Wrexham’s ex-owners question shortcut to fast track Ryan Reynolds’ European dream

Wrexham: The former owners of Wrexham AFC are raising eyebrows about a new plan. This plan aims to help Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney reach their European football dreams faster than expected.

Wrexham is one of four Welsh teams looking to qualify for Europe through the Welsh League Cup. The other teams are Cardiff City, Swansea City, and Newport County. They’ve been chatting with the FAW since last year about this. Right now, they can only qualify for Europe through the FA Cup, EFL Cup, or Premier League.

The new idea is to enter the Welsh League Cup, also known as the Nathaniel MG Cup, for a shot at the UEFA Conference League. This league started in 2021, and the plans are being discussed with UEFA and other governing bodies under the name Prosiect Cymru, or Project Wales.

Wrexham’s manager, Phil Parkinson, is all for it, saying it would be “amazing” for the team. Shaun Harvey, a director at Wrexham, also supports the move, emphasizing the need to give the club the best chance to succeed.

But not everyone is on board. Some in the English football scene are pushing back, claiming these teams want to “have their Welsh cake and eat it.” The Wrexham Supporters Trust, which sold the club to the Hollywood stars, is cautious. They worry this could jeopardize Wrexham’s place in the EFL.

A spokesperson for the Trust said they’d love to see Wrexham in Europe again, but not at the cost of their EFL membership. Wrexham has been asked for their thoughts on the matter.

The four EFL clubs want guarantees from the FA that their future in English football won’t be at risk. If they go ahead with this plan, they’d lose the chance to qualify for Europe through the FA Cup, EFL Cup, or Premier League.

There’s talk that the wider Welsh football scene could benefit financially from this move. It might improve their ranking and open up more European spots. However, the proposals now need to go to the full FA board for approval, which could be a big hurdle.

The reason for this higher-level review is the importance of the topic. English clubs will get a chance to weigh in, but there’s no timeline for a final decision yet.

Wrexham has had some memorable European matches in the past, like facing Anderlecht in the 1970s and beating Porto in the same competition later on. Welsh clubs in the EFL haven’t been part of an FAW competition since the FAW Premier Cup ended in 2008. While Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport have sent Under-21 teams in recent years, entering their first teams for a chance at Europe would be a huge shift.