“You see, it’s not always sunny in Wrexham!” Nigel Wood stands on the balcony, sheltering from the rain. The 61-year-old forklift driver from Chirk is on his way to a lager club to drink with a group of friends before the Wrexham-Salford City match, a regional derby in the fourth tier of English football.
“I’ve been going to Wrexham games for over 40 years,” says Wood. ‘And it’s never been as fun as it is now. Did you see all the red shirts downtown? Wrexham is buzzing.
Wood’s comment about the weather is a reference to It’s always sunny in Wrexham, A satirical song by The Declan Swans is heard in the stands of the Racecourse Ground, the stadium where the North Wales club played its first match in 1864.
This modest club has become world famous, especially in America, thanks to its acquisition by Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. Since then, the Welsh mining town has become a wonderland.
Finished by the author
Patrick van Ijzendoorn is a correspondent for Great Britain and Ireland De Volkskrant. He has lived in London since 2003 and has written several books, including on Brexit.
McElhenney, known from the sitcom It’s always sunny in Philadelphia Working as an actor, producer, director and screenwriter has been something he has been fascinated with for three years Sunderland: Until I dieA documentary series about the fortunes of a football club from the coastal city of the same name.
Wrexham as a story
During the pandemic, he came up with a plan to buy an iconic club from British football, preferably one that had sunk deeply. The unique thing about English football is that amateur clubs can rise to the highest levels.
He shared his friend W dead poolActor Ryan Reynolds joined the search. The two, who knew little about football, looked at clubs such as Notts County, Hartlepool and Bolton Wanderers, until Wrexham caught their attention. The fourth oldest surviving football club in the world resides in the National League, the fifth tier of the football pyramid. In its glory years, the club played European matches against Anderlecht, Roma and Manchester United.
The takeover cost the duo more than €2 million, an investment that will be recouped as the club will become the theme of the Disney series. Welcome to Wrexham. McElhenney and Reynolds didn’t buy a football club so much as they bought a story. “Wrexham is a perfect story,” says Ian Herbert, a Wrexham fan and author of the book. Tinseltown. Hollywood: And the Beautiful Game: A Match Made in Wrexham: This is the story of the underdog.
Against rich England
Before the match against Salford City, Herbert, wearing a scarf in Welsh colours, sat in a miners’ café near the racecourse. There was a feeling of injustice because the club was on the verge of bankruptcy due to poor club management and fell into the amateur league. This is also the story of the Welsh people against their wealthy English neighbours, symbolized by their compatriot and arch-rival Chester, a club from the boomtown just across the border. Identity is becoming stronger and stronger.
While enjoying the miners’ light lunch—pie and mush with peas—Herbert points to the wall covered with mine maps. “In 1934, 262 men were buried alive in a mining disaster. It happened on the Friday evening before the match was supposed to be played. There are mining tunnels hundreds of meters below the pitch. The book quotes current Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson, who claimed the disaster It’s on his mind every game.
The last mine closed in 1986, after which the city fell into disrepair, waiting in vain for help from London. McClenaughy and Reynolds don’t want to be seen as saviors, but their arrival has been beneficial to the city.
American tourists
“More and more American tourists are coming,” says Harry Gould in the Marubi Hotel cafeteria. ‘A couple from Chicago recently got engaged in the courtyard and invited me to their wedding. Wrexham was the first foreign city they visited. Wrexham!’
At the City Gate kiosk, visitors are greeted by a life-sized cardboard portrait of Reynolds, while the Waterstones Library window displays numerous leaflets about the club.
The stadium, which can accommodate 10,000 seats, is filled with new star-shaped lighting poles every two weeks. This year, TikTok gave way to United Airlines on T-shirts, and a coffee brand from Colorado became the title sponsor. The local taxi company sponsors the game ball.
Exciting 5-5
In April, Wrexham were promoted to League Two, the fourth tier. As a bonus, the club was allowed to prepare for the season in America, where they played against Chelsea and Manchester United. McIlhenny and Reynolds hope the club can reach the top flight, but the road to the top will be one of trial and error.
In the first match they lost 3-5 to MK Dons and lost 5-0 to rivals Stockport. It’s never boring. For example, the home match against Swindon ended 5-5.
Before the match against Salford, a club that includes four former Manchester United senior players, Nigel Wood said the small scale is the magic. “I met Reynold at the Lager Stand and at the bar I met the father of our top scorer Paul Mullen!”
The number ten, who is working on his CV, faces difficulty against Salford. Wrexham trailed 0-2 but managed to turn the score around into a 3-2 win in the final stretch when the sun broke through. A scenario worthy of Hollywood.
