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A Wrexham supporter who has provided commentary on the club's fixtures for 37 years has revealed he was firmly against the team's Hollywood acquisition when it was initially announced. Mark Griffiths has become a recognisable face since Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac purchased the Red Dragons in February 2021.

The former teacher's voice has been heard extensively throughout the popular Welcome to Wrexham documentary series. However, he has now disclosed that he was originally opposed to the notion of the two actors acquiring the club from the Wrexham Supporters Trust.

Griffiths explained his reservations arose from the fact that Wrexham had come perilously close to folding on multiple occasions under private ownership previously. He said it was only after receiving personal contact from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Mac that he became convinced the duo's ambitions were sincere.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Griffiths said: "I wasn't just sceptical [about the takeover], I was dead set against it to be honest. I'd seen us nearly go out of business twice in the 2010s and call me unambitious, but I liked the security of the [supporters] trust running the club.

"Yeah, okay, we were in non-league, but I knew there'd be a game next Saturday. For a long time, we kept thinking that any day now we could be shut down and it happened to us twice.

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"I didn't like the idea of the trust selling up to anybody. When I heard who it was, I thought, 'Okay, they're going to take a hell of a lot of reputational damage if it goes badly.

"When I actually looked into what they were like, and was fortunate enough that Rob got in touch with me, I sort of realised, 'Oh, hang on a second. We've absolutely hit the jackpot here.' They are so genuine and the impact on Wrexham as a place is jaw dropping."

Griffiths made the comments after a snippet of his commentary on Wrexham's thrilling last-minute victory over QPR on Saturday became an internet sensation. The Welsh team were trailing 2-1 in the final moments of the Championship match until Josh Windass and Ollie Rathbone scored in injury time, securing an incredible comeback.

The victory propelled Phil Parkinson's squad to sixth place in the league table, just within the play-off spots. Griffiths lauded the significant influence Reynolds and Mac have had on the field, with Wrexham earning three consecutive promotions since their acquisition of the club.

He also commended the transformative effect the takeover has had on the city itself, which has seen a substantial increase in visitors due to the documentary.

Griffiths said: "The whole place is different on a very basic level and it's busier. On the high street, an awful lot of it was shuttered up. Now, all of those empty shop fronts and the temporary shops are full of actual businesses.

"There are entrepreneurs who said that 15 years ago, they couldn't possibly take the risk of opening a business in Wrexham because it would be dead within a year. Now, they've all got their own businesses and there's lots more bespoke businesses, rather than just high street chains.

He added: "We get an astounding amount of international visitors. They started off just coming to pop in for an afternoon out of curiosity when they're already in Britain. It's now got to the point where people are coming here to Wrexham for a fortnight.

"I've yet to come across anyone who hasn't really enjoyed themselves in Wrexham and the warm welcome they see on the TV show is exactly what they get."