THEY say behind every great man stands a great woman – and it seems the same can also be said at Welsh lower-league team Wrexham AFC.
Famous owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have ploughed millions into the fifth tier team since their 2020 takeover, laying a new pitch, constructing a new stand, and even making a Disney+ documentary about the process.
But recently 46-year-old Ryan's glamorous wife, Gossip Girl star Blake Lively, has shown the Welsh side she's more than just a WAG.
The mum – who shares James, seven, Inez, five, Betty, two, and their newborn baby with the Deadpool actor – has been increasingly involved in the team.
Most recently the 35-year-old actress left a fan in stitches by telling his girlfriend to dump him.
It seems Blake and her brood are becoming somewhat of a lucky charm for the team, who have recently been enjoying a string of great results.
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Blake watched as the men's side secured a hattrick victory at home against York City last weekend and Wrexham's women's side win 2-1 against Connah's Quay Nomads.
And from a touching gesture to a player's family to getting her business involved in sponsorship deals, it seems she's now more involved than ever in transforming the club.
'I have some bad news'
The 2020 takeover – reportedly worth £2million – came about as randomly as it sounds, with Ryan Reynolds sliding into Always Sunny In Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney's direct messages to say he admired his work.
One thing led to another – and the pair purchased the football team, which is the third oldest professional club in the world, with a 10,500 capacity stadium and currently play in the National League.
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In August last year Ryan revealed his wife – who he met in early 2010 while working on Green Lantern before dating the following year – was not particularly happy when he told her the he had bought the Welsh team.
In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in August he said: "I remember seeing Blake, saying, 'I have bad news and I have really bad news. I slipped into someone's DMs again.
"'The really bad news is that I might have bought half of a fifth tier national football league in Wales'."
The beautiful game
Blake, who wed Ryan in September 2012, seems to have got behind the idea, appearing more and more at matches at the team's Racecourse Ground.
In fact, Ryan has confessed his wife might be even more invested in the team than him, telling ET last year: "She was like, 'I'm now as obsessed if not more than you are with this club and this community and this town, and everything it represents and where it can go.'
"She's already looking at the schedules throughout the year, wondering which matches she can attend, so, it's pretty great."
Trolling fans
Her appearances have come much to the delight of local fans, and while Ryan is known as one of Hollywood's top funny men, Blake's humour is also proving popular.
She's already building up a rapport with fans, and as she walked around the ground just last weekend, a Wrexham supporter asked if she could say hi to his girlfriend Stephanie.
The fan got a bit more than they bargained for when Blake replied: "Hi Stephanie!" while flashing a smile, before adding: "You should leave him."
The joke left the crowd in stitches, with the fan also seeing the funny side.
Revelling in Ryan's 'crippling anxiety'
The fans aren't the only ones in the firing line when it comes to Blake's dry sense of humour either.
It's no secret she loves to troll her husband, and his nerves while watching his team are a source of amusement for the star.
Sharing a TV image showing Reynolds looking anxious on her Instagram in January, Blake – who was watching the match at home – wrote: “I bought espn+ today.
"Just to watch my husband experience crippling anxiety live. Worth it."
Stealing the spotlight
Not only are the family proving good luck charms for the team, but Blake's attendance appears to also be overshadowing co-owner actor Rob McElhenney.
When a recent BBC article showed a pic of Blake and Ryan with Rob at a match, the headline failed to acknowledge Rob, reading: 'Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively attend Wrexham women's game'.
Hilariously Rob retweeted it, adding: "Unfortunately their view was blocked by an unknown fan" – referring to himself.
Ryan's whole family also stole the limelight recently when they posed for photos on the pitch after a match.
Blake has even invested in the women's team too, with her business Betty Buzz named as one of their sponsors last year.
She said: "I’m honoured to have the Wrexham AFC Women’s team represent Betty Buzz.
"They stand for all that we aspire to; strength, joy, fortitude, grace and bringing people together in celebration."
A touching gesture
It's not all laughs either, as the A-lister's vision for the team is not only to win games and eventually be promoted to the Premier League, but to benefit the local community too.
This was touchingly demonstrated when one of the Wrexham players, Jordan Davies, and his partner suffered the stillbirth of their son, Arthur.
On a GoFundMe page, Kelsey wrote: "Our baby boy, Arthur Andrew Davies was born sleeping on the 14th December 2021.
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"The support we received during this time was amazing."
The couple, along with Rob and his wife Kaitlin, donated £10,000 to the page which was set up in the baby's memory.
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