Reynolds and McElhenney buy the pub where Wrexham AFC was founded in 1864

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have purchased The Turf, the historic pub next to Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground that served as the founding location of the club in 1864, the Welsh side confirmed this week. Landlord Wayne Jones, who has become a recognisable figure through the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries, will continue running the venue on a daily basis.

The club described the acquisition as a “continuation of the strategy to protect the future of the club and its interests by ring fencing key areas related to the life of the club.” Bringing The Turf under unified ownership with the stadium and football club, the statement added, “allows for the preservation of the history and traditions of the historic public house that is inexorably linked to the Racecourse Ground and Wrexham AFC.”

Originally named the Turf Hotel, the pub has featured prominently throughout all five seasons of the award-winning Welcome to Wrexham docuseries, which has helped transform the club into a globally recognised name. Reynolds and McElhenney have regularly been filmed there alongside fellow actors including Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, and Prince William once stepped behind the bar to pour a pint.

Jones welcomed the change of ownership. “I look forward to continue running The Turf,” he said, “and bringing its unique mix of history, atmosphere and sometimes Hollywood stardust to the next generation of Wrexham fans and locals alike.”

The news arrives during an international break that gives Wrexham time to reflect on a mixed start to life in the Championship. The club sit 14th after collecting 10 points from their opening eight matches, a tally that includes a 6-0 defeat to West Ham but also a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday.

Ahead of that win, Reynolds and McElhenney drew attention to Southampton’s ‘Spygate’ scandal from last season — in which the club were expelled from the play-off final and docked four points after an intern was caught watching Middlesbrough’s training session — with a tongue-in-cheek social media video promoting shirt sponsor Firefox. Reynolds appeared from behind a tree mimicking photographs of the Southampton spy, joking about searching online for “how to run a football club” before the pair pointedly name-dropped Middlesbrough, Oxford, and Ipswich.