McElhenney: This key obstacle holds Wrexham Women back
In every facet of Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney want to make a major splash. With two consecutive promotions putting them in League One, all eyes have been on the men’s team. Yet, other areas are now attracting attention.
Finishing in third place was a respectable accomplishment for Wrexham Women during their first season in the Genero Adran Premier in 2023-24. It is, in fact, the top level of Welsh women’s soccer competition.
How did Wrexham Women fare in first top-flight campaign?
The Red Dragons completed a season in which they made history as the first semi-professional women’s team in Wales.
They had a solid first season in the Genero Adran Premier, placing third, and finished second in the Bute Energy Welsh Cup.
For the first time ever, Wrexham Women reached the final of the Bute Energy Welsh Cup this season. What’s more, they also played in each of the four main Welsh stadiums, making them quarterfinalists in the Genero Adran Trophy.
Making Wrexham the undisputed powerhouse of Welsh women’s soccer is Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s declared goal. The team has made tremendous progress this season towards that objective, and thus, many think it’s achievable.
When the Hollywood duo handed out semi-professional contracts, they created history. With a Tier 1 license in March 2023, the Wrexham women’s squad aspired to become a semi-professional soccer club.
The following June, Wrexham made public the fact that ten female players had signed semiprofessional contracts. “This makes Wrexham the first Club in North Wales to have a semi-professional women’s football setup”, they said at the time.
What did Rob McElhenney say?
Nonetheless, there are still limitations on what upper-level female players could earn. “Welcome to Wrexham” Season 3 features McElhenney’s continued attempts to make sense of the situation. The previous season presented the squad to Disney+ subscribers.
There, they saw the players rise from the amateur league to the Adran Premier. During that period, the players disclosed that they didn’t get any compensation for their time on the squad.
They were able to start making money in the next season thanks to the team’s promotion. Nevertheless, McElhenney said that he and Reynolds are frustrated by the lack of action they can take.
“We asked last year when they were in the amateur status, could we pay them. The answer was no, by rule. In this league, you have limits on what you’re allowed to pay them. Just another one of the really fun U.K. regulations in football that hold you back from doing some of the things you want to do”, he says in Episode 9.
In his list of lofty goals, he included providing competitive compensation to the women’s team. “We fully and wholeheartedly believe that this is a club that can become one of the best women’s teams in the world”, the 47-year-old added.
The episode featured the women’s squad discussing their experiences after being promoted. Even though they can now get money by playing, they still have to juggle various professions to make a living.
Photo credit: IMAGO / News Images