It’s finally come home,Welcome to Wrexhamthe docuseries pitched by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as an integral part of their takeover of Wrexham AFC is here, and the first two episodes deliver a type of entertainment and story that’s impossible not to compare to one of the biggest shows right now,Ted Lasso.
That is because, at its heart, Wrexham’s tale is that of an underdog, much like coach Lasso and AFC Richmond’s, however, the FX production injects a dosage of reality that is absent from most football orsportsdocumentaries due to how close it’s able to approach what makes Wrexham unique, its people. In that sense, the aptly titled “Dream” and “Reality” do a great job channeling McElhenney’s pitch, his motivations, and alsowhy Reynolds was the perfect business partnerfor this venture.
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A bit of a history primer first that the series does not address directly, football in most of Europe often followed the money in the early 1900s, which is why nowadays the biggest clubs in the world are based in big port cities or formerindustrial metropolises like Liverpool, Manchester, Barcelona or Milan, and why precursors of the sport like Wrexham fell off once the smaller cities or towns were no longer a big enough market to support the sport’s growth. That is why Keb’ Mo’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin'” is such a fitting tune for the opening credits, because Wrexham AFC is a symbol of football’s changing history then and now.
McElhenney’s fascination with the promotion system of European football is what drove him to pursue the Wrexham dream, the same one realized by American businessmen who own top-tier clubs, with Chelsea being the latest one added to that list. For that to happenIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiamoney was never going to be enough, instead, McElhenney neededReynolds’Deadpoolmoney, Marvel superhero kind of money.
The takeover is depicted as an incredibly smooth affair with the actors attaining nearly unanimous approval from the trust that administered the club, as Wrexham fans and the people in this town are in the dire need of hope, both in footballing terms and in life. This is what enables viewers to meet some of the people whose lives revolve around the club, or those who simply have decided to give their spare time to the Wrexham cause.
One noteworthy case is Spencer Harris, who prior to the buyout dedicated his spare time to running the club’s business affairs and considering Wrexham was somewhat on the rise by the time Reynolds and McElhenney took over, it’s fair to say he did an admirable job. That’s past tense as in “did” becauseWelcome to Wrexhamdoes well to drive home the notion that change is the name of the game for the club in this new era, meaning many of the people the audience meets won’t be hanging around for too long.
While Harris currently holds the title of Honorary Vice President at Wrexham, coach Dean Keates is shown out the door by the time the second episode wraps up. Keates was hired by Wrexham in late 2019 when the club was at an all-time low, sitting at the bottom of the National League, and although his efforts see Wrexham fight until the very end of the 2020-21 season for a place in promotion play-offs, that is simply not enough for the club’s new ambitions.
Several people are brought in such as Humphrey Ker, McElhenney’s British pal that got him into football, or Shaun Harvey, a seasoned football executive, who’s hired to help Wrexham progress. The fact is that the series makes sure to emphasize that football at these lower levels is very uncertain for all parties involved, which probably explains why Wrexham’s current squad only retains 9 players from the 2020-21 team featured here.
Among the lucky ones is Jordan Davies, who not only enjoyed a great season when the Hollywood duo took over, but also happens to be born and raised in Wrexham, thus making him the perfect poster boy for the team’s current story. On the other hand, there’s Paul Rutherford, a veteran who’s entered the final stage of his career and whose actions see him cut from the club after a season-defining error causes him to burst into tears after seeing a red card in the worst possible moment.
All in all,Welcome to Wrexhamdoes a fine job of depicting the ups and downs that come with running a professional football club on a level that feels much closer to home than even whatTed Lassoportrays. As of now, Wrexham has entered the 2022-2023 season still stuck in English football’s fifth-tier competition (so noFIFA 23guarantees), and what happened in the first year ofReynolds and McElhenney does not deserve spoiling, but rather it’s well worth watching.
