‘Everybody is out to beat Wrexham’ – Why Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney ‘get it’ as Phil Parkinson lifts the lid on working with Hollywood co-owners

Hollywood co-owners arrived at SToK Racecourse in February 2021 as relative novices when it came to the world of soccer. They have, however, committed emotionally and financially to an ambitious project in North Wales that has delivered back-to-back promotions and plenty of drama for what is now an award-winning documentary series.

Parkinson has been able to call upon the full support of those in the boardroom throughout his reign as manager, with the Red Dragons boss telling the Men In Blazers podcast of what it is like to work under the brightest of sporting spotlights: “People want to speak to you when you win, but it’s about when you have bad days at the office – which you are inevitably going to have. You need that support and Rob and Ryan have been brilliant. They get it, they totally understand it. This is a competitive industry we’re in and everybody is out to beat Wrexham – they know that. It’s not going to go all our way, all the time. When we lose, we take the pain together. When we win, we enjoy those victories. It’s not when we lose ‘let’s blame Phil and the team’, we all look at it together and we move on.”

Reynolds and McElhenney make a point of messaging Parkinson in the darker times, to let him know that they have his back, with the experienced coach adding on the need for everybody to pull in the same direction: “Support from the owners is huge. It’s good that they understand. They understand that the overall aim was to get promotion. In every season as a player or a manager where I have been successful, there have been times when it doesn’t go your way. The 111-point seasons, a record points total, they don’t happen! You are going to get beat, you are going to have bad days, you are going to get injuries to key players.”

Parkinson does not get beaten very often – suffering only 27 losses through 165 games as Wrexham boss – but he is now preparing for an ever bigger challenge as the Red Dragons step up into League One and seek to ensure that they bring the right players in during the next transfer window.