Ally Financial sponsors Wrexham AFC’s women, plans U.S. tour

One of the best episodes from Season 2 of FX’s always-entertaining soccer documentary “Welcome to Wrexham” was Episode 6, which focused on the Welsh club’s women’s team—led by goalscorer extraordinaire Rosie Hughes, who was also seen working a day job as a guard at the local prison. The women’s team has long dealt with smaller crowds, lower pay and worse playing conditions than the men. But having been promoted to the top flight of Welsh football at the end of last season, they’ve advanced from amateur to semi-professional status and now play their games at a proper ground—The Rock, home of Cefn Druids, about seven miles away. Ad Age Young Creatives Today (March 11) the team takes its next step into the limelight, as Ally Bank has signed on as a sponsor—and will be helping to bring the club to the U.S. on a tour this summer. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, co-chairmen of Wrexham AFC, announce the deal in the mock press conference below. Reynolds is amusingly ornery in the video and keeps pestering McElhenney about the club’s financial woes. The pair were said to have lost $12 million on their investment as of early this season, and are shedding more money on a temporary stand (aka, “kop”) as they wait to build a new one. On a more serious note, the Ally sponsorship is good not just for the Wrexham women but for women’s soccer generally, as Reynolds and McElhenney bring massive media attention to anything they do involving the team. Both men were clearly moved by the Wrexham women’s story last season, and this next step sets the team up for greater things down the line. “At Ally, we’re out to make women’s sports unmissable. Sports fans are going to want to come out to watch this tour,” said Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and public relations officer at Ally. “The Wrexham AFC Women are massively talented. They have the skills and heart to capture the world’s attention.” The team’s U.S. trip will feature competitive matches as well as “collaborations with key figures in women’s sports, according to the club. Dates are still being finalized. “We’re grateful to everyone at Ally for their support in getting the team out on the road this summer,” said McElhenney and Reynolds in a statement. “Beyond all of the wins at home, this tour is a fantastic way for Wrexham AFC Women to show the world what they’re made of.”

Ally Financial sponsors Wrexham AFC’s women, plans U.S. tour

Featured Stories