‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Proves Football Is More Than a Game:

Hulu recently dropped the first two episodes of Welcome to Wrexham, the documentary following the journey of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they take over the ownership of Wrexham AFC, a team in the fifth tier of English football (just barely one rung above amateur leagues). The two actors set out with the goal to bring the club back to the English Football League, and by doing so, restoring the historic team’s place among the top teams.

We’ve all seen underdog stories, both onscreen and in real life, but this truly is a challenge in the highly competitive world of English football, and one that football fans across the world will be paying attention to. There are thousands of football teams across the globe, so what attracted Reynolds and McElhenney to this small team based in a town in Wales? Well, that story begins with Rob.

There’s no denying Ryan’s passion and commitment to the team, shown when he first steps onto the pitch and falls down in amazement. Reynolds also spoke of his passion for sports, explaining how he would always strive to excel in order to gain his late father’s validation. However, it was very much Rob, the self-proclaimed TV money guy, who got things kick-started with this project. During the first episode of the series, Rob gives us an insight into his humble beginnings. Along with his son and his father, he takes us on a tour of the home he grew up in, a small family house in the heart of Philadelphia. This isn’t a humblebrag to show us how far he’s come and how successful he’s been, but rather to show us the type of person he is, and the understanding and appreciation he has for the working class.

McElhenney goes on to explain to us how much American Football means to him, discussing how meaningful the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in 2018 was to him. He puts the victory right up there with the birth of his children and his wedding day, an insight into just what the “game” means to him. It’s not only Rob with these thoughts though. He explains how the team is an extension of the city. It’s a culture. The team brings together the city’s inhabitants and gives them a sense of belonging. For McElhenney, Philadelphia is a blue-collar city, and they have to work for everything they have, but football is something that bands them all together and allows them to forget their lives. He sees that same sentiment in the Welsh town of Wrexham.

Finding Common Ground Between Philadelphia and Wrexham
welcome-to-wrexham-trailer-ryan-reynolds-socialImage via FX Networks
The town of Wrexham shares a lot with Philadelphia. Sure, there’s a huge size difference, a huge population difference, and a huge difference in notability, but what unites the two places is the spirit of the people. Just as Philadelphia is driven by its love for the Eagles, the industrious people of Wrexham are driven by their local team. It’s a town that is not famous for its career opportunities, or its fancy infrastructure, but one where hope is never lost and heart is ever-present. This all comes from football. On the face of it, it’s a game with 22 men chasing after a ball, vying to put it into the opponent’s goal, but the game means so much more to its fans. It’s a chance for them to feel as one, away from their busy working lives, and to feel a part of something. No matter what their circumstances may be, football is a distraction to them, and the community spirit ensures nobody is left feeling alone.

One scene that stands out, although seemingly minor, is an interview with a street food van outside the club’s grounds. The proprietor of the van explains how he chats to the customers, and their mood very much depends on the football team’s latest results. Fans can be seen gathering outside, expressing their dismay at bad results and performances, and the street vendor goes on to explain how the locals appear despondent after the team has lost. This is a common theme for enthusiastic football fans across the world (one I’m all too familiar with). The feeling of loss stays with you throughout the upcoming week until the next game gives an opportunity for it to be put right. This is what the people of Wrexham feel, and being such a passionate group of fans can only make this feeling amplified.

One of the more obvious places to see this North Wales town’s passion for the beautiful game is the opening sequence. Set to the melancholy tune of “The Time They Are A-Changing” by Keb Mo, it features images and short videos of the town’s history. Shots include historic moments of the team’s past intertwined with photos of coal miners. With the theme running behind these shots, we get a true sense of the emotions involved from the people of the town, and the use of images of both working lives and footballing moments show us how intertwined the town is. Football isn’t a separate past-time for fans to engage in when they’re free, it is well rooted in the culture and history of the area. As the documentary explains, the club is the third-oldest football club in the world, meaning there’s a ton of history associated with it, and the fans have been there every step of the way. The support for the team has been passed down from generation to generation, and there doesn’t seem to be any signs of it stopping.

Only two episodes have been released so far, and we can already see just what sport can mean to a community. Welcome to Wrexham is captivating due to it following the lives of normal, working-class people, rather than just following the club owners. Reynolds and McElhenney are both sure to be great for the club, and their passion is clear for us to see, but the story of Wrexham can only be told from those who live it, and that’s what this documentary does so well. For the Wrexham natives, football is not just a game, football is life.

View this article at Collider.