If the first stage of the Hollywood era at Wrexham was about getting a non-league club up to Football League standard, phase two is about thinking bigger and being ready for it.
It has included some pretty significant appointments away from the pitch. There is a new chief executive in Michael Wiliamson, previously at Inter Milan, a communications chief fresh from the European Club Association, while last night’s programme notes highlighted a new retail executive, formerly of Puma and a vice president at MLS.
A big aim for such officials will be to expand and improve the ground that creaked with noise on Thursday night. As the eruption of emotion to accompany Ollie Rathbone’s beautifully-placed tenth minute opener tested the integrity of the temporary Kop, it reminded of the desire for a new 5,500 permanent stand and surrounding area. Plans drawn up by the designers of the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium are weeks away from being submitted for approval.
There is talk of future-proofing the ground, of space for further growth and of integrating with wider projects for the town.
The Allyns, in a recent interview with their hometown newspaper, spoke of hotels, restaurants.
Above all the aim is to increase revenue streams to help build a sustainable club away from the showbiz – and sustaining the success.
The Allyn family investment does not change the fact that Reynolds and McElhenney remain the heart and the face of the club’s plans, it is just they now have some helping hands.
Even with suggestions of small-scale investment in clubs in Mexico and Colombia, there is no talk of a sudden drop of interest from the Hollywood pair.
Reynolds spoke before the game of falling head over heels for football, his pride on the story so far for the town and the team, and refused to rule out one day reaching the Premier League.
His admission that “I love this sport so much I hate it” came to mind when Wrexham sloppily conceded from a set-piece as Lyndon Dykes pounced after 18 minutes.
