Sean Harvey says the proudest feedback he often hears due to Wrexham’s success is that the club wishes they could be like the Red Dragons.
Since joining Stoke Kailas, the former EFL chief executive and current Wrexham director has played a key role in bridging the gap between Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and the club’s day-to-day staff.
advertise
Wrexham have won three consecutive promotions and are still competing for a place in the Championship play-offs this season.
Harvey said his past trials and tribulations in the EFL were crucial in ensuring he could play his part in the club’s meteoric rise from the fifth tier of the National League.
He told the BBC’s Sacked In The Morning podcast: “All that experience has helped with Wrexham’s journey and to a certain extent having an impact on back-to-back promotions, understanding how the club operates and functions, how it positions itself.”
“The proudest thing I hear now is, ‘I want our club to be like Wrexham’. Wrexham didn’t exist in this form before Rob and Ryan took over.
advertise
“The fans believe they have done a fantastic job keeping the club alive before and all that experience has come together to help try and create whilst [manager] Phil [Parkinson]the players, a lot of other people, the stories that people are watching now and saying, ‘I wish there was more Wrexham’. “
Reynolds and McElhenney have played a central role in Wrexham’s huge development over the past five years.
The club’s revenue soared from £1.48m in the 2020-21 season – the season in which Reynolds and McElhenney completed their acquisitions – to £33.3m in the most recent financial year.
They were also behind the popular Welcome to Wrexham documentary, which played a major role in raising the club’s profile and revenue stream.
advertise
But Xavi says the pair’s greatest attribute is their willingness and desire to delegate responsibilities to those more qualified to carry out certain tasks within the club.
Harvey said: “They have never tried to be anything they are not, they have stayed true to who they are and that is two people who see themselves as custodians of the football club and they want the best for the football club and know the best way to achieve that is to get the right people in place to make it survive.”
“Rob and Ryan are the club’s best cheerleaders. They are the face of the club, which takes the pressure off other places.”
Harvey said everyone else benefited from the roles Reynolds and McElhenney chose to play.
advertise
“The biggest beneficiary of the whole Wrexham experience is the local community,” added the 56-year-old executive.
“I had five great years there and we’re still going to move forward and we’re still going to be successful.
“Phil is also entering his fifth season as manager. We’ve all enjoyed the experience, but it’s the long-term benefit to the community that really means, ultimately, how successful the entire mission is.”
Harvey said despite their brilliant achievements as owners, there was skepticism about their intentions when they first showed interest in the club.
advertise
But the former Leeds United chief executive said the pair quickly allayed his concerns.
“I think that first meeting with Rob and Ryan, you knew things were going to be different, and like a lot of people, I was just concerned that they were going to be in this long-term,” Harvey explained.
“Now, five years on, it’s completely irrelevant. But at that stage, what I never wanted to be part of was the hopes and dreams of building a community in North Wales and then all of a sudden they were abandoned and moved on.
“That’s the only question I’ve asked Rob and Ryan. How long have you been here? We have to make sure that whatever happens, we leave the club in a better position than it is now.”
advertise
“Once we established that principle, it was easy.”
Wrexham are currently four points behind sixth-placed Hull City with four games remaining in the regular season.
Harvey, speaking after the team’s 5-1 loss to Southampton on April 7, said it had always been considered internally that the Red Dragons could at least compete for a top-six spot this season.
“We probably exceeded most people’s expectations. The players have always believed. Generally speaking, outside commentators have thought survival this season would be a good result,” he said.
advertise
“I think the goal at the beginning of the season is to finish as high as possible and take the risk of waiting and seeing.
“We know we’ve invested well, we know we’ve brought in experienced players who have the quality to progress us in and around the play-off places.”
