Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac buy historic Wrexham pub

Wrexham’s Hollywood ownership has taken another symbolic step to secure the club’s future. Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have bought The Turf, the historic pub next to the Racecourse Ground, in a move designed to protect one of the most important landmarks in the club’s story.

A purchase rooted in history

The Turf is far more than a nearby local. Wrexham AFC was founded at the then-named Turf Hotel in October 1864, making the venue deeply tied to the origins of the club and to the identity of football in the town. By bringing the pub under the same ownership structure as the club and the stadium, Wrexham says it can better preserve that legacy for the long term.

The club’s statement said the acquisition was intended to “protect the future of the club” and to help safeguard the historic pub by placing “the club, the Racecourse Ground and The Turf under a single ownership.” It is a striking example of how Wrexham’s owners continue to invest not just in the team, but in the wider culture around it.

Why The Turf matters so much

For many supporters, The Turf is part of the matchday experience as much as the stadium itself. It has long served as a meeting point for fans before and after games, while also carrying decades of club folklore. Wayne Jones, who has run the pub for the past 20 years, said the buy was “great news for all Wrexham fans.”

Jones added that the building predates the club and that records suggest Wrexham itself may have been founded in the pub. “It continues to be a focal point for fans on matchdays and non-matchdays,” he said, describing its “unique mix of history, atmosphere and sometimes Hollywood stardust.”

A fan zone with room to grow

The club believes the purchase will also allow further investment around the ground and improve the fan experience on matchdays. That includes possible enhancements to the current fan zone and other supporter-focused activities along Mold Road, the area next to The Turf and the Racecourse Ground.

In practical terms, the move gives the club more control over a key part of its surroundings. In emotional terms, it sends a clear message: Wrexham wants to protect the places that made it what it is.

Hollywood attention and football heritage

Since Reynolds and Mac took over the club in 2021, The Turf has become a regular feature on the award-winning Welcome to Wrexham documentary series. The pub has also drawn a steady stream of celebrity visitors, including Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum and Will Ferrell. In 2024, Prince William even pulled a pint there with Mac to mark St David’s Day.

That kind of attention has helped turn The Turf into something bigger than a traditional football pub. It is now part local institution, part tourist draw and part living symbol of the club’s rise. The ownership group clearly sees value in preserving all three roles.

“By bringing The Turf into the group, we are securing the long-term future of the pub and preserving its history and that of the club,” said Eric Allyn, speaking on behalf of minority investors the Allyn family.

A broader strategy for Wrexham’s future

The club described the purchase as part of a wider strategy to ring fence important areas linked to Wrexham AFC’s life and identity. That approach has become a hallmark of the new ownership era, which has blended ambition on the pitch with investment in infrastructure, community ties and the club’s historic setting.

For a club founded in 1864 and playing at the world’s oldest international football stadium still in use, every decision carries extra weight. The Racecourse Ground hosted its first Wales fixture in March 1877, and the club’s history remains one of its biggest assets.

This latest move does not just preserve a pub. It preserves a piece of football heritage that sits at the heart of Wrexham’s story. And for supporters, that may be just as important as anything that happens on the pitch.