Revealed: the role Portsmouth CEO Mark Catlin played in Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham AFC takeover

That’s according to club director Spencer Harris, who told leaderlive.co.uk that a telephone call from the Blues CEO set the ball in motion for the star duo’s acquisition.

On Monday, it was confirmed that both Reynolds and McElhenney had become the new owners of the National League side, after their takeover bid was approved by the National League club’s Supporters’ Trust.

Wrexham Supporters’ Trust members voted 98.6 per cent in favour to accept the offer of Deadpool star Reynolds and his business partner, who told them last week that they plan to turn the Welsh football club into a ‘global force’.

Pompey, of course, found themselves in a very similar position in 2017, when Michael Eisner’s Tornante company purchased the Fratton Park outfit from the Pompey Supporters’ Trust.

The Trust owned 48.5 percent of the club's shares, with the rest shared among 16 ‘presidents’.

The American is the former chief executive of Disney and was reported to have a net worth of one billion US dollars at the time.

Back then Eisner offered £5.67m to buy 100 per cent of the club with an extra investment of £10m.

That takeover has since seen the likes of Will Farrell stop off at Fratton Park for a game.

SEE ALSO: Pompey owner Michael Eisner outlines 10-year plan to turn Blues into global force

Now Wrexham look set to have a touch of Hollywood at the Racecourse Ground, too – a move that was initiated by an unexpected call by Catlin.

Harris told leaderlive.co.uk: ‘I got a phone call from the CEO at Portsmouth Football Club who asked me would I be willing to speak to somebody who was representing some people who were interested in investing in the club,’ said Harris.

‘Of course I said yes as I have always said yes because this football club is owned by the supporters so it's them that has to make any decisions on the really big and significant things such as that.

‘In the early days we were talking in principle and getting to know each other, without knowing who they were; we didn't know until we secured how interested they there.

‘Then we got to NDA and then we got introduced to Rob and Ryan who are two very talented and down to earth guys doing extraordinary jobs.

‘From then on in, it has been a mixture of talking to them and their representatives.’

Harris added the takeover – which is subject to league and Football Association approval – was ‘fantastic’ for both the club and the town of Wrexham itself.

He said: ‘It is a fantastic thing for the town and it is a fantastic thing for the football club.

‘The most important thing was once an offer of this magnitude was put forward, it was put to supporters to make a choice and they made that choice overwhelmingly so I am absolutely delighted for them.

‘There are more steps to come after this - there are a few technical and legal things that we need to do to conclude a transaction - but supporters have given us the backing to do it and we will get that done over the next few weeks.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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