Wrexham’s Humphrey Ker on the ‘hare-brained scheme’ to buy the club, five years on | OneFootball

Five years on Monday since Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over, Humphrey Ker is credited as the catalyst for Wrexham’s surge from non-League to Championship full houses. According to NY Times, he reflects on a journey he first deemed hare-brained that now has the club chasing a fourth straight promotion.

Ker introduced Rob McElhenney, now Mac, to British football on the Mythic Quest set, then in lockdown steered him towards Sunderland ’Til I Die, a spark that drew in Ryan Reynolds. He then ranged across Scotland, Ireland, the National League and lower EFL before the deal closed.

He initially doubted the wisdom while others baked sourdough, but says Mac’s relentlessness proved decisive. Ker became executive director after the 2021 deal, switching to community director last season.

The pair had never been to Wales before buying Wrexham for £1 plus a £2million investment pledge. Ker cites 4,000 crowds, fan commitment and geography as reasons he pushed hardest for Wrexham, ahead of Hartlepool, Carlisle, Bolton, Macclesfield and Aldershot.

Three promotions under Phil Parkinson have been matched by profile via Welcome to Wrexham, returning this spring for a fifth series. The club earns nothing directly from the show, yet its exposure has underpinned major sponsorship.

Apollo Sports Capital holds a minority stake valuing Wrexham at £350million. Ker stresses sustainability, with player trading and the Category Three academy still to grow, the new Kop under construction and a training ground yet to be secured.

He sums up the ride as glorious and surreal.

Source: NY Times