Actor Ryan Reynolds says he has been delighted with the “brilliant” relationship he has built with Wrexham fans since he and Rob McElhenney took control of the Welsh football club.
The Deadpool star, 46, who is co-chairman of Wrexham FC along with fellow actor Mr McElhenney, 45, attended his team’s FA cup match against Sheffield United on Sunday.
Before the match, BBC Sport expert Gary Lineker asked Reynolds about his connection with Wrexham locals.
“It’s been brilliant," the actor said. "I love getting here early because I get to meet some of the locals as well, and some of the supporters who’ve been coming here for decades and decades.
“I met a supporter the other day whose grandfather’s ashes were scattered across this [football] field, so I look at this place a bit like a church, is what it really is.
“It’s really bore a special place in my heart and my entire family’s heart, and I think across the pond as well.
“In Canada, where I’m from, people are obsessed with this club and this community, and so are people in United States, and it’s just been been pretty remarkable.”
Reynolds, who attended the match at The Racecourse Ground, added: “I think we sold 24,000 jerseys this year, and so many of them went to Canada and North America, we can’t get them any more – I can’t get one.”
Welsh former footballer and Bradford City manager Mark Hughes, who was speaking to Reynolds alongside Lineker and Alan Shearer, said: “The impact the guys have had since they’ve come in has been phenomenal.
Ryan Reynolds' 'Welcome to Wrexham' - in pictures
“I’m a Wrexham boy, just from three miles down the road and goodness me, everybody’s just talking about these guys and the impact that they have.”
Reynolds said co-owning Wrexham was “the greatest experience of my entire life”, before adding “my own children and family not withstanding, because I know that will come back to haunt me”.
He and McElhenney took full control of the National League club from the Wrexham Supporters Trust in February 2021, investing £2 million ($2.5 million) under the terms of the deal.
The king and queen consort meet Ryan Reynolds in Wrexham - video
The actors also explored the history and culture of Wrexham in their hit Disney+ series Welcome To Wrexham.
The Critics’ Choice Award-winning show documents the team’s progress, and tells the story of the club, founded in 1864, which has the world’s oldest international ground.
Reynolds said he and McElhenney hope to eventually take the club into the Premier League.
“The plan is now, and has always been, the Premier League,” he said.
“I can’t really put a date on that. But if it’s theoretically possible to go from fifth division to Premier League, why wouldn’t we do it?”
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Rating: 3.5/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
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You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
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