WREXHAM, Wales – April 10, 2023: Wrexham AFC owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds watch their team during the Vanarama National League fixture between Wrexham and Notts County at The Racecourse Ground.
Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images
Wrexham AFC, the small Welsh soccer club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, on Tuesday announced new sponsorship from U.S. technology giant HP.
The Palo Alto, California-based tech stalwart will provide the club with new laptops, PC accessories and hybrid working technology, and its logo will appear on the sleeve of the team’s shirts for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Last month, Wrexham announced that United Airlines would become its official front-of-shirt sponsor, replacing TikTok, as the club’s brand continues to expand internationally.
“HP was born in a garage in 1939 and has become one of the leading technology brands in the world. Wrexham Association Football Club was born in a bar in 1864 and is on its way to great things,” said Wrexham AFC Co-Chairmen McElhenney and Reynolds.
“We could not think of a better partner on this ride, for the club and the community. Plus, our tech game really needs an upgrade. Pretty sure we still have flying toasters as screensavers on some of our computers.”
The third-oldest professional soccer club in the world, Wrexham last season won the Vanarama National League and earned promotion to League Two, the fourth tier of the English soccer pyramid, for the first time since 2007-08. The formerly struggling club has undergone a remarkable transformation since Reynolds and McElhenney purchased the team for £2 million ($2.6 million) in November 2020.
The club’s popularity was boosted substantially by the Disney+ and HBO documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham,” which followed the new owners’ efforts to secure promotion to League Two during their first season at the helm.
“The passion of Wrexham’s fans to rally around their beloved football team, throughout the highs and lows, has been an inspiration to us at HP,” said HP Global Chief Marketing Officer Vikrant Batra.
“We’re excited to bring the power of our technology to the club and broader community, supporting them to achieve their goals.”
Wrexham will soon embark on a summer tour of the U.S. to face English Premier League titans Chelsea and Manchester United, along with Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy, in exhibition matches ahead of the 2023-24 season.