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Imagine a Single-A baseball team clawing its way up the ranks to take on the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. Or the Red Sox at Fenway. Or even the reigning World Series Champion Dodgers at the Ravine. 

That’s the kind of miracle Wrexham AFC just pulled off—except the field is soccer, the setting is Wales, and the force behind it is a full-blown Hollywood script written not with pen and paper, but with blood, sweat, tears, and a whole lot of belief. 

This summer, as blockbuster movies hit theaters across Los Angeles, the greatest story in sports might not be on a screen—but on a pitch located over 5,000 miles away.

Wrexham AFC, the third-oldest football club in the world, and once a withering shadow in England’s fifth-tier National League, has achieved what no other club has in the entire 150-year history of the English game: three straight promotions. 

The Red Dragons will now play next season in the EFL Championship, just one league shy of the gilded Premier League.

Let that sink in.

When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased the club for just £2 million in 2021, Wrexham was marooned in the non-league wilderness. They were up against part-time clubs with names like Wealdstone, Dag & Red, and Dover Athletic. Dreams of playing under the lights against Manchester United or Liverpool weren’t just far-fetched—they were downright delusional.

Now? That dream is one rung away from becoming a reality.

And like any great Hollywood epic, this one is packed with twists, laughter, heartbreak, unlikely heroes, and so many subplots it will make your head spin.

Welcome to Wrexham… And Welcome to the World

The resurrection of Wrexham AFC didn’t start with a transfer fee or a flashy announcement. It started with an idea inside the writer’s room of the Apple TV show “Mythic Quest.”

“I was working as a writer for Rob McElhenney and my wife, Megan Ganz, on Mythic Quest on Apple TV,” said Humphrey Ker, an actor, comedian, writer, and former executive of Wrexham AFC. “During the COVID-19 lockdown I told Rob to watch a documentary called “Sunderland ’Til I Die.” After watching it he said ‘why don’t we do this for ourselves, but make it a happy story? We should buy a team at the bottom and take it up to the top.’ Now, here we are four years later.” 

That one idea kickstarted the journey, but some stellar storytelling, launched them into the stratosphere. “Welcome to Wrexham,” the Emmy-winning docuseries airing on FX and Hulu, brought the club’s heartbeat to the world. Written, produced, and edited in Los Angeles, the series blended the magic of soccer with the soul of a small Welsh town.

“The documentary is edited, shot, and made in L.A. It comes out of a writer’s room at the Radford Lot in Studio City. It’s genesis is there,” said Ker. “That documentary has propelled Wrexham into homes of people across the world. That has driven a level of interest here, it’s brought investment and fans from all across the world. We are very intertwined. The fates of this football club are intertwined with the documentary and L.A. because it has been such a driver of the success and change we’ve been able to deliver here.”

It wasn’t just a sports doc—it was a love letter to working-class resilience, community loyalty, and the idea that the underdog can, indeed, have its day. Or, in Wrexham’s case, its decade.

“Some of our fans work six days a week just to be able to watch Wrexham. They’ve given their blood, sweat, tears, and finances to support the club,” said Wayne Jones, the owner of the local pub next to the stadium, The Turf. “These fans have been through hard times and when I get to see how happy they are now, I’m so excited for it. To see them get the good times, it makes it all worth it. They really deserve it.”

And that impact? It’s real.

Wrexham Lager, now co-owned by Reynolds and McElhenney, is booming. Tourists from the United States, Canada, and Australia line up for tastings and tours. Local pubs offer Wrexham Lager paddles paired with traditional Welsh dishes. More Wrexham Lager might’ve been poured over heads than drunk during promotion celebrations, but the brewery’s books are anything but sobering: profits have doubled since 2021.

“It’s great to see Wrexham capturing the hearts of people across the world,” said James Wright, CEO of Wrexham Lager Beer Co., the oldest lager brewery in the UK. “The exposure from Welcome to Wrexham has been hugely positive for the local economy—and for Wrexham Lager. Wrexham is a city built on people, industry, and hard work.”

Once a coal town riddled with economic decline, Wrexham is now bustling with new storefronts, restaurants, and boutique shops. Business is booming.

“The growth has been huge. We’ve more than doubled,” said Jones of how the success of the football club has affected his business. “There’s been a growth for everybody in the city. Thousands of people are walking through the city, spending their money on hotels, restaurants and bars. It’s been a crazy four years, and the growth of the city is certainly keeping up with the team.”

The Turf Pub, situated steps from STōK Cae Ras (Wrexham’s historic stadium), has become a global pilgrimage site. Fans rub elbows with celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Will Ferrell. Cameras roll, pints spill, and stories are born in real time.

“I didn’t think that Deadpool would own our football club, or that I’d be having a drink with Will Ferrell one week, and Prince William the next. It’s lovely to get celebrities coming through to have a beer,” said Jones of how his bar has become a celebrity hot spot. “When you strip it back, they’re no different than us. They’re just people who want to have a pint and enjoy the town. There’s a little bit of Wrexham in the hearts of people in Los Angeles.” 

The town that was once forgotten now welcomes the world.

“The streets feel alive again,” said one local business owner in Wrexham. “We have new visitors every week, from Los Angeles to Canada, to Australia, to Tokyo. On matchdays, we sell out before noon.”

On April 27, in front of 12,774 feverish fans, Wrexham sealed their third straight promotion with a commanding 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic. Sam Smith, the club’s record signing, netted two of the goals. Ollie Rathbone added another. It wasn’t just a win. It was a statement.

And make no mistake—this is just the beginning.

“Our goal is to make it to the Premier League,” said Ryan Reynolds stating his intent for the club’s future succinctly. 

Wrexham’s commercial revenue soared from £1.88 million to £13.18 million in just one year, and that was before they reached the Championship. Their sponsorship deal with United Airlines turned heads. Their Meta Quest partnership for the Welcome to Wrexham finale airing this Thursday? Revolutionary.

In a first-of-its-kind experience, fans can relive Wrexham’s Championship-clinching moment in 180°, choosing their own camera angles or watching the curated director’s cut in Xtadium on Meta Quest VR. It’s sports, cinema, and cutting-edge tech colliding in perfect harmony.

Despite all the glitz, Wrexham still has mountains to climb. Clubs like Southampton and Leicester City, recently relegated from the Premier League, will be waiting next season—with parachute payments of £39 million cushioning their fall. Meanwhile, Wrexham’s average attendance is just over 12,000—third-lowest in the Championship.

But what Wrexham lacks in gate receipts, it makes up for in global reach.

“From the very beginning, we wanted to help make Wrexham a globally recognized team, town, and brand,” said McElhenney. “We could not be more excited for what’s next.”

Next includes the Wrexham Down Under Tour, with stops in Melbourne, Sydney, and Wellington this July. After two summers of packed U.S. tours—including stops in California where they played Manchester United and Chelsea—Wrexham is now a global ambassador for the sport.

“Football’s not just about winning,” said manager Phil Parkinson, who’s now secured his sixth career promotion. “It’s about growth. Community. Belief. We’ve built something here that goes beyond football.”

And he’s right. In a sport ruled by money and legacy, Wrexham’s ascent is a rare story of genuine connection. Of fans who chant every matchday like it’s their first. Of a club that gave its town more than a team—it gave them a future.

Los Angeles has always been a city that creates stars. But in Wrexham, it may have helped create a legend.

From the Rams to the Lakers, the Dodgers to LAFC, this city knows how to back winners. And now, through a serendipitous partnership between two Hollywood actors and a coal town club, Los Angeles has added another badge of pride: helping revive Wrexham AFC and sending it soaring toward the stratosphere of the Premier League.

In the heart of Wales, where fog and faith have always danced together in the morning mist, the streets are alive with chants and cheer.

One team. One town. One dream.
Wrexham. The story writes itself—but if you look closely, the credits still say: Made in Hollywood.

Source: NBC Los Angeles