Other clubs want to be like Wrexham, says Harvey
Co-chairman Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob Mac took control of Wrexham in February 2021 [Getty Images]Shaun Harvey says the proudest feedback he regularly hears as a result of Wrexham's success is that clubs wish they were like the Red Dragons.The former English Football League (EFL) chief executive and current Wrexham director has been pivotal in bridging the gap between Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac and the club's day-to-day staff since becoming involved at Stok Cae Ras.Wrexham have gained three successive promotions and remain in the hunt to secure a play-off spot in the Championship this season.And Harvey says the trials and tribulations of his past experiences in the EFL have been vital in ensuring he has been able to play his part in the club's rapid rise from the fifth-tier National League."All that experience is what goes into helping Wrexham on its journey and what in parts had an influence on back-to-back-to-back promotions, seeing how the club's operated and run, how it positions itself," he told the BBC's Sacked In The Morning podcast."The proudest thing I hear now is, 'I wish our club was like Wrexham'. Wrexham didn't exist in that format until Rob and Ryan took over."The Supporters Trust before had done a brilliant job in keeping the club alive, and all that experience has come together to help try and create, alongside [manager] Phil [Parkinson], the players, a lot of other people, the story that people are looking on now and saying, 'I wish there was more Wrexhams'."Wrexham must not gift top-six spot to rivals - ParkinsonListen to Wrexham interviews, news and discussion on BBC SoundsReynolds and Mac have been central to Wrexham's enormous growth over the past five years.The club's revenue has surged from 1.48m during 2020-21 - the season in which Reynolds and Mac completed their takeover - to 33.3m in the latest financial year.They are also the brains behind the immensely popular Welcome To Wrexham documentary - which has played a significant role in boosting the club's profile and revenue streams.But Harvey says the duo's biggest attribute has been their willingness and eagerness to delegate responsibility to those more qualified to carry out certain tasks within the club."They've never tried to be anything that they're not, and they've always been genuine to what they are, and that is two individuals who see themselves as custodians of the football club, who want the best for the football club and know that the best way of achieving that is by putting the right people in place to allow it to live," Harvey said."Rob and Ryan are the club's best cheerleaders. They are the face of the club, which takes pressure off everywhere else."Harvey says everyone else benefits from the role Reynolds and Mac have chosen to take."The biggest beneficiaries of this whole Wrexham experience is the local community," added the 56-year-old executive."I've had five wonderful years there, we're still going and we're still successful."Phil's into his fifth season as manager as well. We're all loving the experience, but the long-term benefit to the community is actually what will really signify, in the end, how successful this whole quest has been."Despite the glorious achievements during their tenure as owners to date, Harvey says there was some scepticism around the actors intentions when they first showed an interest in the club.But the former Leeds United CEO says the pair swiftly nullified his concerns."I think the first meetings with Rob and Ryan, you knew it was going to be different, and like a lot of people, I was only concerned that they were in this for the long run," Harvey explained."Now, five years in, it's a complete irrelevance. But at that stage, what I never wanted to be party to was getting the hopes and dreams up of a community in north Wales, and all of a sudden them being dropped and moved on."That was the only question I ever asked Rob and Ryan. How long are you in this for? And we've got to make sure that whatever happens, we leave the club in a better place than it is today."Once we got that principle established, it was easy."Does it matter if Wrexham don't get promoted this season?Latest Wrexham news, analysis and fan viewsWrexham currently sit four points adrift of sixth-placed Hull City with four matches left to play in the regular season.And Harvey - who was speaking after his side's 5-1 loss to Southampton on 7 April - says the internal view has always been that the Red Dragons could at the very least compete for a top six place this term."We've probably surpassed most peoples' expectations. The players always believed. Generally, commentators from the outside looking in felt survival would be a good outcome this season," he said."I think the aim at the start of the season, at the risk of sitting on the fence, was to finish as high as we could. "We knew we'd invested well, we knew we'd brought players in of good experience and they had the ability to get us up in and around that play-off area."
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