sport news How Wrexham became a story - and victory over the Blades would be the ... trends now

sport news How Wrexham became a story - and victory over the Blades would be the ... trends now
sport news How Wrexham became a Hollywood story - and victory over the Blades would be the ... trends now

sport news How Wrexham became a Hollywood story - and victory over the Blades would be the ... trends now

The sound of a JCB tearing up the concrete steps of Wrexham’s old Kop terrace forms the backdrop to manager Phil Parkinson sitting in the stadium’s community classroom to discuss his hopes of a giant-killing this weekend.

The bold architecture of the new stand, which will rise on the demolition site, is an emblem of the National League club’s evolution in the two years since Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over. It’s not been smooth in every sense. 

The town’s hopes of Government levelling-up funding for a major development project, of which the stadium plans were a part, were dashed two weeks ago, despite then-Efficiency Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg being chauffeur-driven up to inspect the proposals last summer at a cost of more than £1,300. But that won’t stop it being built.

It is a busy week with Wrexham preparing to face second tier Sheffield United in the FA Cup

 It is a busy week with Wrexham preparing to face second tier Sheffield United in the FA Cup

Co-chairmen Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney (right) have transformed the club

Co-chairmen Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney (right) have transformed the club

Days like this certainly help. McElhenney and Reynolds’ star quality, and their hugely-acclaimed documentary series ‘Welcome to Wrexham‘, has brought a raft of blue chip sponsors, including TikTok and Expedia, and help ed fund the ambitious signings from League One to drive a promotion push. But the £105,000 for reaching the FA Cup fourth round is significant, given that the National League pays out only £90,000 to the teams who compete in the division.

It’s also a moment for Parkinson to step back briefly from the white heat of that division, in which Wrexham — who went top with a 3-0 win at Gateshead last Tuesday — are hot favourites for promotion and arrive to full houses wherever they go. If the solitary automatic promotion spot were not enough to contend with, episode 11 of the documentary series — entitled Sack the Gaffer — sees McElhenney and Reynolds debating his future with their executives.

Parkinson was philosophical about that film-making during an off-camera discussion in a corner of the media room on Friday, preferring to reflect on what, from his perspective, real pressure is. ‘Pressure is when you’re at Bolton Wanderers and haven’t been paid for five months and you are trying to motivate the team to play in the Championship,’ he says of his three-year spell there.

Wrexham kit man Iwan Pugh-Jones spends hours making certain all the team kits are clean

Wrexham kit man Iwan Pugh-Jones spends hours making certain all the team kits are clean

The stadium's plans were part of the town's hopes government levelling-up funding - which were dashed two weeks ago

The stadium's plans were part of the town's hopes

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