GRAND DESIGNS
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny’s amazing Wrexham stadium plans revealed to be bigger than Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge
The club's success on the pitch could mean bad news for TEN players
ROB MCELHENNEY and Ryan Reynolds have ambitious plans to increase Wrexham's capacity to an eye-watering high of 55,000.
Wrexham's Hollywood owners, who invested in a Mexican club last month, are basking in the glory of back-to-back promotions into League One next season.
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Their 12,600-capacity Racecourse is already under redevelopment with a new 5,500 Kop stand approved.
And, incredibly, they want a bigger stadium than Premier League sides Manchester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
The Etihad only has a capacity of 53,400, Stamford Bridge can hold 40,341 while Villa Park’s attendance is capped at 42,640.
A ground size of 55,000 would be the 11th highest in the UK.
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It would only be behind Wembley, Twickenham, Old Trafford, the Principality in Cardiff, Murrayfield, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London Stadium, Anfield, Celtic Park and the Emirates.
But when McElhenney was asked if a 16,000-capacity was a nice number or would 20,000 be the long-term limit for the Red Dragons, he replied: “We have a plan in place right now that would eventually work from stand to stand.
“So eventually, you get all four sides, and it’s hard to say for sure, but we think we could get between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there.”
That is despite Wrexham having a population of just under 45,000.
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Reynolds, speaking in an interview with Collider.com, added: “Yeah, the whole town can come to the game.”
The Hollywood A-listers took over the Welsh club in February 2021.
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They have the ultimate goal of taking Wrexham to the Premier League.
With promotion from the National League and League Two, Phil Parkinson's men are now halfway there.
The Red Dragons will play in the third tier for the first time since 2005 next term.
However, as many as 10 members of their squad could be let go ahead of next term.
Several stars see their deals at the Racecourse Ground expire this summer.
Goalkeepers Mark Howard, Rob Lainton and Liam Hall are all out of contract, along with defenders Callum McFadzean, Aaron Hayden, Jordan Tunnicliffe and Ben Tozer.
And midfield duo James McClean and Luke Young are also nearing the end of their deals.
How Ryan Reynolds has been watching Wrexham games in style
CO-OWNER Ryan Reynolds hasn't been able to make it to Wrexham in recent weeks due to filming commitments.
But that hasn't stopped him from watching his team in style.
Streaming the match on a laptop or even a TV was not grand enough for the Deadpool star as he worked on the set of his latest movie.
With a giant green screen behind him, he could not resist broadcasting Wrexham’s recent game on to the huge projector.
Reynolds and his crew watched on as the Welsh side notched their 23rd win of the season against Crawley Town.
He looked enamoured as the game played on behind him while surrounding by various pieces of Hollywood machinery.
And Reynolds captioned the moment: “Watching the Wrexham game at work: new level unlocked.”
It’s not clear what project Reynolds was working on at the time, with the actor currently developing several new movies including sequels to smash hits Free Guy and Red Notice.
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