29-minute flight! Wrexham flew to 16 games last season as Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney fund Premier League-esque extravagance

It is reported that Wrexham, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney providing the funds, flew to 16 National League games last season.

WHAT HAPPENED? They were, according to BBC Sport, the only side in the fifth tier to make their way to fixtures around the country by air. All of the Dragons’ flights were taken out of Manchester Airport, with the shortest being just 29 minutes – when they headed to the North East to face Gateshead.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The longest flight taken, as revealed by the study from BBC Sport, was only 62 minutes – with the average travel time being 43.5 minutes. The vast majority of teams in the lower leagues, as well as many further up the ladder, tend to travel to matches by bus.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Wrexham, who secured promotion back to the Football League in record-breaking style during the 2022-23 campaign, are facing criticism for the environmental damage that is caused by short-haul flights. Katie Cross of Pledgeball – who work with clubs to “engage fans and lower their footprints" — has said of the Dragons’ exploits: “The club, with the full backing of their new owners, seem to be following the well-carved out track of measuring success through global expansion and financial success.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT? Wrexham are, with Reynolds and McElhenney helping to raise the club’s profile, now partnered with United Airlines as the team’s front of shirt sponsors. The likelihood is that they will be back in the air during the 2023-24 campaign as they take aim at promotion out of League Two.