Mark B
Member
- Country
USA
I think Wrexham are a test of the Hollywood model, can a fad team sustain long term success on a model where the majority of their funding actually comes from outside the UK?If Monsters like Newcastle or Aston Villa are now faced with selling major assets to stay within the rules I cant see Wrexham getting anywhere. Thats if they get up anyway. Many clubs in the past have tried to buy their way out of the Championship and realised money alone is not enough. Wolves under Jack Hayward are a prime example. He threw truly ridiculous money (for that era) at promotion only to see the Leicester City's, the Crystal Palace's, the West Bromwich Albion's pass them by
The Facts:
- Total Revenue: £33.35 million (up 25% year-over-year), a record for a third-tier club not receiving parachute payments.
- Revenue Streams: Driven by £17.3 million in sponsorships, £5.9 million in matchdays, £5 million in retail, and £3.4 million in broadcasting.
- The "Hollywood Effect": Approximately 57.7% of Wrexham's revenue originates from outside the UK (heavily backed by North America and the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series), placing their commercial revenue higher than select Premier League and lower-tier Championship clubs.
- Net Result: Despite record earnings, Wrexham posted an operating loss of £14.85 million due to a steep rise in their wage bill (£19.9 million) and promotion-related staff bonuses.
I think you are correct in that it isn't enough to just throw money at the problem unless you are a Jeff Bezos and can rig the system through other activities such as kit sales and more importantly, media rights. Just having the money and throwing at it for a few years isn't enough, there needs to be an extended plan to give that team time to get together. That is the advantage that we and other mid-tier teams have, the players aren't as individually talented but can play better as a collective team to pull out the draws and wins.