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

Wrexham’s historic Racecourse Ground will be known as The SToK Cae Ras – or SToK Racecourse following the sale of the stadium’s naming rights to the American cold brew brand.

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

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

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

Reynolds and McElhenney have been widely praised for their root-and-branch investment in the club since the takeover which has paid no dividends on the field, but has helped raise the club’s profile internationally and boost revenue streams.

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

The club has received substantial investment from the Hollywood co-owners who were on hand to lift the trophy when Wrexham topped the National League in April.

The Disney+ ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ docu-series which followed the club’s journey through their first post-takeover campaign has helped the side gain widespread recognition in the US, where Phil Parkinson’s side will play their summer tour in July .

The team will face Chelsea, LA Galaxy II and Manchester United, as well as another yet to be announced team in stadiums in North Carolina and California.

In the video announcement, Reynolds and McElhenney poked fun at the British tradition of afternoon tea, swapping their players’ refreshment for STōK cold brew coffee. the side’s National League trophy, but for a save from goalkeeper Ben Foster.

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

Reynold’s wife, actress Blake Lively, plans to sponsor both the men’s and women’s team training kit for next season through her non-alcoholic beverage company Betty Buzz.

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

Lively has attended a number of games this season during Wrexham’s promotion campaign, which saw the club record a record 111 points en route to 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 promotion-defining women’s side – before heading to Las Vegas for an all-expenses paid four-day holiday courtesy of the owner.

Blake Lively has attended a number of Wrexham matches – and her company Betty Buzz now has naming rights to the main on-site hospitality suite

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

The players were treated to an open-top bus parade to celebrate their numerous successes

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

Reynolds and McElhenney’s investment in the club was significant, but their players recently made a false comparison when they tried to describe the extent of their owners’ involvement.

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, drawing the ire of Tractor Boys fans.

Sheeran has been the club’s main kit sponsor for the past two years, but he has never had an ownership share in the club.