Wrexham’s celebrity co-owners have bought the historic pub situated adjacent to the Racecourse Ground, which features prominently in the award-winning series Welcome to Wrexham.
Fronted by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham’s ownership described buying The Turf as a “continuation of the strategy to protect the future of the club and its interests by ring fencing key areas related to the life of the club.”
Originally named the Turf Hotel, the pub holds historical importance as the site where Wrexham AFC was founded in 1864. The venue plays a central role in the TV docuseries, now in its fifth season, which has helped make Wrexham a popular club around the world.
According to a statement from the club, bringing the venue under unified ownership with the stadium and football club “allows for the preservation of the history and traditions of the historic public house that is inexorably linked to the Racecourse Ground and Wrexham AFC Football Club.”
Reynolds and McElhenney have frequently been filmed inside The Turf alongside fellow actors such as Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, while Prince William once went behind the bar to pour a pint.
Landlord Wayne Jones has become a celebrity in his own right through his frequent TV appearances, and Wrexham confirmed he will continue running The Turf on a day-to-day basis.
“I look forward to continue running The Turf,” Jones said, “and bringing its unique mix of history, atmosphere and sometimes Hollywood stardust to the next generation of Wrexham fans and locals alike.”
Wrexham head into the international break in 14th place in the Championship after collecting 10 points from their opening eight matches. They recovered from a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of West Ham to beat Southampton 2-1 on Saturday.
The victory came after Reynold and McElhenney poked fun at the Saints prior to the game by using a playful social media video to reference last season’s ‘Spygate’ controversy.
Southampton were expelled from the play-off final and docked four points when an intern was caught watching semi-final opponents Middlesbrough during a training session.
In a video released on Wrexham’s X account, Reynolds appears from behind a tree, mimicking photographs that were published of the Southampton spy.
Promoting shirt sponsor Firefox, the Deadpool actor opens the clip by saying: “Today, for no particular reason, we want to talk about the importance of privacy.”
McElhenney, creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, then adds: “Specifically, how to prevent spies from seeing what you’re doing.”
Reflecting on internet safety, Reynolds jokes about searching online for ‘how to run a football club’. The co-owners then emphasize that privacy is “important to people everywhere”, pointedly bringing up Middlesbrough, Oxford and Ipswich.
Reynolds wraps up the skit by saying: “Refreshing, huh? An organisation that actually respects your privacy.”
