15 April 2023 , 06:52
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Excitement is building as the crowds line up at the barriers. You can feel it in the air as the chat gets louder when their heroes are glimpsed.
First out of Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground are the players who sign autographs and pose for selfies.
Then the fans begin singing a favourite chant from the song It’s Always Sunny in Wrexham: “No one’s invested so much as a penny, bring on the Deadpool and Rob McElhenney”.
Soon the crowd erupts into deafening cheers as US actor Rob, who took over Wales’ oldest professional team with Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds two and a half years ago, appears with camera crew in tow.
The team stands on the brink of a return to the Football League after 15 years in exile.
Ryan Reynolds mispronounces name of new Wrexham signing in hilarious video
Ryan in Wrexham shirt (Instagram)
Rob beams as he leaves the ground (IAN COOPER/IAN COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY)But it isn’t just on the pitch where you can sense the feelgood factor, Hollywood is sprinkling its magic around the city and changing its fortunes markedly.
And walking around the city it’s clear to see that sense of community and togetherness is omnipresent.
Fanzine writer Liam Randall, 34, of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, says: “You see people buying into it. Local businesses like estate agents, hairdressers, they’ve all got Wrexham flags in their windows, they’ve got the crest everywhere, it’s built up a real sense of pride.
“The economy is benefitting as well which can only be good for the town.
Rob is happy to chat with the fans (IAN COOPER/IAN COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY)“Back when I was young you didn’t see many kids in Wrexham shirts, it was [Manchester] United and Liverpool shirts, now you go to the park and it’s all Wrexham.
“I can remember the first game back after Covid, walking to the stadium it felt so alive and I realised something was happening here.”
And soon the world began to wake up and notice too.
Rob gives fan his autograph (IAN COOPER/IAN COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY)Thanks to Welcome to Wrexham, the Disney+ documentary series that follows Reynolds’ and McElhenney’s takeover of the club, Wrexham Lager’s worldwide sales soared and it has had 10,000 visitors to its brewery in the past two years alone.
Meanwhile, £136million was invested at Wrexham Industrial Estate by landowner Tim Knowles who cited that same feelgood factor.
The club’s transatlantic owners were given the freedom of the city for their immense impact.
Wrexham boss details scale of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's involvement
The crowd at The Racecourse Ground (Getty Images)Long-time fan Geraint Lloyd, 45, says: “It’s what they’ve done for the whole of North Wales. Wrexham Women had 9,000 supporters at a game, then you’ve got a poster here for Kings of Leon (who are playing a gig at the ground next month).”
He adds: “If you look around our heritage it’s all coal and steel, the Gresford Colliery disaster (in which 266 men died in 1934) was coal.
“We’re not like Chester down the road which is posh, we’re very working class. That’s probably why they bought the club, there are a lot of different stories you can hear here.”
Michael Starkey hopes to attend first game (Collect)
Fan and film stall owner Rob Clarke (IAN COOPER/IAN COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY)Travel boss Don Bircham, a former CEO of Wrexham, says the takeover by the star duo was “beyond everyone’s wildest dreams”.
He adds: “It’s put the football town not only on the UK map but the worldwide map. The town has benefitted from the exposure, businesses have benefitted from the sheer volume of people in town.
“You can’t get a ticket for love nor money because now there’s 10,000 people at every home match and when they build the new stand we could be talking about 15,000.
Long-time supporter Geraint Lloyd (IAN COOPER/IAN COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY)“They’re all coming into town, they’re all eating, they’re all drinking and they’re all enjoying themselves.”
And it’s not just those nearby who’ve been flocking to the city, Americans and Canadians in particular have been making the trip, including actor Will Ferrell who popped into The Turf pub, run by Wayne Jones, for a pre-match pint when he visited last month.
Rob Clarke, a fan for 40 years, runs Mad4Movies in the historic Wrexham Butchers Market and appears in the first series of Welcome To Wrexham.
Liam Randall, right“Americans, a few Canadians, one Japanese lady have found me on a matchday,” he says.
“We’ve struggled since Covid. This has given everyone a lift. When Wrexham are doing well there’s always been a bit of a buzz and that’s just amplified so much.”
Another US fan hoping to make the forthcoming game against Boreham Wood is Michael Starkey, 36, a financial adviser from South Alabama.
Former club CEO Don Bircham (IAN COOPER/IAN COOPER PHOTOGRAPHY)He says: “I went down the rabbit hole shortly after I saw that the takeover had happened.
“I watched every YouTube video I could on Wrexham, I listened to all the podcasts and immersed myself in not just the club but the history and the culture. It’s become such a massive part of my life.
“Fingers crossed, toes crossed, I am coming over next weekend.
“Rob messaged me on Twitter, which was unbelievable and very surreal, thanking me for following and supporting the team.
“I’ll just say he and the people around him are helping me over to Wrexham a lot sooner than expected.
“If my passport gets here on time it’s going to be life changing.
“Meeting the fans I have small friendships with – I’ve had people send me match programmes from 30 years ago and Wrexham Lager – words can’t do it justice.”