Hollywood Remakes Come for Wales
'Welcome to Wrexham' is a docuseries with a delightful blend of Hollywood stardom and everyday people.
Something is brewing in a small Welsh town called Wrexham. A 157-year-old forgotten soccer team, relegated into seeming obscurity, is resuming, thanks to none other than Hollywood. In 2021, during the pandemic, 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' star Rob McElhenney began a new quest or mid-life crisis, depending on how you look at it.
In need of what he calls "superhero movie money," he roped Ryan Reynolds into buying a National League soccer team called "Wrexham FC" for $2.5 million. Their journey to purchase and revive a small-town professional soccer team is documented in a new show, ' Welcome to Wrexham, available on FX and Hulu. It's a show with a refreshing blend of regular people and Hollywood stardom, with an integration of American and British cultures. What may seem like another run-of-the-mill documentary is a groundbreaking concept. Much like Drive to Survive has spawned countless new fans of Formula 1 racing, 'Welcome to Wrexham' is hoping it'll have the same effect on their fan base.
“Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face” — Mike Tyson
Compared to Formula 1, Wrexham is a whole different beast. With a population of 135,100 people (equivalent to Tallahassee, Florida), the soccer team is not just the talk of the town but's soul in a way. Languishingly in poor performance along with the town's economy, it's a city needing a win.
Which why the show starts with their actual efforts to buy the team. From an organizational standpoint, Wrexham FC is unlike other sports teams in that, before Robb and Ryan's ownership, 2,000 fans owned the unit via the Wrexham Supporters Trust. Therefore, team sales would have to be decided by a majority vote from those 2,000 members.
It may seem like a minor procedural measure, but it's a genuinereal hurdle forl owners. Like most fan bases, Wrexham FC disciples live and breathe the team's performance, which has been suffering in recent years—combined with the teams on the field struggles and past extortionist owners who attempted to strip the club's assets (that's another article in itself). And you can see why members of the Wrexham Supports Trust would be weary of any new owners, primarily if they descend from the heights of Hollywood. The solution? A vision and plan for the club; ambitious enough to shock fans but realistic enough to see tangible. There's no better way to start the docuseries journey than by first convincing the fans you are worthy.
It's challenging to categorize 'Welcome to Wrexham.' It's a blend of documentary and reality tv, both of which feel reductive. Robb and Ryan prefer the Structured term reality. What is apparent quickly in the series is that the show is anything but an afterthought. It's the whole thought. They are evidence this is evidenced by the fact that it starts with their efforts to buy the team instead of after they took ownership. Part of the A-list pairs plan is to not only move Wrexham FC up through the rankings, seeing as they are currently in the fifth tier of the English football league system, but also to avoid further relegation and to grow the team's recognition, thereby increasing revenue as well. Phew, I don't know about you, but I'm tired just thinking about that stress. Before they can execute that plan, they need to learn how professional soccer works… oh and how to run a professional team. Despite their obstacles, Robb and Ryan seem to handle every hardship with humor. They are taking the route of laughing through the loss of money, all hoping it'll one day work out. Plus, you get to see their pace around their multi-million-dollar homes, sweating every game, which is entertaining in and of itself.
This structured reality show fuses Rob and Ryan's ownership journey with the history of Wrexham FC and its loyal fans, aligning their motivations for the club's success. By doing so, the documentary creates a delightful journey in which you can't help but root for the team's success. It's not all about sports either, there is a lot of focus on the individual stories of fans, which sheds light on the town's life, and well, they just come off as sweet small-town folks. With so many themes up in the air, the project is an unusual crossover of genres and boundaries. As a documentary that closes the gap between movie and tv stars shows business versus reality, venture capitalism, and underdog stories, the main feeling that comes across is honesty.
The docuseries could've easily grabbed hold of a theme and used editing to spin a story centering on the lifestyle clashes between lower-league players and celebrities or one that plays up the perspective of two wealthy new owners dragging a struggling town through its own underdog story. In an age where everything presents a façade of being something, it's not like a television show is an 8-hour movie; Robb and Ryan create a refreshingly honest presentation of their newest project.
Many of us can relate to the people of Wrexham's aching for a sports team worthy of their efforts as fans. But few understand the steps necessary to create such an organization. And it's an enjoyable experience to see Robb and Ryan stumble through it as they inevitably encounter costs, budget overruns, and issues they didn't foresee. But at the end of the day, they're determined to see their vision through, which outweighs their lack of experience. I'm a fan of Wrexham FC after watching this show,, and I think you will be too. 'Welcome to Wrexham' avoided relegation with a 9.0/10 on my scale.
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