Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney announce new stadium sponsor

Historic Wrexham Racecourse will be known as SToK Cae Ras – or SToK Racecourse after selling the stadium’s naming rights to the American cold beer brand.

The brand sponsorship of one of the oldest international football stadiums in the world is the latest brand partnership announced by the Welsh club since their historic promotion in April.

The League Two side are redeveloping the ground after co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s plans for a new 5,500-seater stand at the stadium were greenlit by Wrexham County Borough Council in November 2018.

The renovations are part of a planned £18m overhaul of the club’s matchday facilities that Reynolds and McElhenney have planned since taking over the then National League side as part of a a £2m deal in 2021.

Reynolds and McElhenney have won wide acclaim for their root and branch investment in the club since the takeover which has not paid dividends on the pitch but has helped raise the club’s profile internationally and increase sources of income.

The course will be known as The STōK Cae Ras – or STōK Racecourse from July 1

The club received a substantial investment from co-owners Hollywood, who were there to hoist the trophy when Wrexham topped the National League in April.

Disney+’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series which followed the club’s journey through its first campaign after the takeover helped the team gain prominence in the United States, where Phil’s side Parkinson will play their summer tour in July.

The team will face Chelsea, LA Galaxy II and Manchester United, along with another yet-to-be-announced team at stadiums in North Carolina and California.

In the video ad, Reynolds and McElhenney poke fun at the British tradition of afternoon tea, swapping their players’ refreshment for STōK cold brew coffee – when the team finds out, their reaction is volcanic , with a cup tossed in disgust that narrowly missed hitting the team’s National League trophy, only for a save from goalkeeper Ben Foster.

But the naming rights deal is just the latest in a string of recent deals signed for the club, whose existing sponsors include TikTok, Aviation Gin and Expedia.

Reynold’s wife, actress Blake Lively, is set to sponsor the men’s and women’s team practice kit for next season through her soft drink company Betty Buzz.

The company will also sponsor the hospitality suite used by the co-chairs and the team’s US tour, alongside SToK.

Lively has attended a number of matches during Wrexham’s title-winning campaign this season, which has seen the club reach a club-record 111 points en route to sealing automatic promotion to League Two.

The players were rewarded for their efforts with an open-top bus parade through the streets of Wrexham – alongside the women’s promotion team – before flying to Las Vegas for a four-day all-expenses-paid break with courtesy of the owner.

Blake Lively has attended a number of Wrexham matches – and her company Betty Buzz will now have naming rights to the ground’s main hospitality suite

Wrexham won a record 111 points in their pursuit of League Two football in the 2022/23 season

Players were treated to an open top bus parade to celebrate their countless successes

Wrexham were greeted lavishly as they cruised to nightclubs and pool parties during the weekend revelry, another nod to how the club’s profile has skyrocketed in the United States.

Reynolds and McElhenney’s investment in the club has been transformative, but their players have recently drawn the wrong comparison when trying to portray the extent of their owners’ commitment.

Ollie Palmer attempted to draw a parallel between Reynolds and McElhenney, and Ed Sheeran’s ‘ownership’ of Ipswich Town in a recent episode of Foster’s Fozcast podcast, which angered Tractor Boys fans.

Sheeran has been the main kit sponsor at the club for two years, but he has never had an ownership stake in the club.