Ryan Reynolds described football as a “soul-deadening, evil and gorgeous game” after watching his Wrexham team play live for the first time.
Reynolds and his fellow actor and co-owner Rob McElhenney swapped the glamour of Hollywood for an autumnal evening in Berkshire on Tuesday.
However, the match did not follow the script as the stars may have hoped as 10-man Wrexham were beaten 3-2 by Maidenhead United at the York Road stadium.
Despite the result, Deadpool actor Reynolds, 45, appeared to enjoy his first taste of British football, sharing pictures from the National League game with his more than 39 million Instagram followers.
They included snaps of him and McElhenney smiling in the stands.
He wrote alongside the pictures: “Football is a beautiful, heartbreaking, soul-deadening, evil and gorgeous game and I’m never sleeping again.”
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He tagged both Wrexham’s official account and that of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia creator McElhenney.
Reynolds and McElhenney, 44, made headlines after taking 100 per cent ownership of the fifth tier Red Dragons in February this year.
They took over from the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust and made a £2 million investment under the terms of the deal.
Tuesday’s game was the first Wrexham fixture the duo have attended since taking over as owners of the club.
Wrexham fan Andy Gilpin said he was “gobsmacked” to see the Hollywood owners at York Road and that their appearance had “given supporters a boost”.
“We had an inkling that they may have shown up today but we didn’t actually think that might happen until we saw them in the stand,” Mr Gilpin told the PA news agency.
It wasn't the result we wanted, but it was great to finally have our chairmen in the stands for the first time 👊
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) October 26, 2021
We hope you enjoyed your evening @RMcElhenney & @VancityReynolds 🤗
🟢⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/7NUaUykEeT
Wrexham fans right now 👋
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) October 26, 2021
📸 @GTPhotography_1
🟢⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/xLW0vWK3FA
“Obviously that gave everyone a big boost – they’re there, you can see them, they were waving to the fans.
“We knew they were in the area and we knew they’d landed about six hours ago but we thought this probably would be a game too far for them, then we saw a lot of stewards rushing around just before the kick-off and then the rumour came round that ‘yeah they’re here’.
“There’s media hype and then there’s showing up at Maidenhead away which isn’t the sort of Hollywood entrance really, it’s a very low-key ground, and to see two Hollywood stars there in the middle of the homestand, we were just gobsmacked you know.
“It’s quite a statement to come here to Maidenhead away and fair play to them for doing that.
“For them to come here – it shows that they mean business.
“I didn’t expect them to be here, I thought they would keep it for Torquay where they’d have a red carpet entrance and to see them here was just amazing.
“I went down and took a very blurry photo of two people waving to someone and to be honest it gave us all a great boost, it was really great to see them.”
After taking over in February, a statement from Reynolds and McElhenney read: “It is a special day for the two of us to become the latest stewards in the long and storied history of Wrexham AFC.
“Together with the players, the staff, the fans and the local community, we can now pursue our goal to grow the team and return it to the EFL in front of increased attendances, and in an improved stadium, while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham.
“Wrexham AFC is only in a position to thrive because of the incredible efforts of the Wrexham Supporters Trust.“Their members are a fitting reflection of the integrity and spirit of the town and they will always have an important role at the club.”
Although Maidenhead was probably the last place that Reynolds and McElhenney envisioned as their first Wrexham match, there is no doubt that they are bringing a significant amount of glitz and glamour to the Welsh club.
The Hollywood duo is currently working on a documentary about their takeover of the team called Welcome to Wrexham and have also been included in FIFA 22, making them the first-ever non-league side to be added to the game.
