Wrexham are enjoying a Hollywood journey under the ownership of actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – and are two steps away from achieving their Premier League dream.
The Welsh club currently lead League One after five matches, fresh from back-to-back promotions from the National League and League Two. Phil Parkinson’s team have been on an extraordinary journey and have earned a worldwide fanbase through the hugely successful Welcome to Wrexham series. A fresh influx of fans are travelling from all corners of the globe to visit the Racecourse Ground, which has been hosting Wrexham matches since the club’s inception at The Turf pub in 1864.
Reynolds and McElhenney have plans to refurbish the historic ground and are currently making do with a temporary stand after facing setbacks in building a replacement for the unused Kop End. However, AI has envisioned what a new Wrexham stadium might look like if the historic club were to make it to the Premier League in the next few years
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Combining Chat GPT and AI platform Midjourney, OLBG has designed a stunning 35,000 all-seater stadium to host Premier League matches in North Wales. With its flash architecture and glass front, the stadium boasts facilities that would play on the club’s Hollywood connections.
Deadpool actor Reynolds and McElhenney, star of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, have brought more than a touch of their showbiz sparkle to Wrexham. Controversially, AI would have the club leave the Racecourse for a new site, where the red carpet could be rolled out for premieres at the stadium’s in-house cinema. The glitz wouldn’t stop there either, with a casino also helping the club rake in some extra cash.
The AI-designed stadium isn’t just about the razzle-dazzle; it’s also set to offer ample outdoor space for fans to meet up and will be kitted out with eco-friendly solar panels and top-notch media facilities.
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(Image: OLBG)
(Image: OLBG)
However, AI has massivley missed the mark on one major point: the idea of Wrexham ditching the Racecourse is pretty much a non-starter. The club’s owners are all about honouring Wrexham’s rich heritage and are keen on sprucing up their legendary home – which is the world’s oldest international football ground – instead of chasing after a new one.
They’ve got the green light to build a new 5,500-seater stand to take over from the Kop End, which hasn’t seen action since 2008 due to safety issues. There’s been a bit of a wait for the project to begin, so a 2,289-capacity temporary stand is being used this season.
“We have a plan in place right now that would eventually work from stand to stand, so eventually you get all four sides,” McElhenney said to Collider in April. “It’s hard to say for sure, but we think we could get between 45-55,000 people in there.”
(Image: OLBG)
(Image: OLBG)
Discussing the setbacks with the new stand, he added: “It is definitely a comedic point of consternation in the show how often we’re running up against bureaucracy. And, of course, safety concerns and things like that, and all those regulations are there in place for a reason, but then there are some things that just seem like hurdles for hurdles’ sake. It’s a lot harder to build in the UK than, I found, almost anywhere else in the world.”
Echoing his Wrexham co-owner, Reynolds said: “I think the thick buttress of bureaucracy is the biggest problem. I live in New York, Rob lives in LA [Los Angeles], where construction is very different, in as much as they will charge you $10 for every $1 you spend.
“But in Wales, it really is a lot of red tape, and it’s just sort of figuring out ways to tick all those boxes and make sure that every single bureaucrat is happy.”