DIXIE McNEIL revealed that he got an introductory call from Rob McElhenney at his Wrexham home on Friday.

And who better a person to tell McElhenney - one part of the movie star double act who want to buy Wrexham Football Club - all about the Reds.

From a player in the famous 1977/78 promotion-winning side to managing Wrexham in Europe and then becoming a director of the fan-owned National League side, McNeil has seen it all in the 40-plus years he’s been in the town.

“I spoke to Rob last Friday,” said McNeil, who has already been invited by McElhenney and co-bidder Ryan Reynolds to continue as club president if supporters vote yes to the Hollywood A-listers bid to buy The Reds.

“They’d done their research on the club but I told them about how good it was in the old days - especially that 1977/78 season when we regularly got crowds of 15-20,000 for every home game.

“Rob said he’d seen the footage and wanted to bring those days back by turning Wrexham into a global force in football.

“I watched Sunday’s presentation and the two of them came across very well, the way they put their plans over and then answering the questions from the supporters.

“The trust has done a very good job over the years but for the club to go forward you need an injection of money and these two have it.

“I’m really excited for the future and I can’t wait for it all to happen.”

McNeil has lived in Wrexham since moving from Hereford United for £66,000 in September 1977.

He joined in the same week as Welsh international goalkeeper, Dai Davies - the two of them playing a massive part as Arfon Griffiths’ side won the Division Three championship, the Welsh Cup and reached the quarter-finals of both the League and FA Cups.

“I’ve got to admit that when John Sillett, my manager at Hereford, first said Wrexham wanted to sign me, I knew Wrexham was in Wales but I didn’t know where,” added McNeil. “Now I do because that team of the Seventies helped put the town on the map. The whole town was buzzing and that was because the football club was doing well.

“We know what those days were likes and I’m talking about people aged 50 and above.

“Wouldn’t it be good for the younger generation of Wrexham fans to experience that too?

“It will only be good for the town if that happens again. It might not happen but you don’t know unless you give it a chance.

“Rob and Ryan want to the bring that feeling back, they want to fill the stadium and that’s great news in what are real, miserable times.

“I’m just glad they decided on Wrexham because it would have been dreadful if they’d tried to have buy the club down the road!”