Welcome to Wrexham – Wales

As we were planning our trek back ‘home’ from Liverpool to Emsworth, Travers mentioned that Wrexham was on the way home. Albeit via a slight deviation through Wales. Our question was: “Why”? Those who are familiar with the sports documentary series Welcome to Wrexham will of course know the answer. Wrexham is a Welsh professional association football club based in the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, North East Wales. The documentary series is based on Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds attempts to revive the third-oldest professional association football team in the world. Founded in 1864, the club had been mismanaged to the point of near collapse. McElhenney & Reynolds had no known experience in managing a sports team, but with Hollywood money, a love of sport and a desire to bring positive change to the local Wrexham community, the pair purchased Wrexham AFC via a £2 million takeover. The local pub ‘The Turf’ is the spiritual home and gathering place for Wrexham’s long suffering, die-hard supporters. The 2021 buyout catapulted the club to global attention, and Wrexham’s fairytale story reached a crucial step in the final weeks of the 2022/23 season as they sealed promotion back into the English Football League (EFL). Promotion to the English Football League will unlock millions of dollars in funding, as well as higher TV revenues. The fairytale continues…