“We’ve played in front of a maximum 700 people before,” Hett laughs. Bring on the Deadpool and Rob McElhenney,” goes the song by lifelong supporter Michael Hett, whose band, the Declan Swans, have been invited to open two shows for Kings of Leon at the 10,000-capacity Racecourse next month. “Ryan and Rob are like gods around here,” says Masters.Īny cynicism is long gone as fans sing their names from the terraces: “Less than a mile from the centre of town, a famous old stadium’s crumbling down. They bought the club for a rumoured £2m and transformed its prospects almost overnight. But to take the 158-year-old club back up the football pyramid he needed “movie star money – more than that, I needed superhero movie star money”, which is where Deadpool star Reynolds came in. McElhenney described in the documentary how he was drawn to Wrexham as it reminded him of working-class Philadelphia, where he grew up. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian Paula Masters said most people in Wrexham welcomed the influx of new money. The documentary was “putting us on the map”, she added: “No one would ever come and visit Wrexham, let’s be honest, would they? I think it’s wonderful.” Some fans were “a bit resentful” about tourists buying up tickets (home games sell out weeks in advance) but most people welcome the influx of new money, she said. “I think it’s amazing,” said Paula Masters, 51, shaking Donahue’s hand between pulling pints at Maesgwyn village hall. One told the landlord he was amazed it was a real pub, not a film set.ĭonahue, a loud-talking Alabaman with a goatee dyed Wrexham red, said he felt a “special connection” to the club and had been greeted enthusiastically by locals: “I don’t really have any friends in Alabama and everybody here has just been so quick to talk to me and be friendly. A wall in the Turf pub, which features prominently in the show and is next to the stadium, is filled with the signatures of honeymooners and holidaymakers from as far as Malaysia and South Africa. Maurice Cargius, a local taxi driver, was asked by an Australian visitor last weekend for “a grand tour” of the town (local people insist on calling Wrexham a town, despite it being given city status in December). Will Ferrell was pictured having a pint with fans in February while the actors Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olson, McElhenney’s co-stars in the sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, watched Tuesday night’s 3-0 win over Yeovil Town at the Racecourse ground, the oldest international football stadium still in use. Tourists from all over the world have descended on Wrexham since the takeover and the club has a growing swell of A-list fans. John Evans, 76, used to cycle 23 miles to watch Wrexham as a teenager. Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan. While the football club has seen a 600 per cent increase in merchandise sales, with orders coming in from around the globe. The docuseries and exposure from the high profile co-owners has given Wrexham skyrocketing tourist numbers. "And, of course, this comes after the Welsh national team has brought unprecedented international recognition to Wales through qualifying for the World Cup." Even if it doesnt make something top shelf on its own, it can be a huuuuuge elevation relative to smaller companies. Finding a nice but certainly small name and adding his own A list celebrity endorsement/platform, which in itself is often a news story. "A little earlier today, I had the opportunity to see one of the other wonders of Wrexham, namely the football club, which is busy putting Wrexham on the map as never before," King Charles said. Ryan Reynolds has done that with a number of brands. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)įor a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) The royals and players all posed together for a photo in the centre of Racecourse Ground. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Cameras were spotted filming the interactions between the royals and players. Wrexham AFC co-owners and actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds welcomed King Charles during his visit to Wales with huge grins. King Charles, the former Prince of Wales, visited to officially confer city status to Wrexham, one of eight different communities granted the new title to mark the late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee this year.ĭuring his speech inside the local church, His Majesty didn't single out Reynolds but praised the football club for raising the profile of the place internationally, largely thanks to the show. Their first production for the streaming giant – also a docuseries – debuted on Thursday to mixed reviews and is believed to take aim at the royal family in Volume II, which is out next week. Harry and wife Meghan signed a massive multi-year deal with Netflix in 2020 for an undisclosed amount, believed to be worth around $150 million.
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