The Hollywood A-listers at Wrexham are harmless. The damage is done by growing inequality between clubs
- Jason Stockwood is the chairman of Grimsby Town FC
I thought it was brilliant, if a little incongruous, seeing the Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney turn up at Maidenhead United’s ground last month, to watch their first game as the new owners of Wrexham AFC. They surprised everyone last year when their offer to buy the north Wales club was approved. Now Covid travel rules have been relaxed, they have finally had a chance to see their beloved Red Dragons in person. As the owners of another National League club, Grimsby Town FC, Andrew Pettit and I are hoping some of that glitz and glamour will permanently rub off on us when we visit the Racecourse Ground in January.
I’m personally delighted about the competitive nature of the National League this year, with a number of “big” clubs vying for promotion out of what is the fifth tier of English football. The gamble which the Deadpool and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia stars are taking in the National League, asking fans to “dream big” and think of the Premier League as a target, is not dissimilar to what is happening with the 24 teams in the Championship. A number of clubs are looking to benefactors to sustain financial losses while helping them win promotion – all the while knowing that only three clubs can be successful.
Jason Stockwood is a technology entrepreneur, fellow at Oxford University and chairman of Grimsby Town FC
