Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds delighted both supporters of his club Wrexham AFC and neutrals watching on TV recently as he attended the club's fourth-round FA Cup tie against Sheffield United - while it's fair to say that the takeover of the Welsh club [1] by Reynolds and fellow co-owner (and Hollywood star!) Rob McElhenney has got us all talking about football club ownership.

Reynolds and McElhenney aren't your traditional football club owners. Of course, the first step is having a few hundred million pounds lying around. But even looking past the upfront cost, actually owning and operating a football club is likely to be a tall order - not to mention the hoops you'll have to jump through to become an owner!

With club ownership in the headlines, commercial finance [2] specialists, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, take a look at what it really takes to buy a football club.

Which club should you buy?

£305m [3] - chump change compared to Todd Boehly's £4.25bn takeover [4] at Chelsea.

How much will a club cost me to buy?

It's not just the upfront cost, running overheads and squad investment that you need to think about when buying a football club. The club's financials are undeniably crucial. As the new owner, you'd be saddled with all the club's existing debts and liabilities - which could net you a great purchase price, provided you're willing to absorb the club's debts.

Both Chelsea (1982) and Swansea City (2001) have been sold for just one English pound. A bargain, surely? But this was to allow the new owners to spend their money on whittling down the debts the clubs had accumulated, which threatened their future survival. Wrexham was purchased for £2 million, catapulting the club ahead of its National League competition in terms of spending power.

Even your future club's supporters can help you to negotiate a better price - if they're unhappy with their existing ownership. Though fans rarely can directly affect the direction of a privately-owned club, they can certainly help create a hostile atmosphere and ‘encourage' a quick sale via protest. This has arguably helped Manchester United's owners, the much-maligned Glazer Family, begin the process of selling.

Are you fit to be a club owner?

You've overcome the hurdle of accruing your funds, and you've had your bid accepted - but there are still hurdles to overcome. You will need to be personally vetted by the Premier League in order to determine whether you are of adequate moral standing to represent your new purchase and the league in general.

Whether or not you can buy your football club at this point comes down to you passing the Owners' and Directors' Test. You may be prevented from completing the sale for a range of reasons, including criminal convictions (for a wide range of offences), a ban by a sporting or professional body and breaches of certain football rules, such as match-fixing.

You can finally buy your football club once you pass this test - but keep yourself out of trouble, because you'll be re-reviewed every year!          

Long-term football club financing

It's no secret that football clubs need regular investment to not only stay afloat but to challenge at any level - especially the upper echelons of competitions like the Champions League. The threat of relegation and the accompanying financial issues mean that a lack of investment is an impossibility if you want your club to continue to exist.

You'll need deep pockets and long-term financial stability to keep your football club operating and competitive. Be prepared to spend, spend, spend - failing to invest your personal wealth into the club could quickly turn the supporter base against you.

Glenn Henery, Sales Director at Anglo Scottish Asset Finance [5], comments: "Owning a football club is not for the faint-hearted - there are so many factors affecting your investment. If you've got the funds, however, and you're willing to use them, it can be a hugely rewarding and lucrative position. As long as you're prepared to spend and put the club first, there's no reason you can't make money, given the huge TV licensing payouts for modern Premier League clubs."

Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds delighted both supporters of his club Wrexham AFC and neutrals watching on TV recently as he attended the club's fourth-round FA Cup tie against Sheffield United - while it's fair to say that the takeover of the Welsh club [6] by Reynolds and fellow co-owner (and Hollywood star!) Rob McElhenney has got us all talking about football club ownership.

Reynolds and McElhenney aren't your traditional football club owners. Of course, the first step is having a few hundred million pounds lying around. But even looking past the upfront cost, actually owning and operating a football club is likely to be a tall order - not to mention the hoops you'll have to jump through to become an owner!

With club ownership in the headlines, commercial finance [7] specialists, Anglo Scottish Asset Finance, take a look at what it really takes to buy a football club.

Which club should you buy?

£305m [8] - chump change compared to Todd Boehly's £4.25bn takeover [9] at Chelsea.

How much will a club cost me to buy?

It's not just the upfront cost, running overheads and squad investment that you need to think about when buying a football club. The club's financials are undeniably crucial. As the new owner, you'd be saddled with all the club's existing debts and liabilities - which could net you a great purchase price, provided you're willing to absorb the club's debts.

Both Chelsea (1982) and Swansea City (2001) have been sold for just one English pound. A bargain, surely? But this was to allow the new owners to spend their money on whittling down the debts the clubs had accumulated, which threatened their future survival. Wrexham was purchased for £2 million, catapulting the club ahead of its National League competition in terms of spending power.

Even your future club's supporters can help you to negotiate a better price - if they're unhappy with their existing ownership. Though fans rarely can directly affect the direction of a privately-owned club, they can certainly help create a hostile atmosphere and ‘encourage' a quick sale via protest. This has arguably helped Manchester United's owners, the much-maligned Glazer Family, begin the process of selling.

Are you fit to be a club owner?

You've overcome the hurdle of accruing your funds, and you've had your bid accepted - but there are still hurdles to overcome. You will need to be personally vetted by the Premier League in order to determine whether you are of adequate moral standing to represent your new purchase and the league in general.

Whether or not you can buy your football club at this point comes down to you passing the Owners' and Directors' Test. You may be prevented from completing the sale for a range of reasons, including criminal convictions (for a wide range of offences), a ban by a sporting or professional body and breaches of certain football rules, such as match-fixing.

You can finally buy your football club once you pass this test - but keep yourself out of trouble, because you'll be re-reviewed every year!          

Long-term football club financing

It's no secret that football clubs need regular investment to not only stay afloat but to challenge at any level - especially the upper echelons of competitions like the Champions League. The threat of relegation and the accompanying financial issues mean that a lack of investment is an impossibility if you want your club to continue to exist.

You'll need deep pockets and long-term financial stability to keep your football club operating and competitive. Be prepared to spend, spend, spend - failing to invest your personal wealth into the club could quickly turn the supporter base against you.

Glenn Henery, Sales Director at Anglo Scottish Asset Finance [10], comments: "Owning a football club is not for the faint-hearted - there are so many factors affecting your investment. If you've got the funds, however, and you're willing to use them, it can be a hugely rewarding and lucrative position. As long as you're prepared to spend and put the club first, there's no reason you can't make money, given the huge TV licensing payouts for modern Premier League clubs."