Five Years Since Rob And Ryan’s First Wrexham Match: From Maidenhead Defeat to Premier League Ambition

Five years ago, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney watched Wrexham in person for the first time. Their first match brought five goals, a sending-off, and a defeat at Maidenhead United, an early reminder that owning a football club brings a range of emotions.

Co-Chairman Reynolds: “That was a fun day. I think back to Maidenhead, and I remember that with time marching forward, you look back and see it more clearly.

“I think that I had a bit of an existential crisis at that match because I thought ‘, What are we doing here?’ It felt so far-fetched, the promise and the hope to someday be in League One or League, Two and it was just such a pipe dream.”

Co-Chairman Mac stated: “It was a humbling experience. We went into it with high expectations and thought that we had a chance to win. Except for the result, everything else was simply magic.

“I remember exactly what happened, though! There was a red card, and the wrong player got taken off who didn’t commit the foul. We played a man down, and we lost.”

On October 26, 2021, the pair arrived at York Road with Wrexham still competing in the National League. Five years later, the anniversary offers a chance to reflect on the distance travelled and the ambitions that still shape the club.

They made their first appearance eight months after completing their takeover from the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust. The agreement included a £ 2 million investment, and their presence at Maidenhead brought unusual attention to a Tuesday evening in non-league football.

A crowd of 1,692 watched a match that quickly became uncomfortable for the visitors. Kane Ferdinand and Jay Mingi put Maidenhead two goals ahead before Wrexham were reduced to ten men.

Paul Mullin pulled a goal back before the interval, and Jordan Davies equalised during the second half. However, Josh Kelly restored Maidenhead’s advantage, leaving Phil Parkinson’s side beaten 3-2 despite their recovery.

For Reynolds and McElhenney, the evening offered an immediate taste of the uncertainty that comes with their sporting investment. Wrexham had threatened to rescue the occasion, only to leave empty-handed.

The owners’ ambitions nevertheless extended far beyond that result. During their first visit, they spoke publicly about reaching the Premier League.

“Why not dream big?” McElhenney said at the time.

That ambition initially required Wrexham to escape the fifth tier. The breakthrough arrived in 2023, when they won the National League title. Promotion from League Two followed in 2024 before another successful campaign carried them into the Championship in 2025.

A 3-0 victory over Charlton Athletic confirmed that third successive promotion. Wrexham became the first club to achieve three consecutive promotions through the top five tiers of English football, changing the competitive landscape in which the owners’ ambitions were tested.

The club has come a long way in those five years, with the stadium redevelopments a constant reminder of where the club is going. “Slowly but surely,” Reynolds said, "we started to put it together, and here, when you look around now (at the Racecourse Ground), it’s just a pinch-me moment - it really is.”

The anniversary now arrives after another away defeat, with Wrexham beaten 2-0 at Blackburn on Saturday. The frustration is familiar, even if the surroundings and expectations have changed considerably.

Friday’s trip to Sheffield United presents the next challenge. For supporters, the immediate concern is to secure points and find consistency. Yet the memory of York Road provides perspective: five years after their owners’ first match, Wrexham are pursuing the same ultimate ambition from a very different position.