Ryan Reynolds announces he is the co-owner of a Welsh football club with a hilarious advert

As if 2020 wasn't weird enough, Ryan Reynolds and his actor pal, Rob McElhenney, have had their takeover bid for a football team in Wales approved and to mark the occasion they have produced an advert for a trailer company. Yes, really.

Reynolds and McElhenney, best known for his work in the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, registered their interest in the team, which plays in the National League, the fifth tier of English football, in September. The news came literally out of nowhere and caught many people completely unaware.

Was this another one of Reynolds' elaborate pranks or the plot of a new movie? The answer to both of those is no, as their interest was 100 per cent genuine and on Monday they confirmed that fans of the club had voted overwhelmingly in support of the proposed takeover bid. The club has been fan-owned since 2011 and 98 per cent of the Wrexham Supporter's Trust voted in favour of Reynolds and McElhenney's $2.5 million takeover, which is expected to bring in £2m worth of investment into the team.

Their big unveiling came on Monday afternoon when the pair put together an advert for Ifor Williams, a trailer company (the kind that you tow behind your car, not the movie kind) which is the current sponsor of the club.

Out of context, you might have thought you had entered an alternative reality where Hollywood stars are now making advertisements for small British companies but it soon became apparent what was going on when the duo revealed that they were now the owners of the team.

"Why are Rob and I pitching a north Walian trailer manufacturer?" says Reynolds. McElhenney replies:

Because we just became owners of Wrexham Association Football Club and they’re our team sponsor, Because we just became owners of Wrexham Association Football Club and they’re our team sponsor. You may never have heard of Wrexham, the Racecourse Ground or Ifor Williams but you will. So, to the Wrexham Supporters’ Trust, thank you for your faith and trust in us.

Reynolds adds:

We are humbled and we are already getting to work. Oh f**k – this is really happening.

The video was the perfect way for the duo to announce they were now in charge of the team and was in keeping with the online profile that Reynolds in particular, has established for himself, which mostly involves mocking Hugh Jackman.

Needless to say, Wrexham supporters and non-fans alike were delighted with the news as well as being amused by the advert.

Maybe Wrexham's new kits will in some way reference the work of their celebrity owners...

Reynolds even replied to a Welsh tweet, which warned the new owners about what kind of weather they can expect in Wales. Reynolds, who is from Vancouver, Canada said he'll live.

Reynolds also replied with a Fawlty Towers joke to a tweet from actor Jason Watkins, of him and John Cleese, wearing Wrexham shirts.

Jokes aside this is a very serious venture for both Reynolds and McElhenney as they aim to use their own influence, fame and wealth to help restore Wrexham's fortunes, a team which hasn't played in the Football League since 2008. A Netflix-style documentary of their takeover is already being planned with McElhenney saying.

We’re documenting it. We should be thinking about Wrexham the way Manchester United thinks about Manchester United. Engage in the club and community.

Reynolds added that they both want to be proud representatives of the club and will go to as many matches as they can.

We want to be at the Racecourse Ground as much as possible – as many games as I can make. We want to have a pint with the fans. You’ll be fed up of us! We want to be great ambassadors for the club, to introduce the club to the world and be a global force.

It remains to be seen if the arrival of the Hollywood stars will have an instant impact on Wrexham, who are currently 14th in the National League table and haven't won since 10th October but do play Hartlepool on Tuesday night, where they are guaranteed to have a 'new-owners bounce' to their step.

More: The shocking list of celebrities that voted for the first time in the 2020 election