Boyzone next? Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney set trend at Wrexham as Phil Parkinson discusses superstar owners amid talk of Irish pop stars linking up with Chorley

Hollywood superstars Reynolds and McElhenney have reached their three-year anniversary at SToK Racecourse, with an emotional roller coaster being ridden since arriving in North Wales back in 2021. Their story has inspired others, with NFL legends Tom Brady and JJ Watt now involved with Birmingham City and Burnley respectively.

Other famous faces form part of MLS and NWSL boardrooms in Los Angeles, while there has been talk of Robbie Williams pumping funds into his beloved Port Vale. Irish pop stars Boyzone are also in the ownership conversation, with a shock link emerging there with National League North outfit Chorley.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, who hails from Chorley, has said of the football investment boom and why it has become so appealing: “Buying a football club can be an exciting adventure for owners. Obviously, it’s important owners get the right people in place to make sure that the money is spent wisely but, of course, there’s been some success stories like, I think, Rob and Ryan and we’re only really at the start of it. I think what Wrexham and Notts County did last year put the National League on the map like it had never been before in the incredible battle we had for the title.

“I think it’s really good for the sport and also shows that buying a football club is not all about buying one at the top end, ready-made. The journey can be buying a club which needs piecing back together brick by brick, and that’s what our owners have done. Rob and Ryan have really bought into the culture of the game over here. I think it’s been refreshing for them and they’ve really enjoyed the experience so far. Other people have probably looked at that and thought, yes, we can do something similar.”

Chorley have announced that Boyzone stars Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy, along with Brian McFadden from Westlife, will be attending their FA Trophy tie with Solihull Moors on Saturday. The club’s chief operating officer has said of a possible link up that mirrors that of Reynolds and McElhenney at Wrexham: “They’ve written the playbook, haven’t they? They’ve proven that as a tried-and-tested model and obviously it’d be absolutely fantastic to do anything like that. It’d be wonderful if they were to come in and have an active role within the club, and ultimately that’s got to be what our goal is set for, as part of those negotiations.”

Rap star Stormzy, along with former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, is another famous face to have dipped his toe into the world of non-league football investment. He is now a co-owner of ninth tier outfit Croydon AFC, while Ed Sheeran provides the front of shirt sponsorship for Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town.