20 November 2023 , 20:20
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Rob McElhenney has revealed why he sent a text message in support of Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson during a 5-0 loss earlier this season.
Wrexham are currently enjoying their first season back in the EFL for more than 15 years, having finally secured promotion from the National League last year. Wrexham won the English fifth division title ahead of promotion rivals Notts County to secure their place in League Two.
However, Wrexham endured a difficult start to life in the fourth tier of English football. It was in the nine league game of the season that the club lost 5-0 at the hands of Stockport County.
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The loss was not the first time that Wrexham had conceded five goals in a game during the initial weeks of the campaign. The club had also lost 5-3 to MK Dons on the opening day, and drew 5-5 with Swindon Town a couple of weeks later, with both games coming at the Racecourse Ground.
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It was after the loss to Stockport that McElhenney sent a text message to Parkinson in support of the manager. The American, who co-owns the club alongside Ryan Reynolds, explained why chose to express his support towards Parkinson after a defeat.
“I sent that text before the final whistle,” McElhenney told The Athletic. “I wanted to make sure he knew, as soon as he got back to the locker room, that we had his back.
“It is easy to be supportive when things are great and things are all going to plan. It is easy to coast through on that, feeling the wind at your back and in your sails. But when you are going through adversity and you take a look around, you really see who your friends are.
“Everyone goes through those moments of adversity. No one’s life is a constant uptick. Those moments are important. You see who is really there for you when the chips are down.”
Parkinson recently confirmed that McElhenney had indeed sent such a text message while giving a speech at the FWA Northern Writers' Awards ceremony earlier this month. The Wrexham boss praised the support he has received from both McElhenney and Reynolds since being appointed as manager in the summer of 2021.
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Rob McElhenney sent a text message to Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson after a defeat this season (Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)"Every promotion or title or cup you win as a manager is hard," said Parkinson on November 5, via the BBC. "It's really, really, really tough. It's tight dividing lines all the time and you need really good people alongside you.
"With the glitz and the glamour of the Hollywood owners, that's great, but Rob and Ryan are really genuine people. Honestly, they've been so supportive to me and [assistant] Steve Parkin, and I'm sure Steve will back me up on that, not only financially if we need to get a player in, but also moral support every time they come over or if we've had a bad result.
"We got beat 5-0 at Stockport a few months ago, the first text I got was Rob McElhenney [saying] 'Phil, we're right behind you, we're right with you'. And that means as much as being supportive financially."