Beyond the Hollywood story - what are Wrexham really building?

Wrexham, founded in 1864, are the third oldest professional football club in the world and the oldest in Wales

For many football fans, Wrexham's rise might have been defined by the story and subsequent success of the men's first team.

The promotions, the documentary cameras and the celebrity ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have transformed the club into one of the most recognisable football narratives in the world.

But focusing only on the men's side misses the bigger story unfolding behind the scenes.

While back-to-back-to-back promotions generate the headlines, Wrexham's most important work may be happening away from the spotlight, through investment in the women's team, youth development and long-term infrastructure.

The club's rapid rise has created worldwide attention, but the decisions being made beneath the surface suggest Wrexham are trying to build something far more sustainable than a short-lived fairytale.

BBC Sport looks at why there is more to Wrexham than the quest for the Premier League.

Co-chairmen Reynolds and Mac pledged investment into the women's programme when they took over in 2021.

Since then, the team have steadily evolved from a subsidiary part of the club into a serious project with long-term ambitions.

Like the overall profile of the club, the Welcome to Wrexham documentary has helped to enhance the profile of the women's side and grow their fanbase.

The start of that growth became evident when in 2023 a Welsh women's domestic record crowd of 9,511 watched Wrexham lift the Adran North title at the Racecourse Ground, with Reynolds, wife and Hollywood actress Blake Lively, and Mac in attendance.

Days later Wrexham secured their tier one domestic licence - a milestone that requires clubs to meet higher standards in coaching, administration, facilities and player development.

Then the team secured promotion to the Adran Premier, the top tier of Welsh women's football.

That summer, Reynolds and Mac continued to prove their investment as they rewarded the side with their first set of semi-professional contracts.

Another key milestone of their development came in 2024 when Wrexham were granted their first Uefa licence, allowing them to compete in European competitions should they qualify.

Those achievements matter because they show the women's side are being treated as part of the club's future rather than simply an extension of the men's success.

The purchase of The Rock stadium as a permanent home for Wrexham women in August 2025 reinforced that message.

In a football landscape where many women's teams still rely on temporary arrangements and borrowed facilities, Wrexham's investment signalled permanence. It suggested the club see women's football not as a branding exercise, but as a core part of their identity.

The real evidence of their upward trajectory came just last month when Wrexham beat defending champions Cardiff City to secure the Adran Premier - the first time the women's team have secured a top-flight title.

The win also secured their place in next season's Champions League qualifying phase - a feat that Wrexham could only have dreamed of 10 years ago when the club folded because of a lack of players, only to reform in 2018.

Off the pitch, there has been a deliberate effort to grow the women's team commercially and internationally.

Sponsorship deals with companies such as Lively's drinks brand, and overseas tours to the US, have helped create visibility for players and staff who historically would have received very little attention outside Wales.

This visibility appears to have been designed with a specific strategy to elevate the women's side alongside the men's rise, rather than behind it.

Rob Mac (left) and Ryan Reynolds (third left) celebrate with Wrexham players during a bus parade following their Adran North title-winning season in 2023

That brings us to arguably the most important part of Wrexham's long-term strategy: the academy.