How Many Fans Has Wrexham Gained Since the Hollywood Deal?

After being acquired by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney,Wrexhamhas experienced a rapid ascent, with three straight promotions.

At that time, their fanbase has expanded rapidly, both within the country and globally. In this article, we have examined the data to determine how many fans they have acquired since the acquisition.

Before Wrexham gained their Hollywood investors, the team was drawing an average of 4,058 spectators in the National League. From 2000 to 2020, the club’s attendance varied between 3,000 and 5,000 on average, resulting in many seats remaining empty.

It was expected that their attendance numbers were decreasing during that period, as they hadn’t competed in the Football League since being dropped from League Two in 2008.

Nevertheless, following their acquisition by Hollywood-based owners in February 2021, a new wave of hope emerged within the club, leading to a rapid increase in matchday attendance.

Following the 2020-21 season, which took place without spectators because of the COVID-19 outbreak, supporters returned to the matches during the 2021-22 campaign.

During that season, while competing in the National League, Wrexham’s average home crowd increased to a notable 8,647 supporters.

Since that time and after their three consecutive promotions, the average attendance at the Racecourse has been increasing consistently each year.

In their last season in the National League, they drew an average of 9,973 spectators, while in League Two, the average was 11,210 fans, and in League One, the figure increased to 12,781.

As a reference, this is the highest average crowd that Wrexham have ever experienced throughout a full league season in their entire history.

Before the takeover, the previous instance when Wrexham had an average of more than 10,000 spectators in the league was during the 1979-80 season, over 45 years ago.

With a stadium expansion taking place, the club is currently limited to crowd sizes of 12,800, but this number is expected to increase to 16,000 when their new Kop stand becomes operational.

Nevertheless, the stadium’s forward-thinking owners have intended to increase its capacity in the future, aiming to accommodate approximately 55,000 spectators.

“We currently have a plan that will gradually move from stall to stall, so in the end, you’ll cover all four sides,” McElhenney said to the American entertainment website Collider last year.

It’s difficult to be certain, but we estimate we might accommodate 45,000 to 55,000 individuals.

Although the club has achieved significant progress in attracting local supporters, the true successes have come from international fans.

As stated by their manager, Shaun Harvey, Wrexham boasts a much larger fanbase in the United States compared to most other EFL teams.

“Approximately 5,000 American households likely have an annual subscription to stream Wrexham matches live,” Harvey mentioned to The Guardian in the previous year.

By itself, that might not seem like much, but it’s a significant sum when compared to most other clubs in the EFL.

The United States will consistently hold significant importance for the EFL, as there is a substantial market and fanbase for football, and the Premier League has already laid the groundwork for its presence there.

The current challenge for EFL clubs is to capitalize on that connection and utilize it to develop their own fan bases in the United States.

In addition to their growth in the United States, Wrexham has also been gaining attention in Australia, having recently concluded their pre-season tour with matches against Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC, and Wellington Phoenix.

Regarding typical home attendance figures, here is the complete overview of the number of fans Wrexham has attracted in recent years.

2024-25: 12,781

2023-24: 11,210

2022-23: 9,973

2021-22: 8,647

2020-21: N/A

2019-20: 4,058

2018-19: 5,077

2017-18: 4,649

2016-17: 3,908

2015-16: 4,616

2014-15: 3,235