'shut up people' – wrexham chief fires back at critics of ryan reynolds' side

WREXHAM DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL HUMPHREY KER HAS HIT OUT AT THE CLUB'S CRITICS WHO HAVE ACCUSED RYAN REYNOLDS AND ROB MCELHENNEY OF "RUINING FOOTBALL" WITH THEIR SPENDING 12:20,

21 May 2025 Wrexham director Humphrey Ker has hit back at critics of the club's financial approach, urging them to "shut up". Since Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob

McElhenney took over the reins of the Welsh team in February 2021, heavy investment has been made in the playing squad and infrastructure. The approach has reaped rewards, with Wrexham

securing a remarkable third consecutive promotion last month. There's an expectation of increased expenditure as the team gears up for life in the Championship. Some figures have

levelled criticism at the club for "ruining football", citing their hefty spending on salaries and new signings. The most significant spend was the £2million splashed to bring

striker Sam Smith from Reading in the January transfer window. However, Ker has stressed that Wrexham's finances are well-managed, buoyed by major sponsorship deals. Speaking on the

Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, he responded to queries about how their success has been received among opposing fans. He said: "Everyone's been incredibly nice, but you do see lots

of people online like, 'Oh, they're ruining football, and it's disgraceful. This is everything that's wrong with modern football'. Article continues below "You

do end up thinking, well, hang on, there's a lot of football clubs that are going out of business because their owners are grinding money out of the fans. Also, just because you've

got loads of money behind you, there's no guarantee that you are going to get back-to-back-to-back promotions. "It's never been done before and the other bonkers thing about

us is that we've actually lived within our means. In the National League, we spent way more than anyone else. In League Two, we spent a fair bit more than everyone else. "In League

One, we were basically spending about the same or less than a number of other clubs. Birmingham spent way more than we did and I think Huddersfield spent about the same, but all our money

comes from sponsorship." Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+ This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

from £4.99 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by

paying for a year upfront. He added: "We get crazy sponsorship deals because of the documentary and because of Rob and Ryan. Everyone's like, 'They're going to run into

PSR problems, financial fair play is going to catch up, and they're going to get bored.' Actually, we have only been spending what we've been earning so far, so shut up

people." Wrexham's latest accounts reveal the club's annual turnover has rocketed to an astonishing £26.7m, largely due to the global interest ignited by Reynolds and

McElhenney and the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. The figures for the financial year ending June 2024, when Phil Parkinson's side were still in League Two, marked a 155 per cent

increase compared to the previous year. The team's popularity has also led to profitable commercial partnerships with companies such as United Airlines and HP, resulting in a

significant increase in sponsorship revenue from £1.9m to £13.2m. Despite the impressive figures, Wrexham posted an overall loss of £2.7m during the 12-month period. In a significant

financial boost for Wrexham, loans totalling £15m from owners Reynolds and McElhenney were repaid following the investment from the New York-based Allyn family and several large share issues

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Football finance guru Kieran Maguire has praised Wrexham's economic strength, indicating they are poised to be competitive in the Championship next season. Speaking to talkSPORT, he

said: "Wrexham made three times as much as any other club in League Two, more than any other club in League One and they would be in the top half of the Championship,".

"Therefore they're not that far behind the Championship's big hitters – the likes of Stoke and Norwich. It's an incredible achievement in terms of bringing in money.

It's also their ability to become an international brand which has really driven this. Article continues below "I was teaching in Charlotte, North Carolina last year and the only

shirts I saw were those of Wrexham, which is an amazing achievement and that's on the back of the documentary." Maguire also projected that Wrexham stand to gain an additional £8m

in TV revenue from promotion to the second tier. "That would put them fairly close to all of the clubs except for those who will be in receipt of parachute payments in the

Championship," he added.