consider you. If you meet this requirement, in addition to the basic TikTok rules, it is likely you can get sponsored by a brand or business on TikTok.
Is it easy to get sponsored on TikTok? ›To get in, you need to meet TikTok's eligibility criteria, like having 100,000 followers, upgrading to a Pro account, and posting at least three videos in the past 28 days. Letting brands find you: By optimizing your content and profile, you can make yourself more discoverable to brands.
Does TikTok pay you for followers? ›
Can you make money on TikTok? The short answer is: Yes. To make money on TikTok directly you must be 18 years of age or older, have more than 10,000 followers, and have at least 100,000 views over the last 30 days. You can then apply to the TikTok Creator Fund in the app.
How much money did they make on Welcome to Wrexham? ›Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's hit series about Wrexham AFC has raked in almost £4million. Insiders claim that makers Disney have made a profit of £430,000 per episode since it launched on the streaming platform last year. Local businesses have also been praising the impact the show has had.
How much does Wrexham away end hold? ›The two tiers which make up the stand provide a capacity of 4,200.
When did Wrexham get relegated to the conference? ›Two years after the end of the First World War, Wrexham joined The Football League, where they spent eighty consecutive seasons, before being relegated to the Conference National in 2008.
What tier of football is Wrexham? ›Wrexham's men's team have won the National League title and promotion to League Two, the fourth tier of English football.
What league is Wrexham trying to get? ›“In 10 years', the plan is, now and has always been, Premier League,” Reynolds said before Wrexham's recent televised FA Cup cup tie against Sheffield United. They would have to rise through League One and Championship after League Two to reach the Promised Land of the Premier League.
What 3 teams get promoted to Premier League? ›Twenty teams are competing in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the Championship. The promoted teams are Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, who return after an absence of one, two and twenty-three years from the top flight respectively.
Who is the Canadian owner of Wrexham? ›UPDATE: After this story was originally published, Wrexham Football Club — which Ryan Reynolds and actor Rob McElhenney bought in 2021 — qualified for the fourth tier of the English football league system. The business of Ryan Reynolds is booming.
What are the benefits of Wrexham becoming a city? ›- Increased sense of local pride.
- A platform to promote Wrexham.
- Opportunities for local institutions and businesses to raise their profile and attract investment.
On the first anniversary of the takeover, in 2022, Wrexham had played 26 games of the 2021/22 season and had 13 wins and 46 points in total. They finished the campaign in second place, earning a further 42 points from the last 18 games of the season, and also reached the FA Trophy Final at Wembley.
How rich is Ryan Reynolds? ›
Reynolds has an estimated net worth of $350 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. T-Mobile entered into a $1.35 billion deal to buy Reynolds-backed wireless carrier Mint Mobile in March 2023. Reynolds sold his gin company, Aviation Gin, for $610 million to European alcohol company, Diageo in 2020.
Is welcome to Wrexham a success? ›Welcome to Wrexham was an instant hit, garnering a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and thrusting lower-division English soccer into the American mainstream. The success from a media and content perspective has been well-documented.
Who is the majority owner of Wrexham? ›Wrexham AFC Limited is wholly owned by The R.R. McReynolds Company, LLC, a company formed pursuant to the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act in the USA.
How did Ryan Reynolds end up buying Wrexham? ›As the story goes, it is apparently due to British comedian and writer Humphrey Ker that the pair ended up buying a football club. He was a writer on Mythic Quest with McElhenney and he explained to the BBC how his lunch habits led McElhenney to show an interest in football.
How did Wrexham get off? ›Wrexham kicked off the season by beating Eastleigh 2–1 in the National League. Wrexham has traded the top spot back and forth with Notts County throughout the season.
Will Wrexham become a city? ›Secretary of State for Wales, Sir Robert Buckland said: Congratulations to Wrexham on achieving city status.
What happens if Wrexham win today? ›Wrexham play their game in hand next Tuesday as they host relegation-threatened Yeovil Town at the Racecourse. If Wrexham win on Saturday, beat Yeovil on Tuesday while Notts County drop points against Woking, Wrexham will be promoted at the Racecourse next Tuesday night.
Who are the 10 Wrexham players released? ›Goalkeeper Lee Camp, Cameron Green, Dan Jarvis, David Jones, Jordan Ponticelli, Devonte Redmond, Dawid Szczepaniak and Kwame Thomas have all been let go. The Club would like to thank each player for their commitment while registered with the Club and wish them every success for the future.
Which 11 players did Wrexham release? ›Former Cardiff City defender Jazzi Barnum-Bobb is among those released, along with Jake Lawlor, Akil Wright, Luke Summerfield, Jason Oswell, Doug Tharme, Leighton McIntosh, JJ Hooper, Matthew Sargent, Jack Thorn and goalkeeper Dawid Szczepaniak.
Is Welcome to Wrexham a movie? ›Welcome to Wrexham: Where to watch and stream, episodes & complete guide to Ryan Reynolds-Rob McElhenney sports documentary. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney take centre-stage in an all-access 'fly on the wall' docuseries about Wrexham AFC, the Welsh football club they bought in 2020.
What type of show is Welcome to Wrexham? ›
Welcome to Wrexham is a docuseries tracking the dreams and worries of Wrexham, a working-class town in North Wales, UK, as two Hollywood stars take ownership of the town's historic yet struggling football club.
Are they filming another Welcome to Wrexham? ›As of April 2023, the Welcome to Wrexham season 2 release date is unknown at this moment in time. But Rob McElhenney has confirmed it will hit our screens at some point in 2023. The next instalment of Welcome to Wrexham will cover the period of the 2022/23 season, which is ongoing and will finish in May 2023.
Does Wrexham make a profit? ›WREXHAM AFC made almost £6m in the 12 months up to June 2022, it has been revealed. The club released its financial report this afternoon (March 31), which detailed the profit and loss made for the 12 months to June 30, 2022.
How much did Wrexham pay Paul? ›Paul Mullin earns a princely £4,500 per week at Wrexham, according to reports. That is a stellar annual salary of £234,000, which is an impressive figure for a non-league footballer. The striker is reported to be the top earner in the National League, with some of his fellow Wrexham players also topping the list.
How much do Welsh Premier League players get paid? ›In the Welsh Premier League, players earn an average $6,313 annually, compared to the national average of $34,188. The country where soccer player salaries are most equitable to the general population is Armenia. Fans earn around $400 more than players in the Armenian Premier League on average.
How much money did Ryan Reynolds pay for Wrexham? ›Multiple reports all indicated that the price the Hollywood duo paid for the rights to own Wrexham was around £2 million ($2.5 million). Compare that to the several billions that the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea or Liverpool would cost!
How much did Ryan Reynolds get paid for Deadpool? ›He Made a Fortune for Deadpool
According to Celebrity Net Worth, he was paid "just" $2 million upfront for the movie but had a big share of backend points and took home $22 million as a result.
The Deadpool star owns a reported 25 per cent of Mint Mobile. “I never dreamt I'd own a wireless company and I certainly never dreamt I'd sell it to T-Mobile," Reynolds said in a tweet. “Life is strange and I'm incredibly proud and grateful.”
Who is Wrexham sponsored by? ›TikTok will remain the front-of-shirt sponsor, while Expedia will continue to be the back-of-shirt sponsor for the 2022/23 season. Aviation American Gin, the previous sleeve sponsor, remains a valued partner of the Club and has consolidated its sponsorship to focus on the Club's training wear.
Who is the sponsorship deal with Wrexham? ›Aside from their deal with Macron, Wrexham could potentially extend their current shirt deal with TikTok which will expire at the end of this current season. The Robbins' signed a two-year deal with the major social media company back in 2021, so a renewal could also happen anytime soon.
Who sponsors Wrexham kit? ›
Wrexham AFC are pleased to announce Macron will remain the Club's Official Kit Supplier for the 2023/24 season after the partnership between the Club and the sportswear brand was extended for a further 12 months.
Which football club is sponsored by TikTok? ›Tiktok is now official sponsor of Bayern Munich. Thabile Sithole and 3,788 others like this. While it is funny that they partnered with Douyin, they have a ton of other sponsors, like Audi, Allianz, T-Mobile.