Wrexham co-chairman Rob McElhenney decided to risk breaking National League rules with a black kit before the Red Dragons achieved promotion to League Two.
Back in November 2020, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and McElhenney - famed for creating and starring in ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ - pooled resources to purchase Wrexham for £2.25million. The Hollywood duo have since used their platforms to shine a light on the club and bolster the area, with success coming on the pitch over the last two seasons.
Last season, Wrexham ended a 15-year absence from the Football League by securing the National League title to clinch promotion to League Two. McElhenney and Reynolds were in attendance as victory over Boreham Wood at the Racecourse secured the move up the ladder.
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McElhenney was particularly pleased when Wrexham was promoted a year ago. In season three of the popular Disney+ documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, McElhenney - who loves black kits and wanted the club to have one - admitted he jumped the gun by ordering a black third kit before the end of the season despite the colour being banned in the National League.
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“We felt like it would be something that people would be proud to wear, so to see those out on the pitch it's been awesome (preseason),” McElhenney said. “If we didn't get out of the National League we would have to throw those into the trash.”
National League rules prevented the use of their preferred colour for three years, but promotion to the fourth tier of English football allowed the club to rep black. English football had a ban on all-black kits as the colour was initially retained for referees, but since the Premier League's birth in 1993, clubs have been permitted to use black.
Promotion to the Football League 12 months ago spared the blushes of Rob McElhenney following his black kit decision (AFP via Getty Images)The archaic rule was abolished in both the Premier League and Football League, only for the non-league to keep it. Following their historic promotion ahead of Wrexham’s pre-season tour of the United States last summer, the club launched their black third kit.
At the time, McElhenney took to X to celebrate the launch, posting: "I’ve been trying to get this one made for 3 years. Under national league rule, we couldn’t have a black kit. Not a problem anymore ;)."
McElhenney was hell-bent on restoring tradition to Wrexham in the form of the black kit. Alongside Druids FC and Chirk FC, the club became a founding member of the Welsh FA in 1976 while sporting scarlet and black colours.
Over the following decades, Wrexham joined the English football league system. Having played in a variety of blue kits, the club settled on green tops in 1904 which kickstarted a move between several colours over the following years but Wrexham - who achieved successive promotions to move to League One for the 2024/25 season - returned to black last year, much to the pleasure of McElhenney.
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