Ryan Reynolds and Wrexham 'picked over Liverpool' by mega-rich investors

Wales Online

01-05-2025

Ryan Reynolds and Wrexham 'picked over Liverpool' by mega-rich investors
The Allyn family from upstate New York have helped fuel Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's ambitions at Wrexham after choosing to invest in the Red Dragons over Liverpool
Kaleen Allyn (centre) has spoken about why her family chose to join Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham
(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images )
An American family who sold their business for a whopping £1.5 billion ($2bn) have shared the reasons behind their decision to invest in Wrexham rather than Premier League titans Liverpool. The Allyn family from Skaneateles in upstate New York owned the medical device company, Welch Allyn, for over a century before selling it in 2015.
In October, it was announced that the family had secured a minority stake in Wrexham, which is co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Kaleen Allyn, who manages the family's private investment portfolio, assumed the role of executive director at the club in January, following her stint on Wall Street.
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She has revealed how they initially contemplated investing in several Premier League clubs, but ultimately chose Wrexham. As Liverpool celebrated their 20th league title at Anfield at the weekend, Kaleen and her father Eric were on the pitch at the Racecourse Ground with Reynolds and McElhenney, enjoying Phil Parkinson's team's promotion to the Championship from League One.
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Speaking to The Athletic, Allyn explained that Wrexham's community-centric approach swayed their investment decision towards the Welsh club. Back home, her family participates in numerous philanthropic endeavours aimed at combating poverty and enhancing people's lives.
Describing how their interest was sparked, she said: "I got a call from someone I'd worked with a long, long time. They knew our family story for the last 20 years and said: 'Have you ever thought about investing in football?'. I was thinking: 'Buffalo Bills? I don't want to invest in football'. Even though my family love the Buffalo Bills.
"He said, 'No, no, no. I mean English football'. So, we started to look into this. We looked at some Premier League-level teams but you become a fraction-of-a-fraction owner. You are a small, small investor. You don't have a lot of power. You can't really engage.
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Kaleen Allyn and her dad Eric have been to Wrexham's Racecourse Ground several times this season
(Image: Geraint Lloyd )
"I explained this wasn't really compelling to us. He replied: 'No, Kaleen, think lower down in the pyramid'. I'm thinking, 'Surely lower down means more risk'. I don't know if I can look my family in the face and say: 'Hey, this is going to be a great investment and be safe'.
"He just said: 'I can't give you their names at the moment but you do need to speak to these people I have in mind, please trust me' - and that's how I got introduced to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney."
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Allyn hadn't yet seen Welcome to Wrexham, the popular docuseries documenting the actors' journey as owners, but was impressed by their vision for the club and the wider community. Meanwhile, Eric had already secretly visited Wrexham, and both quickly fell for the city after receiving a warm welcome from the local supporters.
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A swift decision was made to invest in the club, resulting in a joint venture with Reynolds and McElhenney called Red Dragon Ventures LLC. The precise details of the Allyns' stake in Wrexham remain undisclosed, but there have been several significant share sales since their involvement.
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Allyn expressed her enthusiasm for the hands-on aspect of her role at Wrexham, which encompasses supporting the growth of the Wrexham AFC Foundation and the club's academy. She also highlighted the importance of the club maintaining sustainability amidst its rapid ascent through the leagues.
She said: "Even when we were looking at other clubs, we were, like: 'We want to be true partners with whoever we work with'. Yes, Liverpool is an amazing club and when we were looking at that, we were, like: 'This could be a great opportunity' but this isn't what we want.
"We want to be true partners and get our hands dirty; be part of the story of what's happening. That's the biggest honour. Everyone is so excited to move fast with these back-to-back-to-back promotions but do it in a way that you're not just trying to get this to the highest point and then watch it fall back down.
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"We want to have sustainable, long-term growth. It's been great Phil has been able to create a team that's gone back-to-back-to-back, and the management's job now is to make sure this is sustainable."