LIT A DRAGON
‘It’s not fair’ – League One manager bites back at Wrexham and says success down to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney
Ainsworth is against the National League's three up, three down proposal
WREXHAM have been told their success is only down to “billionaire owners” Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Shrewsbury boss Gareth Ainsworth bit back at the Red Dragons, calling their financial advantage “not fair”.
2
2
Wrexham have enjoyed a meteoric rise up the EFL since Hollywood stars Reynolds and McElhenney purchased the club for around £2m in 2021.
The Red Dragons are on course for an astonishing third successive promotion after clambering out of the National League, through League Two and towards the Championship.
Their American co-owners have helped to make all of that possible, with nearly £6.2m spent on transfer fees since the summer of 2021.
Wrexham splashed more than £4m in the January window, including £1m on proven ex-Reading striker Sam Smith, 26, who is a product of Manchester United's academy.
READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
But Ainsworth - who is against the National League's three up, three down proposal - has taken issue with the Welsh outfit after becoming frustrated at being unable to compete on a level playing field.
He told BBC 5 Live Sport: “If a team just can’t keep up financially for no other reason than the other teams have got billionaires coming in and millionaires, it’s not fair that they just sink out of the league and out of obscurity. It then all becomes all about money.
“Wrexham have only done that because of the money they’ve had, you know.
“And of course they’re competing well but they’ve had billionaire owners and it’s not fair. I don’t think that it should just be about that.
Most read in Football
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
“And I’m speaking as an advocate from a club with a local businessman who’s put his money in and he just can’t compete with Wrexham because we’re not bringing American billionaires in.
“So my argument would be, yes, these teams have done well, but have a look at the money that they’ve had invested in them as well.”
Danny Devito celebrates Wrexham's last-gasp win over Barnsley as he watches from virtual stadium in LA
To clarify, Actor Reynolds is an estimated net worth of £280m, while McElhenney is worth around £40m.
Shrewsbury sit second bottom of League One but one of their six wins of the season came against Phil Parkinson's side 2-1 in January.
Smith's deal marked the third time Wrexham had broken their own transfer record in six months – first signing Ollie Rathbone and then Modou Faal in a £590,000 deal last summer.
Wrexham are fighting for promotion alongside League One's biggest spenders Birmingham City, who count NFL legend Tom Brady as a minority investor.
All 72 clubs in the National League have signed a letter to EFL chiefs asking them to back a vote of member clubs over changing to a three-up, three-down system between League Two and the fifth tier.
National League clubs argue that the current system, where only one club gets automatic promotion to the EFL with a second place available through the play-offs, is inconsistent with the rest of the pyramid.
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
Topics